US Life Expectancy 42nd! And Getting Worse!

OK, new info merely confirms what I have been screaming about for the last few months in this blog and in other forums for longer: The US is slipping in the health of it's citizens. A new story on MS NBC, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20228552/wid/11915773?GT1=10316 tells of how the US had dropped from 11th to 42nd over the last couple of decades. Countries like Japan and most of Europe, as well as Jordan, Guam and the Cayman Islands are living much longer lives at a MUCH LOWER COST TO THEIR ECONOMIES.

“Something’s wrong here when one of the richest countries in the world, the one that spends the most on health care, is not able to keep up with other countries,” said Dr. Christopher Murray, head of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. That is correct Doctor, there is something wrong and we are spending nearly 17% of our Gross Domestic Product on health care and only to see ourselves getting less and less healthy.

One "major" factor, according to "experts" is the fact 45 million people in the US have no health insurance. That may explain a little of the discrepancy, but more likely it is because the ability of US citizens to choose crappy lifestyle choices! Adults in the US have one of the highest obesity rates in the world. Nearly a third of U.S. adults 20 years and older are obese, while about two-thirds are overweight, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

Heart disease, hypertension, stroke as well as diabetes area all directly related to weight and lifestyle. So, US citizens are self-prescribing a deadly mixture just because we have the luxury to do so.

What did seem surprising is the high level of infant mortality in the US compared to other nations including Cuba and Taiwan. The level of infant mortality is much higher in Black US families on par with countries like Saudi Arabia which is disturbing and has a significant impact on the nation's infant mortality rate as a whole.

But, the U.S. health care problem is not limited to access to health insurance.

The country MUST find ways to reduce cancer, heart disease and lung disease. We must make it a national drive and effort to reduce tobacco use, control blood pressure, reduce cholesterol and regulate blood sugar.

“The starting point is the recognition that the U.S. does not have the best health care system. There are still an awful lot of people who think it does,” says Dr. Christopher Murray, head of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. More government and business leaders have to understand the same thing. Until then, we are just pissing away our money as we whistle in the dark...