Companies have posted Web applications that can help consumers estimate how long they will live.
Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, is putting a Lifespan Calculator on its own Web site as well as on Facebook, the social networking site.
The company says it is offering the calculator to show consumers the importance of planning for their full life expectancy. If people estimate how long they might live, they might think more about how to make their life savings last, the company says.
The Lifespan Calculator considers 13 lifestyle factors, including diet, drinking, smoking and stress, to estimate life expectancy, using information from the National Center for Health Statistics.
Facebook users downloading the application can use it to compare their own life expectancy score with that of their Facebook friends, Northwestern says.
