Living Longer But Not Better

Life expectancy continues to increase, and you need to factor that into your retirement planning. A retirement of 30 years or longer isn’t unusual now and will be more common going forward. But something else you need to consider is the news that while Americans are living longer, they aren’t necessarily living healthier, according to a new study. The study found that the longer lives often are accompanied by disabilities and chronic conditions, most of which are due to unhealthier lifestyles.

These conditions largely are preventable, but you need to include them in your plans. You can maintain a healthy lifestyle to try to avoid conditions such as diabetes, heart conditions, pulmonary disease, and effects of strokes. Or you should plan for the higher medical expenses and other costs that accompany chronic medical conditions.

The report, now in its 23rd year, incorporates data from the Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Census Bureau as well as the FBI, among other sources.

Vermont was found to be the healthiest U.S. state thanks in part to a low incidence of infectious diseases, a low violent crime rate and a high rate of health insurance among its residents.

Mississippi and Louisiana were found to be the unhealthiest states because of a high prevalence of obesity, diabetes and a low birth weight among infants, among other factors.