Death Rates Rising for Middle-Aged White Americans, Study Finds

NYT ^ | 11/02/2015 | Gina Kolata

[ruination]

Something startling is happening to middle-aged white Americans. Unlike every other age group, unlike every other racial and ethnic group, unlike their counterparts in other rich countries, death rates in this group have been rising, not falling.

That finding was reported Monday by two Princeton economists, Angus Deaton, who last month won the 2015 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science, and Anne Case. Analyzing health and mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and from other sources, they concluded that rising annual death rates among this group are being driven not by the big killers like heart disease and diabetes but by an epidemic of suicides and afflictions stemming from substance abuse: alcoholic liver disease and overdoses of heroin and prescription opioids.

The analysis by Dr. Deaton and Dr. Case may offer the most rigorous evidence to date of both the causes and implications of a development that has been puzzling demographers in recent years: the declining health and fortunes of poorly educated American whites. In middle age, they are dying at such a high rate that they are increasing the death rate for the entire group of middle-aged white Americans, Dr. Deaton and Dr. Case found.

[Eaker]

LOL, right!

[Mashood]

...ergo the rise of HepC commercials on TV. All that partying back in the day is catching up with the cool people.

[LS]

Absolutely right. Told for three decades they are worthless, they can’t help but be affected.

[Ann Archy]

Our parents grew up on fruits and vegetables.....we Boomers grew up on Oreos, potato chips and Coke.......what else can we expect?

[ruination]

Hispanics did too, so why are whites dying at such higher rates?

[SauronOfMordor]

Stress increases death rate. The stress of having to seemingly support the world on your despised and overloaded old back.

[ReaganGeneration2]

“Take God out of people’s lives and you soon find they no longer have lives.”

Not everyone is trying to look at it this way (and I may have missed someone else?) - but congratulations!!!:

You wrote the only post that accurately found the root cause of this shocking study. We all need to start thinking this way for just about every cultural problem we see.

The removal of Christianity seems to affect lower class whites much more than other groups (see C Murray’s “Coming Apart”) and that is mysterious.

[Chode]

feel free to steal it same as i did 8^)

[caddie]

The strategy of the left is mostly psyops: Talk us out of our confidence and obvious successes.

Guilt tripping is one way... very effective... but not if you see through it all.

This thread is proof that we need Trump. He is the only one of the candidates who doesn't whine about our supposed dismal condition. He motivates by pointing out that we can and will fix all of our current problems and emerge better and stronger.

And go back and read his earlier stuff. He has always been this way.

Anyway, FReepers, don't let the craven left talk you out of your legacy as Americans.

Let's get some perspective and restore the country.

[Big Red Badger]

God’s waiting room,
anytown USA.

[central_va]

I don’t think middle age white people kill themselves over media attacks on middle age white people, nor do they commit suicide over immigration or because they believe they built the country

I think there is a lot of truth to that statement. It is hard to watch a great country go down the poop hole.

[central_va]

Why do you believe that white Americans are less able to handle economic hardship and jokes than people of other races?

Because white America pays the bills.

[matginzac]

I’d buy the alcohol reason..
The last 7 years of Obozo govt has caused the alcohol consumption in this house to rise dramatically...

[DiogenesLamp]

At first, I was just gonna say “nope” as an answer to your question.

Not everyone is/was familiar with urban/homosexual meanings to things.

I was sorry to have to tell you, but I thought you would want to know if you were unaware of it.

Perhaps you could change it to "Twinkle"?

[Uncle Miltie]

I read the whole article in the WSJ this morning.

Drug overdoses (pain killers + heroin + meth + what have you) skyrocketed over 200% in 15 years.

Suicides increased around 100%.

Lung Cancer declines balanced out liver disease increases, so the smokers gave it up and started drinking.

So the key driver was drugs. The onset was when Oxycodone hit the streets and doctors were told not to be frugal with it. My ex-wife is my ex-wife in part because of this effect. Mexican brown heroin is probably a close second in this effect.

[DoughtyOne]

Thanks for the info Uncle Miltie. Sorry about your relationship.

Losing them is tough. All the best to you.

[Chickensoup]

Would that group include Hispanics?

[Red Boots]

We aren't allowed to be made of stronger stuff?

Not allowed? The only one who can stop us is our selves and our misunderstanding

We are made and intimately connected to the One who spoke the Universe into existence with a WORD! There is nothing stronger nor more intensely creative than that ! It overcame death! That power is pure LOVE.

If we but believe and ask Him, We are filled to overflowing with that same power.

No one can stop us

[Bikkuri]

:D

[Timpanagos1]

I am just not willing to believe that white people in America have some kind of genetic mutation that causes them to suicide due a perceived hardship.

Heck, my dad and his generation went through war and economic collapse that makes today look like a church picnic and they did not kill themselves. Anyone who believes these are the most difficult times in American history is a damn fool.