Americans are living longer, healthier lives; in fact, the average 25-year-old American today can look forward to 2.4 more years of a healthy life than 20 years ago while a 65-year-old today has gained 1.7 years.
The study out of the University of Massachusetts Medical School also found that Americans are reporting fewer symptoms of disease, have more energy, and show fewer impairments in everyday tasks than a generation ago.
However, the authors also identified some troubling health trends, according to a university press release. Among these was an increase in anxiety among young and middle-aged people beginning in 2001. Problems with walking have increased significantly among non-elderly over the last decade. They also found that health gains made as a result of smoking cessation programs were being offset, in part, by increases in obesity.