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The [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]] view on the future of longevity is that life expectancy in the [[United States]] will be in the mid-80s by 2050 (up from 77.85 in 2006) and will top out eventually in the low 90s, barring major scientific advances that can change the rate of human aging itself, as opposed to merely treating the effects of aging as is done today. The Census Bureau also predicted that the United States would have 5.3 million people aged over 100 in 2100. The [[United Nations]] has also made projections far out into the future, up to 2300, at which point it projects that life expectancies in most developed countries will be between 100 and 106 years and still rising, though more and more slowly than before. These projections also suggest that life expectancies in poor countries will still be less than those in rich countries in 2300, in some cases by as much as 20 years. The UN itself mentioned that gaps in life expectancy so far in the future may well not exist, especially since the exchange of technology between rich and poor countries and the [[industrialization]] and development of poor countries may cause their life expectancies to converge fully with those of rich countries long before that point, similarly to the way life expectancies between rich and poor countries have already been converging over the last 60 years as better medicine, technology, and living conditions became accessible to many people in poor countries. The UN has warned that these projections are uncertain, and cautions that any change or advancement in medical technology could invalidate such projections.<ref>[https://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/longrange2/WorldPop2300final.pdf World Population to 2300], [[United Nations]]</ref>
Recent increases in the rates of [[lifestyle diseases]], such as [[obesity]], [[Diabetes mellitus type 2|diabetes]], [[hypertension]], and [[heart disease]], may eventually slow or reverse this trend toward increasing life expectancy in the developed world, but have not yet done so. The average age of the US population is getting higher<ref>https://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/2010_census/cb11-cn192.html</ref> and these diseases show up in older people.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aihw.gov.au/chronic-diseases/key-indicators/determinants/ |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2014-07-29 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729202531/http://www.aihw.gov.au/chronic-diseases/key-indicators/determinants/ |archivedate=2014-07-29 |df= }}</ref>
Jennifer Couzin-Frankel examined how much mortality from various causes would have to drop in order to boost life expectancy and concluded that most of the past increases in life expectancy occurred because of improved survival rates for young people. She states that it seems unlikely that life expectancy at birth will ever exceed 85 years.<ref>{{cite journal|author= Jennifer Couzin-Frankel |title= A Pitched Battle Over Life Span |journal=Science|pages= 549–50 |volume= 333 |date= 29 July 2011|doi= 10.1126/science.333.6042.549|pmid= 21798928|issue= 6042}}</ref> [[Michio Kaku]] argues that [[genetic engineering]], [[nanotechnology]] and future breakthroughs will accelerate the rate of life expectancy increase indefinitely.<ref>Physics of the Future, Michio Kaku</ref> Already genetic engineering has allowed the life expectancy of certain primates to be doubled, and for human skin cells in labs to divide and live indefinitely without becoming cancerous.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Pk_UxV6jkc Michio Kaku interview]</ref>
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