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SALT LAKE CITY — A new report shows life expectancy for men in Utah is more than two years longer than men across the nation.
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation reports life expectancy for Utah men is projected at 78.8 years compared to 76.2 nationally.
The study gets its data from a county-by-county analysis that shows nationwide men can expect to live on average 66.1 to 81.6 years while women can live 73.5 to 86 years.
Utah women are projected to outlive Utah men 82.2 years compared to 78.8 years.
Health workers are not celebrating the numbers. While the U.S. spends the most amount of money on health care, the study shows life expectancy for U.S. men and women lag behind other western nations by 15 to over 50 years.
"Other countries are more healthy in some of the lifestyle things that they choose," said Dr. Sharlene Miner of Intermountain Medical Center. "For example, their exercise, their diet; they're more proactive as a whole."
"Tobacco use, alcohol use, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol," said Miner. "All of those things that we as Americans sometimes don't take personal responsibility for."
Citing numbers from the Centers for Disease Control, Miner said Utahns rank low in habits such as alcohol and tobacco use, factors that could contribute to a longer life expectancy.
National Life Expectancy
| Men | 66.1 - 81.6 years | improvement of 4.6 years |
| Women | 73.5 - 86 years | improvement of 2.7 years |
Miner says Americans need to take responsibility for their own healthcare by not making excuses like, "I can't exercise because I'm stressed," or "I can't lead a healthy lifestyle because I'm too busy."
Meanwhile, women's life spans nationwide are improving at a slower pace than men's and are shorter in many U.S. counties than they were 20 years ago, according to the report. Utah women are projected to outlive Utah men 82.2 years compared to 78.8 years.
Heart disease ranks as the top cause of death for Utahns.
