As New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg pushes to ban the sale of large-size sodas and other sugary beverages, new research in the British journal The Lancet finds that New Yorkers are living longer.
Researchers reveal that compared to many parts of the country, life expectancy in Manhattan has increased by 10 years, the fastest in the nation.
They largely attribute the rise to a crackdown by the New York City health department on unhealthy behaviors.
Manhattanites can now expect to live to the age of 82, which is the same as Japan, the nation with the highest life expectancy in the world, according to the United Nations World Population Prospects, and higher than Sweden and Iceland.
Still, researchers at the University of Washington’s Institute for Heath Metrics and Evaluation found life expectancy in the US as a whole lengthened just 1.7 years per decade, a slower pace of progress than in the world’s longer living countries. The US ranks 38th among nearly 200 countries with an overall life expectancy of 78.2.
According to the researchers, the city has boosted its life expectancy by reining in homicide rates and HIV/AIDS-related mortality, but also by the government’s radical efforts to promote a healthy lifestyle. These include the city’s ban on trans fats, prohibition of smoking in public spaces, and tax hikes on cigarettes.
In addition, according to a report from LiveScience, the Big Apple has created hundreds of miles of new bicycle lanes, mandated the use of calorie labels on menus in chain restaurants, and sponsored anti-obesity and preventive health services campaigns in subways.
(Source: NY Daily News)
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6 Responses
it appears that the mayor has an appreciation of the preciousness of life – which is a very jewish value. should we in the frum community not also take notice and see what we can do to increase longevity in our community, bs’d, by taking more care of what we eat, how much we eat, to discourage smoking among our youth, to promote excercise?
…and we have some of the best hospitals in the world.
#2
I think thats more of the reason – our Medical care is not comparable..
Mayor %100 correct ban ALL unheathy junk foods b/c people are too dumb to eat healthy.No large sugary drinks no vending machines selling garbage food force people to stay healthy .If u dont like that——— b/c your Yaytzer hara is NOT under controle.Look at that thin energetic person you think is automatic NO hes smart and you arnt.EVERY person wants to be and look healthy and thin, not a tub of lard .Give him a yasher koiach ,yes take away unhealthy food from dummies.
I aggree with Torah yid %200
The Mayor needs us to be healthy and live longer so we pay more taxes…..