Choking deaths on food in the US

There is something quietly grim about the observation that Americans buy more pet insurance in proportion to how many of them choke at dinner. Perhaps the dogs are watching, taking notes, calling brokers. Perhaps it is best not to think about it.

Both numbers climb because of unrelated long-term trends. Pet insurance has grown rapidly as veterinary costs rise and millennials treat pets as family members, while choking deaths have crept up with an aging US population that's more vulnerable to aspiration events. Two completely separate demographic stories sharing the same calendar.

So the correlation is the country growing older and more attached to its dogs, simultaneously. The two trends know nothing of each other. They just rhyme.