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A Response to the
"Compression of Morbidity" Mindset
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"...there is no basis for the ardent hopes and positive
statements made as to [its] safety and success[..], and [..] therefore,
it would be a wrong, whether wilful or unknowing, to lead the people
and perhaps governments at this time to believe the contrary;..."
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I will come back to this quote shortly.
The popular and wide spread article about the need to support and
fund the compression of morbidity called the "Longevity Dividend" is a
good example of a solid piece detailing a need to fight aging. In it,
the authors show the viability of slowing the aging process, urge people
to support it, urge the government to direct funds to it, and urge
places like the NIH to reserve more resources for it.
However, they don’t push for indefinite health-spans or indefinite life
extension, here after referred to as indefinite life extension. They
push rather for the 'compression of morbidity', or in other words, for
more healthy years in the last period of a person’s average, traditional,
70- to 90- year life span.
“This compression of mortality and morbidity would create financial gains not only because
aging populations will have more years to contribute, but also because
there will be more years during which age-entitlement and healthcare
programs are not used.â€