| Things to think about Up
until the 1830s, even in wealthy industrial countries, people
died on average by the age of 40.
Today, we in New Jersey live some
of the longest lives in the world.
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Importance
Life
expectancy is an important measure in its own right and can
be a proxy measure for many other issues such as healthcare,
wealth, opportunities, and education. Inequities in life expectancy
signal inequities through this range of other issues. In New
Jersey, those of us from some races live longer than those from
others - a remarkable inequity in its own right and one that
also indicates many other imbalances. Even with inequities,
life expectancy has been increasing for everyone.
Economic
As we live longer, we are
able to prolong our contributions to society and lead more active
lives. We are able to earn more money. In fact, senior citizens
are among the wealthiest of us. Our increased life span comes
at a price. The medical care prolonging our lives is costly.
Environmental
Some of us remember the "dust
bowl" of the Great Depression. Even more of us can mourn the
loss of natural places and wild animals known in our childhood.
Longer life spans offer the opportunity to apply the environmental
lessons of our past. It also means that each of us imposes a
larger burden on the planet, which increases our individual
responsibility for making environmentally sound decisions.
Social
Lost
years of life are perhaps the largest social loss. When family
and loved ones are gone, we lose the knowledge and culture they
held. When these losses are suffered disproportionately by some
races, they help to perpetuate other inequities between races
and weaken our whole social fabric.
Knowledge
Gaps
Even though
we live longer, some of us are uncomfortable, or in pain, during
our later years. This indicator does not address the quality
of life that we enjoy at older ages.
Data
Source: NJ Department of Health & Senior Services
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