Air Date: Week of June 16, 2000

Diane Toomey reports on a new study that has found that people in developed countries will be living a lot longer than official estimates now predict.

Transcript

TOOMEY: People are living a lot longer these days and outfoxing the number crunchers in the process. That's the word from a new study on life expectancy in the major industrialized nations. Using new forecasting models to predict future death rates, researchers say by the year 2050, people in First World countries might live up to eight years longer than official estimates now predict. Japan is one country that really miscalculate the life span of its citizens. Official estimates there place life expectancy in the year 2050 at about 83. But this new study says the average Japanese will live to just shy of a ninety-first birthday. The study's authors caution industrialized nations to plan ahead, given the expected pressure on their retirement and health care systems. That’s this week’s health update. I’m Diane Toomey.