American life expectancy started dropping even before the pandemic. It’s a critical barometer of our nation’s health and a sign that all is not well in the U.S. Much of the increase in preventable, premature death is attributable to drug overdose, which increased five-fold over the last couple decades. But this malaise is far broader, driven largely by growing chronic illness. Rates of depression are reaching new highs. Obesity rates among adults have risen from 30% to 42% since the turn of the... Read this story
