By Here is some good news for South Korea:
Life expectancy for South Korean people has topped 80 for the first time in the nation’s history.
According to Statistics Korea, babies born last year are expected to live an average of 80-point-one years unless they are affected by disease or other unforeseen causes.
The number is up six months from last year and five-point-three years from 1999.
Male infants are expected to live an average of 76-point-five years, slightly higher than the current OECD average. Female infants are expected to reach an average age of 83-point-three years, one-point-five years higher than the OECD average.
Statistics Korea also says that according to their findings, men who are now 45 years old are expected to live 33-point-three more years on average, while women of the same age will likely live about 39-point-six more years. [KBS Global]
If you are wondering South Korea’s life expectancy is higher than the US’s which has a life expectancy of 78.1 years. For you all from Canada your life expectancy is just a little better than Korea’s at 80.4 years.
7:20 pm on December 10th, 2009 1
See, kimchi is a health food!
7:36 pm on December 10th, 2009 2
The dark cloud in that silver lining is, if Korean maintains its very low birth rate, the few will need to support the increasingly many.
7:40 pm on December 10th, 2009 3
…the other dark (green) cloud is all those extra kimchi induced man hole explosions!
8:13 pm on December 10th, 2009 4
Interesting, don't Koreans have a higher smoking population than the US? Not that I'm saying its the only factor but I thought with all the drinking and smoking the life expectancy would be less than the US. Better health care perhaps. Anyways, long live Koreans.
8:49 pm on December 10th, 2009 5
In 2000, about 67% of Korean men smoked, while among adult women the figure has nearly doubled, from 3.9% in 1989 to 6.7% in 1997.
http://www.wpro.who.int/media_centre/fact_sheets/fs_20020528.htm
Just 21% of US adults today say they smoke cigarettes
http://www.gallup.com/poll/…/us-smoking-rate-still-coming-down.aspx
A bit dated but it illustrates a point. Us life expectancy is about 78.2 I think. I wonder what other factors contribute to this…
9:36 pm on December 10th, 2009 6
Diet and physical activity. The US has one of the highest obesity rates in the OECD while Korea has the 2nd lowest. In the US, Britain, and many other Western countries, the oldest Baby Boomers are more likely to be disabled by disease than the generation before them. A majority of teachers aged 55 or over in my school have joint problems that impair mobility. The three that don't are of normal weight and look like they've maintained a healthy weight all their lives.
12:17 am on December 11th, 2009 7
"For you all from Canada your life expectancy is just a little better than Korea’s at 80.4 years"
Ah… but you forget to mention, by next year, Korea's life expectancy will easily surpass Canada's. After all, it only took Korea, about 3 years to make up 4 more life years.
"Diet and physical activity"
Nonsense. Have you ever seen many Koreans doing sports? Nope. If Diet and physical activity were it, then why didn't Korea have an 80 year old life span, 15 years ago? What it is, it's better health care. Now watch all the bitter whiners to come out and trash Korean hospitals, and how Koreans spit, be dirty, and eat bad rotten food, etc etc, you know the usual.
12:26 am on December 11th, 2009 8
I think it probably has more to do with the obesity crisis in America. When I had some foreign friends come and visit me here at the US they wanted to go to Wal-Mart not to go shopping but to see the super obese people driving around in carts they have always heard about. They couldn't believe it when they saw it was indeed true. It was like going on a wildlife safari with them.
1:01 am on December 11th, 2009 9
Bitter whiners eh Tom? Well, when in korea, do as koreans do Tom!
While I agree with on how dirty etc… koreans are Tom, you are wrong about the diet thing. And yes Tom, I've NEVER seen korean youths do martial arts or play soccer with their buddies and/or coworkers on the weekends.
Although korean food is not better than any other people's food, Americans just don't eat the same food they ate two generations ago.
You know that though don't you Tom? Maybe you can tell us all about the type of food that was eaten in America two generations ago since you koreans know everything about America through movies.
