Story at a Glance
► For the first time in two decades, life expectancy has declined in the U.S. — a consequence of obesity and rising rates of eight leading causes of death, including heart disease, diabetes, dementia and opioid addiction
► The decline in life expectancy is primarily caused by a rise in several categories of preventable deaths, highlighting the failure of the American health care system to properly address the root causes of chronic disease
► Half of Americans are living with chronic illness, and the cost of health care now accounts for 17 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product