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U.S. life expectancy is falling behind  

Noon Edition airs on Fridays at noon on WFIU.

In December of 2022, the U.S. average life expectancy was at its lowest in two decades according to reports released by the Centers for Disease Control.  

While that average has risen in the past few months, the U.S. remains significantly behind many of its European counterparts and its neighbor to the North. According to the World Population Review, the current U.S. life expectancy sits just below 80 years. While this is above the world average, the U.S. is far from the top. Countries that rank higher than the U.S. include the UK, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and many more.   

Main causes for lower life expectancy in the U.S. include COVID, cancer, heart disease, obesity, and gun violence.  

This Friday on Noon Edition, we will talk with guests about this new data on U.S. life expectancy and related issues.   

You can follow us on Twitter at @NoonEdition or join us on the air by calling 812-855-0811 or toll-free at 1-877-285-9348. You can also send questions for the show at news@indianapublicmedia.org.  

Guests:

Amy Meek (MSN, RN) - IU Health South Central Region Community Health Director 

Dr. John Sparzo (MD, MBA) - IU Health South Central Region Vice President & Chief Medical Officer

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Nathan Moore is a producer for Noon Edition for WFIU. He previously was a programming director for WIUX and an Investigative Reporter for Indiana’s Arnolt Center for Investigative Journalism. He is studying Broadcast Journalism and Marketing at Indiana University and will graduate this upcoming fall.