Here's some more info: yes, infant mortality rates are part of the explanation; but the biggest contributor to longevity from the 1930s to the present has been antibiotics. Almost everyone used to die of infections like pneumonia. Now they survive those infections. It is a very direct correlation.
How about war? Or are the numbers relatively low?
Your post made me think. I think a “valid” statistic would be one that answers this question: What is the life expectancy of those that make it to 60?
I’ve noticed that the older you are, the longer the actuarials say you will live. Nobody ever tried to get life insurance and the agent says, “Sorry. the actuarials say you died last week. I would not be surprised if a 100 year old man has a life expectancy to 106.
Come to think of it, comparing actuarial tables from 1940 and 2011 would give us a glimpse of what changes have really taken place.
Here’s one from 2003:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Excerpt_from_CDC_2003_Table_1.pdf
“Here’s some more info: yes, infant mortality rates are part of the explanation; but the biggest contributor to longevity from the 1930s to the present has been antibiotics. Almost everyone used to die of infections like pneumonia. Now they survive those infections. It is a very direct correlation. “
Don’t tell Michele Bachmann. According to her, modern medicine is the spawn of SATAN!!!!