America has the best health care in the world Tom, you just have to be able to afford it and yes, that's a bad thing. Unlike a korean, I, in my fifth dimension, can admit the bad things, which includes an unfair (in my opinion) health care system, racism etc…
Funny, I actually used to like korea, but people like Tom made me anti-korea. I'm mean, how long did koreans like Tom think they could talk shit, which as Tom proves is usually pulled out of their asses, about others before those others started talking back? And I ain't just talkin about Americans either.
OK Tom, tell us all about the food that was eaten in America two generations ago and how koreans believe korea is number one in everything etc… You know everything about the US afterall.
2:17 am on December 11th, 2009 10
Thanks for the visions that just flashed before my minds eyes.
2:27 am on December 11th, 2009 11
Burger king–Mcdonalds.
Recliners.
Too much food and lack of physical activity.
But really, how many of these people need to live past 78.2 years.
2:29 am on December 11th, 2009 12
3:38 am on December 11th, 2009 13
How do they calculate this? For some reason, I doubt the majority of people who are 70 now will live to be 80.
4:13 am on December 11th, 2009 14
"America has the best health care in the world"
That's why your life expectancy sucks to hell.
"Funny, I actually used to like korea, but people like Tom made me anti-korea. "
Touche. I didn't used to dislike western expats, until I discovered the internet and had to listen to ass hat people like you, JohnT.
So the feeling is mutual.
4:22 am on December 11th, 2009 15
Tom is a Korean American.
Something to think about if you work with one.
7:41 am on December 11th, 2009 16
Point of information: South Korea's rising life expectancy (see chart at #6) has nothing to do with obesity in America.
7:49 am on December 11th, 2009 17
Tom wrote:
Nonsense. Have you ever seen many Koreans doing sports? Nope.
Um, yes. It does not take a lot of physical activity to effect an improvement in one's health and life expectancy. Before I bought a car in Seoul, I was walking a total of three kilometers per day to get to the subway station, to transfer, to walk from the subway station on the other end to my job, and then doing the whole thing again in the evening.
Too many Americans are glued to their car seat. How often, in the States, do we see people who will drive around a parking lot for five minutes or more so they can get a spot two hundred feet closer?
7:58 am on December 11th, 2009 18
The US needs to do something about the cola problem. This is why there are so many fat Americans.
9:23 am on December 11th, 2009 19
Also higher rate of homicide.
10:59 am on December 11th, 2009 20
People over here learn it all the time…
Back stabbers. I,ll accept there resume with a smile but it isn't going anywhere.
I really wish they'd figure out where their loyalties are and go there and stay there.
11:11 am on December 11th, 2009 21
No, I'm not a Korean American. LOL.
11:15 am on December 11th, 2009 22
And the gun problem. They're shooting each other to death. I think they should take the toys away from these mentally retarded Americans who think they are Terminator.
11:18 am on December 11th, 2009 23
"Nonsense. Have you ever seen many Koreans doing sports? Nope.
I HAVE seen many Korean males and middle-aged Koreans of both sexes take daily hikes up the hills and mountains in and around Seoul. At 6 AM I had plenty of company on the hill behind my apartment. It was hilarious to watch ajummahs breeze past dainty university co-eds stopping to catch their breath while their boyfriends waited.
Besides, regular physical activity isn't limited to sports. It also includes walking, housework, and other chores. Koreans use public transport more and use fewer home appliances like dishwashers.
11:21 am on December 11th, 2009 24
"If Diet and physical activity were it, then why didn’t Korea have an 80 year old life span, 15 years ago? "
Silly rabbit. Fifteen years ago, the elderly were the folks who managed to get enough to eat during the lean years of WWII, the Korean War, and the early post-war period and who managed not to get killed in either war.
11:22 am on December 11th, 2009 25
Of course it does. In their minds, it's South Korea's fault for making Americans fat. Other doozies I've heard of:
- Korea made me bald
- Korea made me a drunk
- Korea made me racist
- Korea ruined my marriage
- Korea made me fat
- Korea made me thin
- Korea made me sick
- Korea gave me cancer
- Korea made me broke
Korea did this, Korea did that, Korea made me this, Korea made me that.
