Data Driven Argument Data Driven Argument



Living to an old age in 17th century London was difficult. It was hard to escape disease and infections. Most infections led to death because the proper medical treatments, which we have nowadays to treat these kinds of infections, were unavailable. Many of the diseases that people died from back then are uncommon today because of medical advances in the treatment and prevention of such diseases. In 17th century London, many deaths were due to the living conditions and limited medical care. In today’s society, however, the leading causes of death are often due to our lifestyle rather than our living conditions.

The top three causes of death in 1632 London, excluding aged, were chrisomes and infants, consumption, and fever. These deaths were mostly because of poor medical care and unhealthy living conditions that made it easier for diseases to spread. Nowadays, people do not worry too much about infections; they just go to the doctor and take antibiotics to fight them off. For example, the reason there were many infant deaths was because of the lack of medical care and antiseptics we have today. Many infants got infections that they could not fight off because their immune system was not fully developed. Fever is another cause of death in 1632 London. When a person has a fever, it means that his/her body is responding to a viral or bacterial infection. Many children get fevers today, but parents give them medicine, such as Tylenol, to bring down their temperature and antibiotics to fight off any infections. In 1632 London, it was very hard to cure a person, especially a child, because back then they did not know about or have the antibiotics, which are available today. When a child got sick from an infection back then, the result, sadly, lead to death.


Top three Leading Causes Of Death in London, 1632 Compiled By John Graunt
Chrisomes, and Infants 2268
Consumption 1756
Fever 1108
Graunt, John. The Disease, and Casualties in
London this year being 1632. The Bills of Mortality


The top three causes of death in the United States in 2003 are diseases of heart, malignant neoplasms (cancer), and cerebrovascular diseases (stroke). These deaths are mostly due to our lifestyle, however, rather than our living conditions. For example, although heart disease can be genetic, it mostly results from bad eating habits, lack of exercise, and smoking. In the United States and United Kingdom, heart disease kills more people, both men and women, than any other disease. In an article in the Sunday, September 25, 2005, Parade magazine, President Clinton and the American Heart Association believe that childhood obesity, which can lead to heart disease and diabetes, is the most important issue facing Americans today. In the United States, more than nine million children face problems with weight and obesity. If a person decides to change his/her lifestyle by exercising more, eating healthily, and not smoking, he/she can decrease his/her chance of getting heart disease that can lead to a heart attack or stroke. In 17th century London, heart disease, affrighted, was not common at all (0.01%). This could be because the life expectancy rate was not high and people did not live long enough to develop heart disease or it may have not been diagnosed because doctors were unfamiliar with this kind of disease. It is also likely that people did not have all the risk factors associated with heart disease - diet high in saturated fats and lack of exercise. Although some may argue that they ate a lot of mutton, which is extremely high in fat, it did not affect the people in 1632 London because many were laborers, and therefore had plenty physical activity.

The second leading cause of death in 2003 is malignant neoplasms, or cancer. Some causes and leading factors to getting cancer are smoking (lung cancer), being over exposed to the sun (skin cancer), and radiation. Doctors are not exactly sure what leads to cancer or how to cure it, but they are still researching and have many theories. A person can prevent getting cancer by changing his/her lifestyle by not smoking, not being out in the sun too long, avoiding tanning booths, and avoiding things, such as microwaves and visible lights (lamps), with high radiation. In 1632 London, only 10 people out of 9,585 (0.1%) died from cancer. The major factor was due to tobacco and smoking. According to Muhammad Al-Jibaly’s “Smoking: A Social Poison,” European countries recognized the dangers of smoking and passed the laws against it in the 17th century. Despite these attempts to prevent people from smoking in the 17th century, many people did not take the dangers of tobacco seriously.



The Diseases, and Casualties in London this year being 1632 compiled by John Graunt
Affrighted 1
Cancer, and Wolf 10
Graunt, John. The Disease, and Casualties in
London this year being 1632. The Bills of Mortality


Deaths and death rates for the top 3 leading causes of death in 2003: United States.
Cause of death (Based on the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, 1992)
Rank 1 All causes Number
… 2,443,930
1 Diseases of heart 684,462
2 Malignant neoplasms 554,643
3 Cerebrovascular diseases 157,803
Graunt, Deaths and death rates for 2003 and age-adjusted death rates
and percent changes in age-adjusted rates from 2002 to 2003 for the
15 leading causes of death in 2003: United States, final 2002 and
preliminary 2003. National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 53,
No. 15, February 28, 2005.

In taking the top three leading causes of death, excluding aged, in 1632 London and 2003 in the United States, the results of death in the 17th century appear to have to do more with living conditions than lifestyle, while the 21st century seems to have to do more with lifestyle rather than living conditions. Living in the 17th century had its own challenges. There were many different diseases and infections that led to death in the 17th century that are different from today. We still have our share of infectious diseases today for which we are hoping to find a cure, but overall some of our biggest health problems can be attributed to our lifestyle - poor diet, lack of exercise, sun exposure, and harmful habits like smoking.