VOA慢速英语2011--Health Problems Slow Gains in US Life Sp

Health Report - Health Problems Slow Gains in US Life Spans

This is the VOA Special English Health Report.
Americans spend more on health care than most other people. Yet a new study shows that life expectancy¹ in the United States is falling behind other developed countries.
In two thousand seven an American man could expect to live about seventy-five and a half years. That was less than in thirty-six other countries. Life expectancy for American women was almost eighty-one years. They were also in thirty-seventh place among almost two hundred countries and territories.
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation² at the University of Washington studied the numbers. Professor Ali Mokdad says increases in life expectancy have slowed in the United States compared to other countries.
ALI MOKDAD: "We've seen an improvement almost everywhere in the world. And in countries that are developed, we're seeing a higher improvement, a faster improvement rate, than we are seeing in the United States."
Professor Mokdad says the reason is Americans have made less progress in reducing problems like obesity³ and high blood pressure.
The report also identifies wide differences in life expectancy rates within the United States. The researchers created maps of life expectancy in each of the more than three thousand counties.
Areas with the shortest expected life spans are largely in the South. Ali Mokdad says researchers know some of the reasons.
ALI MOKDAD: "Less education, less income in some of these rural counties, more likely to be smokers⁴, more likely to be obese⁵. They don't have health insurance, or they don't have adequate access to health care, and the quality of medical care is not as good as well."
In the United States, many public health matters are local responsibilities. Restrictions⁶ on public smoking, for example, differ from community to community. Some communities have more bicycle paths and other chances for physical activity, or more places to buy fresh fruits and vegetables.
ALI MOKDAD: "A long-term investment in their community to increase physical activity and improve diet are needed in this country.”
The study appears in the journal Population Health Metrics. Journal editor Chris Murray says at least one finding was unexpected.
CHRIS MURRAY: "It's a real surprise to us in the study that women are faring so much worse than men."
Around the country, American women still live longer than men by five to eight years. But their international ranking has been falling since the nineteen nineties. Dr. Murray says women are increasingly taking risks with their health.
CHRIS MURRAY: "Women are now smoking more. The obesity epidemic⁷ in women is greater than in men. Progress in tackling blood pressure is much worse in women."
In other news, the first report on the number of American births in twenty-ten shows another decrease. Births have been decreasing since an all-time high of more than 4.3 million in two thousand seven. Federal officials say state health departments reported just over four million births last year.
And that's the VOA Special English Health Report, written by Caty Weaver⁸. I’m Steve Ember.
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Contributing: Art Chimes and Carol Pearson

1 expectancy   

n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额

参考例句：

• Japanese people have a very high life expectancy.日本人的平均寿命非常长。
• The atomosphere of tense expectancy sobered everyone.这种期望的紧张气氛使每个人变得严肃起来。

2 evaluation   

n.估价，评价；赋值

参考例句：

• I attempted an honest evaluation of my own life.我试图如实地评价我自己的一生。
• The new scheme is still under evaluation.新方案还在评估阶段。

3 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。

4 smokers   

吸烟者( smoker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily. 许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。
• Chain smokers don't care about the dangers of smoking. 烟鬼似乎不在乎吸烟带来的种种危害。

5 obese   

adj.过度肥胖的，肥大的

参考例句：

• The old man is really obese,it can't be healthy.那位老人确实过于肥胖了，不能算是健康。
• Being obese and lazy is dangerous to health.又胖又懒危害健康。

6 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

7 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

8 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。