I hear no ticking

It’s commonplace nowadays to hear various self-appointed “health campaigners” going on about how modern lifestyles mean that children living today are likely to die at a younger age than their parents. We’ve got an obesity timebomb, a cancer timebomb, a heart disease timebomb, a diabetes timebomb and an alcohol timebomb, all merrily ticking away.

Yet figures released today show that, on average, people are living longer and longer.

Today's 20-year-olds are three times more likely to live to 100 than their grandparents and twice as likely as their parents, official figures show.

And a baby born in 2011 is almost eight times more likely to reach their 100th birthday than one born 80 years ago.

A girl born this year has a one-in-three chance of reaching 100 years old and boys have a one-in-four chance.

This trend has been going on for many years and there’s no sign of it slowing down, let alone reversing. And I’ve got a good idea who is drawing reasonable scientific conclusions and who is engaged in irresponsible scaremongering.

The only timebomb we really need to worry about is the pensions one.