The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-12-14
AMERICAN
DIES AT AGE OF 40
Goes From Earth Comparativ Young
Because He Is Trying to Crowd the
Experiences of Two Life
Times Into One.

New York, Dec. Estimating that
100000 Americans are annually rejected
out of a total of 100000 examined for
life insurance, T. f. Rittenhouse of the
Equitable Life Assurance society urged
the need for improving the physical pre-
paredness of the people of the United
States.
"Thc composite physical American
looks smooth, pink and healthy" said
Mr.. Rittenhouse. "He is good liver Il
said is, not has. He hurries. He has no
time to waste. The average age at death
of the American people is about 40, the
medium age 40. He is trying, with the
aid of new knowledge and inventions, to
crowd the experiences of two lite-tlmes
into one. He is having some success, but
the strain is telling on him.
'His digestive organs have been given
so many new and arduous duties to
which they were not trained that they
are showing signs Of rebellion. He is Sc
riously overstraining his heart, arteries,
kidneys. nerves and digestion as their
rapidly increasing death rate shows. He
could detect and head off these troubles
if he would 20 to his doctor for an oc-
easional examination He is more than
well rounded at the belt and slightly so
at the shoulders. Under exertion he Is
short -winded. due to lack of exercise or
a bad heart. His 400 muscles are virtual
Nv all soft and weak from lack OF use.
He is designed as an erect, outdoor anil
NAL with feet and legs for service, but
he lies down by night and sits down by
day. He never walks when he can ride
He scurries around at his work, gets
tired and nerve worn and thinks this is
physical exercise, whereas his muscles
and joints have been virtually idle. And
vet he looks smooth pink and healthy,
for the most of these signs of deteriora-
ton are not outwardly visible.
"The evil effects of his physical in
activity have been greatly aggravated
by his deadly excuses and errors in eat
ing and drinking. There is no burden
too great for him to put upon his diges-
tive system He would not think OF
mixing bricks or scrap iron or gravel
with the fuel for the furnace which heats
his house, but he does not hesitate to
follow this plan in furnishing the fuel
for his body. He feeds his stomach with
all sorts of tasty junk, much of which
cannot be fully digested and which re-
suits in the trouble that comes from
Auto-intoxication has
fascination for him. He seems to think
it is some automatic way of getting
pleasure. Slowly the fact is sinking in
that his accumulation of fat is due to
the excessive use of meats. sugar, butter,
sweets. cream and other rich, fat and oily
foods-minus exercise. With every
pound he gains of excess fat, his chances
for shortened life increase. He should
note the insurance records which show
that with those, above age 40, having 10
to so pounds overweight, the excess
death rate ranges from per cent to 10
per cent above the average OF all policy
holders combined.
with these statistical and other facts
before us. il seems reasonable to assume
that the power of our people to resist
fatigue and the physical stress OF modern
civilization is declining rather than adj
yancing. Ii Is probably true that when
orr ancestors left the trees for the caves
if they did. they had high mortality
experience until adjusted to their new
living conditions. 1t may develop that
the same will be true of our change from
pbvsical active lives, chiefly outdoors. to
inactive lives in the caves
and pigeonholes of our modern dwelling
places. But wholly aside from the ques-
ton of declining national vitality. sure
" there can be no doubt as to the urgent
need of improving the physical prepared
ness Of our people for the protection Of
the state and Of posterity.