Why do we bother trying to improve the health and life expectancy of the nation?

Question

By increasing the the health and thus life expectancy of humans are we not just setting ourselves up for future problems. With more people on the planet, more jobs will be needed, more homes will be needed, more food will be needed, thus leading to more deforestation and use of the planets resources. Shouldn't we therefore be focusing money and research on improving quality of life rather than longevity! Furthermore, with more people on the planet we will become more stressed due to overcrowding and overcrowding is more likley to allow diseases/viruses to spread more rapidly, thus killing off more of human life!!

Answer 1

Wow, you know there was an entire philosophy based on this. It preached that when a person was no longer healthy enough to be a contributing member of society, that life should be allowed to end. It also taught that the mentally handicapped cannot enjoy life and therefore that life should be taken away. If a person was genetically inferior, they should be terminated so that they don't spread diseases that could wipe out the genetically superior.

Nice case study, you did your homework.

HITLER would be proud of you. Moron.

Answer 2

You've got a completely valid point. The problem is twofold. 1 - politicians only view problems a couple of years ahead. And its usually focussed on finantial gain. They just don't see that far ahead and only see that keeping people healthy will reduce medical costs at the moment.

2 - the ethical side. There are a lot of unfortunate people who don't have access to healthy activities or the money to persue a healthy lifestyle. Its only fair that they should be helped to be as healthy as they can.

But yes, rising age = rising costs in the long run.

Answer 3

You must be young!
Being old I do not want to continue to live once I become a dribbling, incontinent wreck but the Government likes people to continue as they can sell their houses and other property and take the money for so called 'care',
RoyS

Answer 4

I wondered that myself the pension system cant cope as it is and it costs an arm and a leg to be looked after in a home. might as well live now and save on all the misery later.

Answer 5

How do you know we are all trying to improve the life expectancy of the nation ? Are you ? Is even 1 in 10 people trying to figure this out ? I doubt it. What nation do you mean ? In China and India they have forced abortions. I looked into the magazine Bizzare from the UK. There were photos of aborted fetuses in glass jars in a town square in China. Showing the citizens what will happen if they don't use contraceptives. Don't forget that while some nations are trying to become "civilized". They bump into each other and have to fight over scarce resources.Thus,killing some extra people in the process.Mostly young poor men.You make point here;" Shouldn't we therefore be focusing money and research on improving quality of life rather than longevity! " The quality of life is directly proportional to the quantity of life. Let's say.You are a healthy 20 year old person. You continue to live up to 50 or 60. Without any health problems. Then the government says; You have lived a high quality life. You are statistically likely to live up to 85.Because,your mother did and you have a genetic history of awesome longevity. But, we must decrease the amount of people in our population. Starting with the ones who are longest lived based on their longevity genetic history. So that resources can be given to younger women.Who are reproductively fitter and in their prime compared to you. Actually,women who live longer also age slower reproductively. Let's say you already had kids. You are a postmenopausal woman. The government wants to take your life.So as to improve the quality of others by distributing the resources you would have used up. It just can't be done that way. People are living much longer and will continue to live much longer pased their reproductive age than ever before. This is what's happenng in America as a result of well planned vaccination programs of earlier decades. Which prevented tens of millions of deaths. There are supposed to be more people over 50 soon than under 30. You're also worried about deforestation (I seriously doubt most people are) since,people want bigger homes. A bigger home requires more material. Most homes in North America are made from wood. If not the entire home. At least the floors and roof is in more luxurious homes.Wood is made form trees. Some people need 12 000 sq ft homes with 4 to 6 garages,a cottage,a condo a vacation home. Do you think the rich celebrities who own these kinds of palaces or PlayBoy mantions or those gossipy Sex in The City type of women(who think they're still in their teens) give a **** about that ? No,they need to see a big diamond ring on their filthy finger and a fat wallet in the pant pocket of the man who ruthlessly did what ever it took to get it to them. No matter what the cost of getting these things is to thte enviornment,global warming or anything. Do you think the car corporations who make 8 ton SUV tanks so that a 110 lbs. woman can drive to Starbucks after dropping the kids off to private school or soccer to gossip over a double mocha frapucino with her best fiend about what can be considered nothing care ? They don't care about any of that. Neither do most celebrities and musicians and so called real estate developers. Yes,they'll plan a little tree infront of photographers or the media once a year or donate a cheque. Not,their personal money of course. They're too smart for that. That's why they have fund rasing charity events in their name. right ? Otherwise,they'd be using their own money. They're not going to move to another country to live with the dirt poor and plant trees and crops with them, **** in the same village excrement hole, carry water on their heads for two miles four times a day with a baby straped to them. They're not even happy with a two garage door home. If that's not good enough for them. Do you think that living an enviornmentally tree friendly life is ? Most women however are satisfied with a man who has only a standard one or two garage home. Until they get used to it and want more. But, even this standard home is excessively more taxing on trees and thus global warming than the demands of a third world woman who is much less demanding on the planets resources. Infact, most women and men in the western world get used to the idea of having their own big house. Meanwhile,they can continue to live with their parents. Who already have two homes (combined). But, the pressure on the young man is always to buy an unnecessairly new house. In the eyes of a woman. If he doesn't. He's a loser who lives at home with his parents. Every generation of millions of people do it. In Europe,Japan and China they have to do with less and they still mange to have large populations. Even if smaller more environmentalyy friendly smart cars are made and sold. It's too late. The extra heat and Carbon Dioxide is already released into our atmosphere. Modern well off people would have to stop wanting to use an even bigger heat and global warming gas producing vehicle. The passenger aircraft. Which is thpreffered choice of anyone wanting to fly from New York to L.A or Hawaii for a Christmas vacation. Is the government banning needless Christmas vacation flights or travel agencies who make profits selling packages ? Just wait and see. You will see the masses flooding the airports even more duing the holidays. So,ladies & gentlemen. You don't need a diamond ring, two sports cars and a minivan, a cottage, a husband who makes at least 100K, the three door garage home. Before you decide to have a huge(sarcasm) family of 1-2 kids that consume at least 8 times more that a family of 8 in India. Thank You. Please, stop aplauding now
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Answer 6

Why bother, try facing the double barrel pionted at of one of those things we have not overcome. Life becomes more precious

Answer 7

Long run that will do good. Our natural system will take care of viruses etc. Our immune system will be better used.

Answer 8

There used to be an environmental group that used to try to educate for that. Has anyone ever heard of 'birth-contol'?

Answer 9

As long as we work all our lives , and die at around pension age i am sure the government will be delighted.

Answer 10

I'm so glad you are not a decision maker in this world