11:50 am on December 11th, 2009 26
I think people should stop bringing their selves to Korea.
12:06 pm on December 11th, 2009 27
Pregnant Korean woman in LA, California, raped and stabbed to death. The damn dirty Korean ajumma deserved it anyway.
http://news.hankooki.com/lpage/world/200912/h2009…
1:03 pm on December 11th, 2009 28
There is no secret,Korean life expectancy improved because Koreans are eating better (quality and quantity) and their health system improved.
Asians in general are very health concerned people but because of poverty couldn’t afford a healthy life, but now that Korea is a prosperous country, Korean’s life expectancy improved because of Korean’s health consciousness and better life condition.
1:19 pm on December 11th, 2009 29
Or koreans going to Virginia tech.
1:24 pm on December 11th, 2009 30
Korea, like most prosperous countries has gone from poverty to wealth in a very short time. Habits change when this occurs and a 'next' generation of overeaters can be expected in Korea as well, just as they have appeared in all nations with continuing prosperity.
1:31 pm on December 11th, 2009 31
Which, in many locales, is a self-licking ice cream cone.
1:36 pm on December 11th, 2009 32
Indeed. We should sort them all out. Who is going to do that?
In South Africa, they used to be armed (as citizens), and if you were a criminal, you had a high risk of being shot dead. Now, the kids are in charge, and only the bad guys are armed now. Crime is out of control.
The cities of America which have tight controls on guns usually have crime out of control.
Nice try Tom.
Or we could do the Korean thing, and disarm the entire populace- and every now and then round people up, shoot them dead, and push their bodies into caves. When the skeletons are found, years later, we can blame it on the Americans.
And they all lined up and followed the orders of the government in such an orderly fashion…
1:38 pm on December 11th, 2009 33
America does have the best health care- but if you wreck your own body through abuse and neglect, no amount of "health care" will put you back together again.
Put down the twinkies and do some press-ups.
2:13 pm on December 11th, 2009 34
I disagree with you Gerry.
Take France as an example and see that they don’t have obesity problem like the USA, although they have been a prosperous country for centuries.
I do agree that Korea will face some obesity problem soon because of the new generations, but it will never be at the same level of the Americans because of health consciousness I referred to before. Actually I believe that Korean obesity problem will be laughable compared to American situation, because it will never reach the status of a public health problem like in USA.
Confucian philosophy sees the human body as and extension of the universe so Asians are less tolerant to degraded physical life than westerners, that’s why I believe that Asians will be less tolerant to obesity preventing it to become a matter of public health issue like in USA.
I once met the Minister of Finance of Tonga and the told me that in his country fat people are considered handsome over thin people, so a great number of people in Tonga are fat, however even in a country that obesity is appreciated and seen as a sign of beauty you don’t see people with morbid obesity like in USA.
Isn’t it a clear sign that there is something wrong with the USA?
2:41 pm on December 11th, 2009 35
No gun problem here
I have twelve and a safe to keep all but two.
Gun control is being able to hit your target.
As was said above—nice try.
2:56 pm on December 11th, 2009 36
Don't change the subject
What about that Virginia Tech killer.
or the two officers in Itaewon
or the Public Affairs officer in the subway
or the taxi driver that kidnapped that female soldier and raped her.
or the three soldiers in the subway that were kidnapped and beaten.
Just off the top of my head. Don't make me do a search of the crimes koreans have done to americans tom.
I don't think you want to go there. Yes, I know americans have done crimes to koreans as well.
But I'm not the one that started the blame game. I might look it up anyway, for future reference.
Since koreans like to play the blame game so much.
3:12 pm on December 11th, 2009 37
I will agree with you dr.yu.
I also feel there is something wrong "in" the USA. Many are uneducated and lazy. I know some.
I hope your right about Korea's up and coming generation.
I have no sympathy for the morbidly obese. I chalk it up to laziness, lack of self respect, low education and the so called "loved ones" that keep bringing the blank blank blank food.
Something should klick if you can't get your own food.
I have seen some fat Koreans, but I agree that it will never get to the level that America now finds itself.
