The United States is a rich country, the residents earn well, you will have access to clean water and education. And yet the country, which relates to the health of its citizens remains behind its possibilities. This is reported by researchers in the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD).
1870 experts have evaluated in the investigation of information about the life expectancy to causes of death and diseases and their causes. The investigation involved people from 195 countries and regions, the data were collected in 1990 and 2015. For the first Time, researchers have also examined whether the state of health of the countries according to their development status.
In comparison to similarly developed countries in Europe and the USA since are especially bad. “There are States in which the health condition of the people improved significantly faster than income, education, status, and reproductive rate suggests,” says Christopher Murray of the University of Washington in Seattle, who coordinated the GBD with. In some countries the opposite is the case – for instance, in the United States.
France and Spain, to convince
The graphic below shows where the state of health of the people is worse, than was to be expected due to the development status in the respective country would be (yellow, orange, red) and where it is better (green, light and dark blue).
In contrast to the United States, the health status of the people in Western Europe often corresponds to the expectations (as in Germany) or is even beyond that. So the people in France and Spain, for example, are significantly healthier than the economic condition of their country suggests.
That the United States is doing in comparison to Western Europe, so bad, for several reasons – for example, the more widespread Obesity. An important role is also played by the local healthcare system plays. Doctors and hospitals charge for their services significantly more than in other countries. The cost for a simple Allergy test can quickly add up to more than 2000 Euro. The daily rate in an intensive care unit exceeds the fast 10.000 Euro. Not everyone can afford.
The Reform of the health system, the outgoing US President Barack Obama could improve the Situation. Recent surveys by the market research Institute Gallup that nearly nine out of ten Americans are uninsured, about 20 million more than three years ago. Although it is often criticized that the insurance covers only emergency medical care.
Europeans live longer than Americans
The problem with the medical care on the life expectancy reading. For 2015, the USA-born women it is 81.5 years and for men 76.7. In Western Europe, women can expect just under 84 years of life, men with a rate of 78.9.
In addition to the General life expectancy, the researchers recorded how much time people spend healthy, because it often means longer life, longer suffering. Also in this point there is a gap between the United States and Western Europe showed. While today women born in the United States was 69.5 years of healthy life expected, the women in Western Europe, 72,8. The men in the United States can expect to 66.8 healthy years, the men in Western Europe, with 69.8.
In Germany, the life expectancy for 2015-born people is also about the in the United States: women is predicted to have a life time of 83,19 years, 71,9 in health, men can expect an average of 78,36 years, of which you can spend 69,3 healthy.
Americans and Western Europeans smoke too much and move too little
To blame for their illnesses, people in developed countries are, whether in North America or in Europe. So Smoking men and women brought in the United States, most disease is years. In Germany high blood pressure. Most of the risk factors associated with lack of exercise and poor diet. In the USA, drug in addition, abuse is a relatively common Problem.
Ten biggest health threats in the United States
Source: The Lancet, GBD 2015
The ten biggest threats to health in Germany, 2015
Source: The Lancet, GBD 2015
Summary: researchers evaluated health data from all over the world. Overall, a positive Trend can be seen. Many infectious diseases are on the retreat globally, life expectancy is increasing. Also, the people in Germany are in a comparatively healthy. Among the highly developed countries, the United States, however as a problem child. The life expectancy is below that of Western Europe, people are much more years of your life sick.
