According to a new study, the overall health of Americans is on the decline. This increases the number of pensioners who live on less and lead less active lifestyles.
About it reports Committee on work with pension plans the society of actuaries (experts in insurance mathematics). According to the study, the mortality rate in the U.S. rose 1.2% in 2015 compared to 2014. It was the first time since 2005.
Experts found that almost every third American aged 65-69 years still working. If we compare this figure with the early 70-ies, while only one in five Americans of working age not retirement.
According to the journal Health Affairs, Americans at the age of 50 years already have a more serious health problems than people in the same age 10-15 years ago.
Huang Choi and Robert Sheni, economists at the University of Michigan, decided to conduct a survey to compare the health status of U.S. residents of middle age. They wanted to study the «everyday activity» (Activities of Daily Living or ADL) Americans to assess their health.
There are six basic ADL items: eating, bathing, dressing, toilet, transferring (walking) and continence. So according to these indicators, the number of Americans who are over 50 and who are unable to perform the above tasks, increased by 12.5%.
A survey Choi and Sheni showed that 25% of Americans at the age from 58 to 60 years, who must retire at 66, assessed their health status as «weak» or «satisfactory». This figure is 2.6 points higher than people who retire at 65 years.
Economists believe that the main reasons for the decline in the nation’s health are obesity, alcohol abuse, drug overdose and suicide.
The society of actuaries found that the average life expectancy of pensioners has decreased by 0.2 points. But for companies with pension it will only be at hand, because their benefits will be reduced by about 0.7-1%.
