Less-educated middle-age US whites dying younger than others

[Grizzled Ol Granddad]

Source: AP

By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER
Mar. 23, 2017 12:19 AM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Middle-age white Americans with limited education are increasingly dying younger, on average, than other middle-age U.S. adults, a trend driven by their dwindling economic opportunities, research by two Princeton University economists has found.

The economists, Anne Case and Angus Deaton, argue in a paper released Thursday that the loss of steady middle-income jobs for those with high school degrees or less has triggered broad problems for this group. They are more likely than their college-educated counterparts, for example, to be unemployed, unmarried or afflicted with poor health.

"This is a story of the collapse of the white working class," Deaton said in an interview. "The labor market has very much turned against them."

Those dynamics helped fuel the rise of President Donald Trump, who won widespread support among whites with only a high school degree. Yet Deaton said his policies are unlikely to reverse these trends, particularly the health care legislation now before the House that Trump is championing. That bill would lead to higher premiums for older Americans, the Congressional Budget Office has found.


Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/38b0149fd091484e84b5fd5258f1a738/less-educated-middle-age-us-whites-dying-younger-others

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I'm white, college-educated, sixty-seven, and in reasonably good health. Whether this has any relation to the above article, I have NO idea!

[Chicago1980]

1. Thinning of the herd,

Especially of those who continue to vote against their own best interest.

Republicans are slowly killing off their own base in their goal for financial prosperity and superiority.

[iluvtennis]

2. GAH. And what are the numbers for middle aged PoC with limited education. Bet the stats are similar.

[dem in texas]

3. Bad for Fox News

These are their core viewers.

[Historic NY]

4. Obits are filled daily here...

An acquaintance a local undertaker said take care of yourself, I have lots of folks from their 40's - 50's laid out mostly because they neglect their health. I'm 61 and see plenty of people that look much older than myself and they are in their late 40's.
I still know people out there partying like they were teens and spend a lot of time with junk & fast food as their daily intake.
I have an advanced degree but worked nights for many years until I was injured on the job. I know people that have health care via their jobs and they don't use it.

[Skittles]

5. yup

it shocks me how many people wait until they have a heart attack or are diagnosed with diabetes to start exercising

[ThoughtCriminal]

6. Hate cuts your lifespan

And they have been red-lining that for a long time.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

19. It's true. Increases stress hormones, raises blood pressure, increases smoking & drinking.

Hate is toxic for anyone.

It is not difficult to be focused on change and progress and resistance without being hateful.

[davsand]

7. Those numbers will increase if Ryan has his way.

Less access to health care is gonna exacerbate that particular problem.



Laura

[hamsterjill]

23. Yes, but for some of us older Dems, too.

Ryan doesn't discriminate when it comes to wanting to kill poor and elderly.

[leftyladyfrommo]

8. The ones I know all smoke and drink.

3 of my neighbors had lung cancer. One died.

My next door neighbor had lung cancer and went thru surgery and chemo. Her adult son still smokes.

And they all eat fast food and junk. And never exercise.

[Botany]

9. They all smoke

n/t

[BumRushDaShow]

10. The black "working class" that gets ignored as if they don't exist

were always the last to be hired and the first to be fired, and were continually cited in statistic after statistic of having the highest death rates for all of the worst health conditions. Folks forced to live in "food desert" neighborhoods drenched in the toxic leftovers of the long-abandoned factories where earlier generations worked. But it was expected that once the greed factor ran roughshod through communities of POC, it was only a matter of time before greed would eventually get around to negatively impacting the majority population. And only then has it become "a thing".

[Recursion]

17. White men with high school diplomas make as much as black women with Masters degrees

Honestly I'm not terribly sympathetic at this point: this is an example of people letting expectation overcome reality.

[BumRushDaShow]

21. Yup.

It's pretty sad, especially the fact that they know this yet accept the added privilege rather than working to alleviate the gap.

[Mc Mike]

11. While repug political hacks point to the increased lifespan of the overall population to justify

raising the minimum retirement age to 70+.

[dembotoz]

25. my father was a factory worker, he retired at 65...he was just used up

lived for a few years more mostly in a nursing home

do i blame the factory? no but there is no fucking way he would have made it to 70

[Mc Mike]

31. The repugs know that, too. They just use the increased longevity stats

to deny people access to the money those people put into Social Security. Because the repugs always hated Social Security, and always hated the people.

[nikibatts]

12. Smokers, druggers, haters, bad eaters, no exercise, watching Duck Dynasty and FOX.

Recipe for unhealthy living and early death.

[tanyev]

13. Well, duh. They're also more likely to not have good health insurance.

[pstokely]

14. but thanks to Obamacare, insurance can't drop them after their 4th or 5th heart attack

nt

[treestar]

20. and refused to use Obamacare

because Obama.

I've actually met people who told me they were uninsured and I wondered privately how that could be. I think they simply refused to even try to sign up for ACA.

[Blue_Tires]

15. Expect the numbers to rise

when they realize voting in Trump only made their lives worse...

[dalton99a]

16. There is no doubt.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

18. Also making poor health choices, not just limited economics.

We could cite obesity, smoking, lack of exercise, poor diet, lack of understanding of symptoms, lack of preventative health care.

Those are all problems that exist at lower levels among educated people.

[IronLionZion]

22. So Trump voters are dying off

Liberals tend to make healthier life choices. And blue states tend to have better health care and insurance coverage to go with our stronger economies

It seems like Trump's election was the last gasp of a dying dinosaur going extinct

[ymetca]

29. The phenomenon runs across all states and political affiliations

White Males Aged 45-50: Most Hated Class in America.

The latest victims of racial stereotyping for the purposes of enriching the global 1%.

[FakeNoose]

24. This isn't something to be happy about

Many of these early deaths could have been avoided through healthier lifestyles, better choices etc.
Many "younger" deaths are due to drugs, risky behaviors, and serving in the military.

Anyone whose children are in high school now and not wanting to go to college?
This is very good food for thought. I'd call it a teachable moment for parents.

If the Democratic Party can find a way to reach out to these young men, it would be a great opportunity.

Just sayin'

[adigal]

28. My middle son failed out of three colleges, smoked too much weed, was an idiot

I pushed and pushed him to apply for an electrician's union, he got in and makes more $$ than I do now, a teacher of 23 years with a Masters degree.
So it's more than just no college. It's purposeful ignorance and hate.

[FakeNoose]

33. He ended up OK because of you

You gave your son good advice and guidance.

So unfortunately not all parents do that, a lot of kids are "on their own" too soon.
These are the unfortunate ones who end up in trouble and get involved with the wrong groups.
Why can't the Democratic Party reach out to them and offer a hand up?
It might make all the difference in their lives.

[Warpy]

26. POC and most women didn't have that far to fall

White men have borne the brunt of job disappearance, declining wages, and loss of hope for anything better, ever.

Bad food, bad housing, no hope, and alcohol. Don't tell me anyone is surprised by this.

[adigal]

27. Darwin's Law in action...they vote for people who want them to die, or at least don't care

I wonder how they will get addiction treatment if Trumpcare goes in??
Sad!

[Bradical79]

30. _(ツ)_/

Lots of my fellow working class white guys need to get their heads out of their asses. Too many only want to hear solutions from certain kinds of people. Well guess what morons, you're killing yourselves!

[Recursion]

32. I'm sorry. F this. White men with a high school diploma

earn more than black women with a Masters degree. I suppose I should say "I'm sorry nobody will run a factory as a charity to employ you", but I'm not really.