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The rich world has got used to health and longevity getting better, and death rates falling \u2013 for everyone. But over the past few years data has been accumulating which suggests that this trend has stopped for poorly educated, white Americans. And for one group in particular - middle-aged women \u2013 death rates are going up. It\u2019s a shocking finding, meaning many will die at a younger age than their mothers. What\u2019s happening? Certainly, life is tough for many low-income American families. \u201cWhat the data look like,\u201d says the economist Paul Krugman, \u201cis a society gripped by despair, with a surge of unhealthy behaviours and an epidemic of drugs.\u201d Is he right? Are the conditions of working class life in America killing white women?

Presenter: James Fletcher

(Image: A cemetery in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Credit: Getty Images)