Decline in U.S. Life Expectancy Ranking

Guest: Gordon Lindsay, PhD, Professor of Health Science, BYU How do you think the United States compares in life expectancy to other developed countries? Near the top? Somewhere in the middle? It turns out, among 17 of the wealthiest democracies in the world, we’re dead last, according to a report from the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine.  Did that come as a surprise? If it did, you’re not alone.  A national survey asked the same question. Not even five percent of respondents correctly responded that U.S. life expectancy falls at or near the bottom of the rankings. Now, the question here is why does it matter whether Americans know how poorly we compare to other countries on health measures?