The Escape from Hunger and Premature Death, 17002100: Europe, America, and the Third World (Cambridge Studies in Population, Economy and Society in Past Time, Series Number 38)

The book starts with an examination of living conditions preceding and during the Industrial Revolution, based on data developed in Britain and France in the last few decades that shows life expectancy and mortality for the past three to four centuries. Parallel research also reconstructed estimates of the food available for both countries and some limited data on height of adult males. The data shows that food supply was insufficient and this is also reflected in stunted heights. The problem of hunger was so bad, particularly in France, that people did not get enough calories to do much productive work, and were confined to bed in the winter as a means of conserving calories. People in the US fared better, having adequate nourishment, greatly outliving people in Britain and France. Though diseases and occasional famines took a toll, chronic malnutrition was a factor in disease susceptibility but chronic malnutrition itself was by far the major factor in mortality. This argument is reinforced with graphs and tables of relative mortality versus height and body mass index. Times series show a secular decline in mortality beginning around 1750 and continuing until the early 20th Century, although the scatter in the data was also markedly reduced (around the time of industrialization, railroads, steamships and canals) probably due to reduced impact of famines and epidemics. The books concludes with a discussion of societal effects of the great increase in life expectancy and the problem of health care fore the elderly. After reading this book you will give thanks before every meal! For a contemporary account see: Friedrich Engles: The Condition of the Working Class in England in 1844 As for how we managed to escape from hunger see: Enriching the Earth: Fritz Haber, Carl Bosch, and the Transformation of World Food Production by Vaclav Smil ISBN-13: 9780521004886 Half-Title 2 Series-title 4 Title 6 Copyright 7 Dedication 8 Contents 10 Figures 12 Tables 14 Preface 16 Acknowledgments 20 1 The Persistence of Misery in Europe and America before 1900 22 The Dimensions of Misery during the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries 29 2 Why the Twentieth Century Was So Remarkable 41 The Relationship between Body Size and the Risk of Death at Middle and Late Ages 44 The Relevance of Waaler Surfaces for Predicting Trends in Chronic Diseases 48 Thermodynamic and Physiological Factors in Economic Growth 54 Making Economic Sense of the Conflicts between Economic and Biomedical Measures of Inequality 55 The Remarkable Reduction in Inequality during the Twentieth Century 60 3 Tragedies and Miracles in the Third World 64 Changing Views of Chronic Malnutrition and of the Methods of Measuring It 65 The Implications of Technophysio Evolution for the Assessment of Chronic Malnutrition 68 The Problem of Perspective in an Age of Technophysio Evolution 68 Accelerating Technological Change and Diffusion 71 The Interdependence of Industrial Progress and Public Health in the Long Run 72 Urbanization and Public Health 72 Technological Progress in Food Production 74 Taking Account of Technophysio Evolution in Setting Standards for Chronic Malnutrition 75 The Failure to Take Account of Technophysio Evolution 76 Implications for the Use of NCHS or British Standards 80 Physiological Capital and the Adaptation Controversy: Implications for the Measurement of Economic Growth 80 4 Prospects for the Twenty-First Century 87 The Impact of Technophysio Evolution on Work and Consumption 88 Changes in Hours of Work and Use of Time 88 Dismantling Standard Working Hours 93 Opportunity for Self-Realization 95 Prospects for Continued Decline in the Burden of Health Care 101 Forecasting Trends in the Demand for Health Care Services 109 Forecasting Health Care Costs in China and Other Third World Countries 111 5 Problems of Equity in Health Care 117 Standards for Rationing 118 Priorities for Reform 125 Postscript How Long Can We Live? 129 Appendix 134 Notes 148 Chapter 1. The Persistence of Misery in Europe and America before 1900 148 Chapter 2. Why the Twentieth Century Was So Remarkable 150 Chapter 3. Tragedies and Miracles in the Third World 156 Chapter 4. Prospects for the Twenty-First Century 160 Chapter 5. Problems of Equity in Health Care 162 Postscript: How Long Can We Live? 163 Appendix 164 Glossary of Technical Terms 166 Biographical Notes 172 References 176 Index 204 Nobel laureate Robert Fogel's compelling new study examines health, nutrition and technology from 1700 to 2100. Although throughout most of human history, chronic malnutrition has been the norm, a synergy between improvements in productive technology and human physiology has enabled humans to more than double their average longevity and to increase their body size by over fifty percent over the past three centuries. Larger, healthier humans have contributed to the acceleration of economic growth and technological change, resulting in reduced economic inequality, declining hours of work and a corresponding increase in leisure time. Increased longevity has also brought increased demand for health care. Fogel argues that health care should be viewed as the growth industry of the twenty-first century and systems of financing it should be reformed. His book will be essential reading for all interested in economics, demography, history and health care policy. A professor at the University of Chicago, Robert William Fogel has taught at the University of Rochester, Cambridge University, and Harvard University. He has received numerous awards and prizes for his work, including the Arthur C. Cole Prize (1968), the Schumpeter Prize (1971), the Bancroft Prize (1975), the Gustavus Myers Prize (1990), and the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science (1993). Previous books include Without Consent or Contract: The Rise and Fall of American Slavery (W.W. Norton & Company, 1994) and The Fourth Great Awakening and the Future of Egalitarianism (The University of Chicago Press, 2000).