As for what is wrong "with" America—that is called "Congress".
5:25 pm on December 11th, 2009 38
Dr. Yu
You're on target (no pun intended with the rest of the discussion!) on this- as is Retired GI.
Only item I would hit on is the med insurance system here. For a lot of health issues- it really isn't bad at all. It is NOT like US medical care, though- it reminds me – a lot – of the Army system.
A Mom of a close Korean friend of mine is getting up in years, and has multiple just plain worn out health problems- worn out hip and knee joints, and cataracts. She went for eye surgery and they buggered it up- and she has no real recourse. She'll also have an indefinite wait for any treatment on her orthopedic injuries. In the States, she'd already have joint replacements done.
That's the dark side of it- not trying to cast stones, but it isn't paradise on the medical insurance side.
That said, you have far less lard arses here, and with that, less lard arses clinging to their cherished victim status and being enabled by a pandering political system.
Did I mention you also have a homogeneous culture with, dare I say it- FAMILY- somewhere permanently in the mix?
For all its faults, not a bad place at all- and not a bad culture.
8:39 pm on December 11th, 2009 39
No tom. Korea just made it burn when I pee.
12:35 am on December 12th, 2009 40
Just curious, Tom, since I can’t read Korean very well (yet)…
Who is/are the suspect(s) in this crime?
I highly doubt it was an NRA member or a person who studies the art of practical weaponcraft. Those people are generally the kinds of people you would want as neighbours, and don’t get mixed up in brutality, crime, or mayhem of any sort.
But they are damn sure prepared to do something about it if it comes their way.
12:06 am on December 12th, 2009 41
Retired GI just summed up the English teachers in Korea all nicely.
"I chalk it up to laziness, lack of self respect, low education and the so called “loved ones” "
I would also add,
- high and mighty if they don't fall from their high horses
- illiterate
- drug pushers
- sex addicted
- foul mouthed
- foul fingered
- paranoid
- illusioned with self grandeur
I can't wait for the Indian and Filipino English instructors to start and take their places. I'd love to see them put out of jobs.
12:08 am on December 12th, 2009 42
Retired GI just summed up the English teachers in Korea all nicely.
"I chalk it up to laziness, lack of self respect, low education and the so called “loved ones” "
I would also add,
- high and mighty if they don't fall from their high horses
I can't wait for the Indian and Filipino English instructors to start and take their places. I'd love to see them put out of jobs.
12:22 am on December 12th, 2009 43
Dr. Yu is right. Besides France, there are a number of other prosperous countries with an abundance of food but without high rates of obesity. Japan is a perfect example. Anyone interested in understanding the real causes of obesity should watch science reporter and author Gary Taubes' Adiposity 101 slideshow available free on the internet.
1:18 am on December 12th, 2009 44
I'm reminded of and email joke I have received a few times.
It shows a VERY exceptable woman sitting and eating cheese and drinking wine.
She was the European version of "woman".
Then it showed a very disgustingly fat woman sitting (overflowing) a bench at McDonalds with a double cheese burger, large fries and coke.
She was the american version of "woman".
As for me, well I'm not skinny. I could lose a few. But here is the thing: I know that and I'm workin on it. But it is difficult to keep up with my weight training and lose fat. It takes time. But it took time to gain it also.
Fast food is a Killer. First step is to do your own food preperation.
Second is to get out of the chair.
Gotta go!
1:02 pm on December 12th, 2009 45
I will edit my comment to read 'many nations'.(Not all), however China has also reported a major increase in obesity in recent years, affecting a significant portion (no pun intended) of the population.
1:16 pm on December 12th, 2009 46
Different countries have different weight standards. I can tell you from my own experience living in China that the average Chinese isn't noticeably larger than the average Korean or Japanese and that the fattest Asian I ever saw was smaller than some of the people of various ethnicities shopping at Kohl's this evening.
1:20 pm on December 12th, 2009 47
That email joke is just as funny if the word "woman" is replaced with "man." US obesity rates are about equal between men and women of all races; white men have slightly higher rates than white women.