Smoking, alcohol, junk food and air pollution are all levers we could use to stop the slowdown in the progression of life expectancy. Because according to an OECD report published on Thursday, if France is today in tenth place among the countries we live the longest, the prospects are not optimistic.
82.6 years old. This is the average life expectancy in France, according to the Overview of Health published this Thursday, November 7 by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). If we come in tenth place among the countries where people live the longest, the increase in life expectancy has slowed since 2011. The United States, England and Germany are also victims of this phenomenon. Why Doctor takes stock of the four levers on which we could act to reverse the trend.
smoking
According to the WHO, 7 million people die each year from excessive smoking. If the percentage of daily smokers has gone from 23% in 2007 to 18% in 2017, it is still too much. In France, according to the report’s figures, one in four adults smokes every day (men more than women, 28% against 23%). This is the fourth highest rate in OECD countries (seven points above the average). This high tobacco consumption results in 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year and tens of thousands more related to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. However, the OECD data is from 2017 and has not yet taken into account the influence of measures taken by the Ministry of Health, such as the increase in the price of a pack of cigarettes. Remember that according to the France Public Health Barometer published in May, France would have gained 1.6 million fewer smokers in just two years.
The alcohol
In Europe, Lithuania has the highest alcohol consumption with 12.3 liters per capita. France, for its part, ranks third among the heaviest consumers of alcohol within the OECD with an average of 11.7 litres, ie 30% more than the average of the countries studied. However, “alcohol is a major cause of death and disability”, recalls the report. Indeed, it would be responsible for 8,000 premature deaths per year in the country. As with tobacco, men tend to drink more than women (5.3% dependent drinkers in men compared to 1.5% in women).
Junk food
According to this report, 55.6% of the OECD population is overweight (BMI greater than or equal to 25) and one person in four is obese (BMI greater than or equal to 30). On average, this phenomenon is responsible for 70% of all diabetes treatment costs, 23% of those for cardiovascular diseases and 9% of those for cancers in the 36 member countries. By 2050, 92 million premature obesity-related deaths are expected to occur there, the report warns.
According to experts, in the next thirty years (2020-2050), the reduction in life expectancy linked to overweight will affect Mexico more strongly (4.2 years lost). Next come Russia and Poland (3.9 years) followed by the United States (3.7). With 49% of the population overweight and a forecast of 2.3 years of life expectancy lost, France is below the average of almost three years forecast for the European Union (2.9) and the OECD (2.7).
The atmospheric pollution
“Air pollution is not only a serious threat to the environment; it is also harmful to health. According to OECD projections, outdoor air pollution could lead to 6 to 9 million premature deaths per year, worldwide, by 2060”, explains the OECD report which recalls however that “smoking, alcohol consumption and obesity are the three major risk factors for non-communicable diseases.”
With 25.2 deaths due to pollution per 100,000 inhabitants, France is fortunately below the OECD average (39.6). The countries most affected by this phenomenon are Latvia, Hungary and Lithuania. On the other side of the spectrum, New Zealand and Canada, particularly spared.
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