Nobel laureate Robert Fogel examines health, nutrition and technology over the last three centuries.

Foreign Affairs

Fogel, a Nobel Prize-winning economic historian at the University of Chicago, takes a thermodynamic approach: How many calories are available for productive work above those required to maintain basic metabolism? This perspective is useful in considering the history of economic development, since human beings, poorer than now and often near the point of starvation, have historically had much less usable energy than they do now. The average white male is two to four inches taller than he was a century ago and also has greater body mass, greatly increasing his capacity for useful work; better nutrition, health care, and environment have resulted in sharp drops in mortality, disease, and chronic disabling conditions, especially in wealthy countries. Fogel sees these trends continuing well into this century and eventually extending to developing countries such as China. He does not lament the rising share of income devoted to health, which he sees as appropriate as people live longer and devote a smaller share of income to necessities such as food. He does, however, offer constructive suggestions for improving health care delivery in the United States, focusing on reaching the poorer and less-educated segments of the population. They do not include universal health insurance, which has more to do with financing than with delivering quality health care.

Nobel Laureate Robert Fogel's Compelling New Study Examines Health, Nutrition And Technology Over The Last Three Centuries And Beyond. Throughout Most Of Human History, Chronic Malnutrition Has Been The Norm. During The Past Three Centuries, However, A Synergy Between Improvements In Productive Technology And In Human Physiology Has Enabled Humans To More Than Double Their Average Longevity And To Increase Their Average Body Size By Over 50 Per Cent. Larger, Healthier Humans Have Contributed To The Acceleration Of Economic Growth And Technological Change, Resulting In Reduced Economic Inequality, Declining Hours Of Work And A Corresponding Increase In Leisure Time. Increased Longevity Has Also Brought Increased Demand For Health Care. Professor Fogel Argues That Health Care Should Be Viewed As The Growth Industry Of The Twenty-first Century And Systems Of Financing It Should Be Reformed. His Book Will Be Essential Reading For All Those Interested In Economics, Demography, History And Health Care Policy. 1. The Persistence Of Misery In Europe Before 1900 -- 2. Why The Twentieth Century Was So Remarkable -- 3. Tragedies And Miracles In The Third World -- 4. Prospects For The Twenty-first Century -- 5. Problems Of Equity In Health Care -- Postscript : How Long Can We Live? Robert William Fogel. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 155-181) And Index. Nobel laureate Robert Fogel's compelling study, first published in 2004, examines health, nutrition and technology over the last three centuries and beyond. Throughout most of human history, chronic malnutrition has been the norm. During the past three centuries, however, a synergy between improvements in productive technology and in human physiology has enabled humans to more than double their average longevity and to increase their average body size by over 50 per cent. Larger, healthier humans have contributed to the acceleration of economic growth and technological change, resulting in reduced economic inequality, declining hours of work and a corresponding increase in leisure time. Increased longevity has also brought increased demand for health care. Professor Fogel argues that health care should be viewed as the growth industry of the twenty-first century and systems of financing it should be reformed. His book will be essential reading for all those interested in economics, demography, history and health care policy. A compelling new study from Nobel laureate Robert Fogel, examining health, nutrition and technology over the last three centuries and beyond. It will be essential reading for all those interested in economics, demography, history and health care policy The twentieth century saw major improvements in the human condition, not only in the rich countries of the world but also in developing nations.