Why is the German life expectancy higher than the USA?

The reason I'm asking is because more people smoke in Germany, than the USA and the occurance of lung cancer is a lot lower and the life expectancy is higher?! Are the cigarettes there not as bad? Do Germans have a lot of luck or something? I've been to Germany and some areas the air is full of diesel and second hand smoke!

I doubt that it's luck. I suspect lifestyle difference has more to do with it, like the amount of exercise and diet. Obesity has replaced smoking as the number one health threat in the US. You don't see any eighty year old fat people over here. That's surely not because the fat people are going on a diet at sixty. Their hearts can't survive the sugared drinks, donuts, hamburgers and french fries so they make their early contribution to holding down the mortality rate. :-).