Why Some Women Can Expect to Die Too Early

News about life expectancy, up until now, has been rosy. Both women and men are living longer, six to seven years on average, than they were 40 years ago. A girl born in the U.S. today can expect to live to about 80—not too shabby. Yet a study out this week puts a damper on those numbers, which are just an average of everyone in the country. For folks in some counties, life expectancy is actually decreasing. And the news is particularly bad for women: In 180 counties across the country, women can expect to live to about 73, or about 1.3 years less than they did in 1983, according to data from the National Center for Health Statistics. These counties were primarily located in the deep South along the Mississippi River and in the Appalachian Mountains extending into the southern portion of the Midwest and into Texas.

My first thought upon reading this study was: Here is another case of health disparities, where poor people living in backwater areas aren't getting the kind of quality medical care that I get living in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. While, clearly, there is some disparity at work here, I'm not sure the doctors (or lack thereof) are to blame. Consider this: The study researchers found that the main reasons for women's lower lifespan was high blood pressure, obesity, and lung diseases caused by smoking. All of these things are within our power as individuals to control through a healthful diet, regular exercise, and refusal to start smoking in the first place. But is the culture in which those women live conducive to a healthful lifestyle? My guess is probably not.

Calorie for calorie, fruits and vegetables cost a lot more than pasta, white bread, and candy bars. And many supermarkets in poor areas don't even stock a fresh supply of produce. Gym memberships are out of the question for someone on a tight budget, and taking a jog outdoors could be a life-threatening venture for a woman living in a dangerous part of town. While teenage smoking rates have decreased over the past few decades, the decline has leveled off as antismoking campaigns have suffered budget cuts. Too many teenage girls still see smoking as the ticket to being thin. Just check out the bikini-clad bod of Jennifer Aniston (who has been snapped smoking on more than one occasion) in any supermarket tabloid.

So what's the solution? I say let's take some of those government tax dollars that we give to farmers to produce excess amounts of corn and milk and use it to subsidize healthful food and lifestyle programs for those living in places where they can expect to die seven years earlier than other Americans. And here are some concrete ways to fight body fat. What do you think is the answer? I'd like to know.