Since 1960, the mortality profiles of industrialized countries have been dominated by the chronic diseases of adulthood. The intensity of these diseases reflects many factors, including scientific understanding of disease etiology, access to and performance of health care systems, levels of education and income, and individual behaviors affecting health. This paper examines mortality levels in the United States and other industrialized countries since 1960 and considers the extent to which smoking and obesity are contributors to trends, international differences, and internal disparities. Following the lead of Matilda White Riley, we adopt a life cycle approach to the analysis and stress the importance of behaviors cumulated over a lifetime. While there is considerable consensus about smoking’s effects on longevity, there is a great deal of uncertainty and contention about the effects of obesity. This paper presents new findings on the impact of obesity over the life course on mortality and concludes that obesity is a greater threat to health than is sometimes asserted and considers how declining smoking and rising obesity are likely to affect future levels of longevity in the United States.

Sign Language Interpreters will be provided. Individuals with disabilities who need reasonable accommodation to participate in this lecture should contact Ms. Dana Sampson, OBSSR/OD/NIH, 301.451.9514 and/or the Federal Relay at 1-800-877-8339.

The lecture is open to all NIH staff and the general public without prior registration. A government-issued photo-identification card is required to enter the NIH Campus. Limited public parking is available at a nominal fee. Shuttle bus service is available to NIH staff to the NIH Main Campus. The Medical Center Metro Station on the Red Line is located at the NIH.

The lecture will be video-recorded and available on the BSSR Lecture Series videocast page at http://videocast.nih.gov/PastEvents.asp?c=82.  The videocast is available to NIH staff as well as to the general public. It will be archived only, meaning the videocast will be posted within one week following the lecture.

Should you have questions about the Lecture, please contact: Erica L. Spotts, Ph.D., Health Scientist Administrator, Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, National Institutes of Health, 31 Center Drive, B1-C19, Bethesda, MD 20892-2027, 301.594.2105, spottse@mail.nih.gov, http://obssr.od.nih.gov