Life expectancy on the rise in Europe
Life expectancy has increased over the last decade. In 1994, men lived on average 73.6 years and women 81.8 years. This has now risen to 79.3 and 85.2 years respectively.
Despite the advances in science, improved quality of life and inspiring figures, the European Commission believes that people still have a lot to change in their daily habits, otherwise all the benefits of such progress will be lost. The authorities point to the adverse health effects of air, soil and water pollution, which cause more than 19 million premature deaths each year.
The main scourges of society are smoking and unhealthy eating. In Luxembourg, for instance, tobacco kills two people every day. The WHO also estimates that more than one billion people in the world are obese - that's one in eight of the world's population.
Compared to the trends of the last century, non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases are now the main problem. They are responsible for two thirds of all deaths in Europe. Diseases transmissible from animals to humans are also of particular concern.
Mental health
The mental health of the population is also a concern for researchers and the medical community. For the younger generation of workers, new trends, working methods and the automation of tasks are becoming major challenges. Many of these factors affect mental wellbeing in one way or another. They often lead to a deterioration in the quality of work. Many workers suffer from information overload. In some companies, senior managers have to respond to more than 300 emails a day.
Since the global pandemic, many have begun to work remotely, which has helped to balance work and personal life. But these workers are more likely to become socially isolated and burnt out. They have adopted a sedentary lifestyle, which is also detrimental to their health. In addition, a lack of professional skills among employees has become apparent as a result of this change.
