Human Longevity: The Major Determining Factors

Two thousand years ago, the average life expectancy from birth to death of a Roman citizen, an individual better off than most people at that time, was about 22 years (wars, infectious diseases, trauma, etc.). This progressively increased to about 47 years in the U.S. and most European countries by 1900. Today, the average life expectancy in the U.S. is 78 years (women about five years more than men). However, unless the obesity pandemic is reversed and lifestyles improved, the average life...