The United States Is Slipping, Slipping....

The United States has the wrong priorities:

South Korean women will be the first in the world to have an average life expectancy above 90, a study suggests.

..."They seem to have been a more equal place and things that have benefited people - education, nutrition - have benefited most people.

"And so far, they are better at dealing with hypertension and have some of the lowest obesity rates in the world."

The data also forecasts that Japan, once the picture of longevity, will tumble down the global rankings.

It currently has the highest life expectancy for women, but will be overtaken by both South Korea and France, the study suggests. Meanwhile, male life expectancy will go from the fourth highest to 11th out of the countries studied.

The US also performs poorly and is on course to have the lowest life expectancy of rich countries by 2030.

The study predicts an average age of 80 for men and 83 for women - roughly the same state Mexico and Croatia will have achieved.

"They are almost opposite of South Korea," added Prof Ezzati.

"[Society in the US is] very unequal to an extent the whole national performance is affected - it is the only country without universal health insurance.

"And it is the first country that has stopped growing taller, which shows something about early life nutrition."

The US will be overtaken by Chile, where women born in 2030 will expect to live for 87 years and men for 81.

Between 2015 and 2030, life expectancy in the UK is expected to go from 79 to 82 for men and from 83 to 85 for women.

...In summary, Prof Ezzati said: "Places that perform well do so by investing in their health system and making sure it reaches everyone."