Experts Say Increased Life Span Presents New Challenges for Society
ABC News Medical Unit
Living to 100 may be seen as a long life now, but according to a new review, it may be the norm for babies born today.
The article, appearing in the medical journal The Lancet, shows that based on current trajectories, more than half of all babies born in industrialized nations since the year 2000 can expect to live into the triple digits. The trends included in the article show that many Western nations will have most people living past 100, with half of all babies born in 2007 in the U.S. likely to live to age 104.
"I guess it's good news for individuals and a challenge for societies," said Dr. Kaare Christensen, an epidemiologist with the Danish Aging Research Center at the University of Southern Denmark, the study's lead author.
"If this trajectory continues, half the babies will be 100 and I think that gives us a new perspective for how to plan your life, basically," he said. "If you're going to retire when you are 60 or 65, it looks quite different when your life expectancy is 75 or 80 than when it's 100." Read more...
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