Life Expectancy Growth Stalls in Europe
Table of Contents
- 1. Life Expectancy Growth Stalls in Europe
- 2. Decline in Expected Longevity
- 3. Root Causes and Government Response
- 4. International Comparisons and Policy Implications
- 5. Professor Nicholas Steel, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, emphasized: “We’re not doing so well with heart disease and cancer. We have high dietary risks in England and high levels of physical inactivity and high obesity levels. These trends are decades long – there isn’t a fast fix.”
He added, “This is about the big, long-term population protections from risk – so engaging with the food industry to improve our national diet to make it easier for people to eat healthier food and make it easier for people to move a little bit in our day-to-day lives.”
Though, Steel remains optimistic, stating that Europe has “not yet reached a natural longevity ceiling.” He explained, “Life expectancy for older people in many countries is still improving, showing that we have not yet reached a natural longevity ceiling. Life expectancy mainly reflects mortality at younger ages, where we have lots of scope for reducing harmful risks and preventing early deaths.”
Government Action Plan - 6. What specific policy changes can governments implement to effectively address the rising obesity rates contributing to Europe’s stagnant life expectancy?
- 7. Can’t Catch a break: Europe’s Stagnant Life Expectancy
- 8. Introduction to Europe’s Life Expectancy Trend
- 9. Root Causes and Prevention
- 10. international Comparisons and Policy Implications
- 11. Turning the Tide: Policy Changes and Public Engagement
- 12. Closing Thoughts and Reader Engagement
The progress in extending lifespans across Europe has reached a standstill, with experts pointing to a concerning combination of poor diet, sedentary lifestyles, and rising obesity rates as the contributing factors.
Decline in Expected Longevity
A recent study published in the Lancet Public Health journal reveals that the average annual increase in life expectancy across the continent has plummeted from 0.23 years between 1990 and 2011 to a mere 0.15 years between 2011 and 2019.Alarmingly, every single country in the study, with the exception of Norway, witnessed a decline in this growth rate.
England bore the brunt of this slowdown, experiencing the steepest drop in average annual enhancement, falling from 0.25 years between 1990 and 2011 to only 0.07 years between 2011 and 2019. This was followed by Northern Ireland (decreasing by 0.16 years), Wales, and Scotland (both declining by 0.15 years).
Root Causes and Government Response
sarah Price, NHS england’s director of public health, emphasized the study’s crucial message: “prevention is the cornerstone of a healthier society.” She stated, “This important study reinforces that prevention is the cornerstone of a healthier society, and is exactly why it will be such a key part of the 10-year health plan which we are working with [the] government on.”
Price went on to highlight the urgent need for action on the root causes of this troubling trend: “The slowdown in life expectancy improvements, particularly due to cardiovascular disease and cancer, highlights the urgent need for stronger action on the root causes – poor diet, physical inactivity, and obesity.”
The NHS is taking steps to combat this crisis through initiatives like its 12-week digital weight management program, which has helped hundreds of thousands of people lose weight. However, Price stresses that a broader societal effort is essential: “however, more action is needed across society because we cannot treat our way out of the obesity crisis, and we need to stem it at source.”
International Comparisons and Policy Implications
The study, led by the University of East Anglia, analyzed changes in life expectancy in 20 European countries from 1990 to 2021. It found that countries that successfully maintained gains in life expectancy after 2011, such as Norway, Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, and Belgium, also had fewer deaths from heart disease and cancer. These nations also prioritized policies aimed at reducing the risk factors associated with these diseases.
Conversely, England and other UK nations fared poorly after 2011 and during the Covid pandemic, experiencing some of the highest rates of heart disease and cancer. These countries continue to struggle with high dietary risks, low levels of physical activity, and widespread obesity.
