# How unhealthy is the United States really? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 3, 2017, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unhealthy-is-the-united-states-really/797849 "2017-10-03T05:28:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Architect2017](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Architect2017](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Architect2017)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unhealthy-is-the-united-states-really/797849/1 "2017-10-03T05:28:57Z")
How bad is the health of citizens in the United States? I read that obesity and diabetes is climbing at alarming rates. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unhealthy-is-the-united-states-really/797849/2 "2017-10-03T10:47:12Z")
The fact that adequate health care is out of the reach of many does not help the situation. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unhealthy-is-the-united-states-really/797849/3 "2017-10-03T11:25:24Z")
Obesity and diabetes are symptoms of a rich country with easy access to food. They are problems of course, but I would think the USA population is very healthy in comparison to many less wealthy countries. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unhealthy-is-the-united-states-really/797849/4 "2017-10-03T11:50:45Z")
A rough measure of overall health is [life expectancy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy). Compared with other countries, the US ranks 31 in life expectancy. Cyprus, Chile and Costa Rica are just above, and Cuba just below at number 32. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unhealthy-is-the-united-states-really/797849/5 "2017-10-03T11:52:40Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > Obesity and diabetes are symptoms of a rich country with easy access to food. They are problems of course, but I would think the USA population is very healthy in comparison to many less wealthy countries. There are many wealthy countries with access to rich food, whose life expectancy all exceed the USA (which is on par with Cuba and Costa Rica). So there’s clearly an issue. Source: [World Health Authority](http://gamapserver.who.int/gho/interactive_charts/mbd/life_expectancy/atlas.html). **GreenWyvern** beat me to it. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unhealthy-is-the-united-states-really/797849/6 "2017-10-03T12:01:56Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > The fact that adequate health care is out of the reach of many does not help the situation. But obesity and diabetes are self-inflicted. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unhealthy-is-the-united-states-really/797849/7 "2017-10-03T12:06:36Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > But obesity and diabetes are self-inflicted. Obesity, you have a point. Diabetes you do not. You don’t need to be massively overweight to get diabetes. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unhealthy-is-the-united-states-really/797849/8 "2017-10-03T12:21:07Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > But obesity and diabetes are self-inflicted. You’re saying someone with the auto-immune disease known as Type 1 diabetes is “self-inflicted”? How… peculiar. Yeah, right, I get it - fat people and diabetics brought it on themselves, therefore they somehow deserve to have nerve damage, limbs rotting off, blindness, kidney disease – har, har, let 'em suffer, right? People with that attitude disgust me. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unhealthy-is-the-united-states-really/797849/9 "2017-10-03T12:22:58Z")
> [@GreenWyvern](#): > > A rough measure of overall health is [life expectancy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy). > > Compared with other countries, the US ranks 31 in life expectancy. > Cyprus, Chile and Costa Rica are just above, and Cuba just below at number 32. To keep things uniform, we clearly have to change our name to “Cunited States of America” ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unhealthy-is-the-united-states-really/797849/10 "2017-10-03T12:55:19Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > To keep things uniform, we clearly have to change our name to “Cunited States of America” I C what you did there. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unhealthy-is-the-united-states-really/797849/11 "2017-10-03T13:06:14Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > You’re saying someone with the auto-immune disease known as Type 1 diabetes is “self-inflicted”? How… peculiar. > > Yeah, right, I get it - fat people and diabetics brought it on themselves, therefore they somehow deserve to have nerve damage, limbs rotting off, blindness, kidney disease – har, har, let 'em suffer, right? > > People with that attitude disgust me. Well Type II diabetes is partially self-inflicted. I know and I used to be obese. But in comparing life expectancies, it is relatively minor. Right now it seems to be opiod addiction that is driving life expectancy down. But the big reason would seem to be lack of medicare. And that attitude disgusts me too. Even obesity can sometimes be ameliorated by doctor’s advice. I know, I did it. But then I live in an enlightened country where everyone gets medicare. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unhealthy-is-the-united-states-really/797849/12 "2017-10-03T13:22:13Z")
> [@GreenWyvern](#): > > A rough measure of overall health is [life expectancy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy). > > Compared with other countries, the US ranks 31 in life expectancy. > Cyprus, Chile and Costa Rica are just above, and Cuba just below at number 32. Compared to other countries, the US is huge. [The average is brought down by a bunch of Souther States.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_life_expectancy) I live in CA, which is larger than most European countries, and we’re doing OK. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unhealthy-is-the-united-states-really/797849/13 "2017-10-03T13:44:17Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Obesity, you have a point. Diabetes you do not. > > You don’t need to be massively overweight to get diabetes. You don’t have to be, but it sure helps. > [@](#): > > [Studies have shown that becoming overweight is a major risk factor in developing type 2 diabetes. Today, roughly 30 percent of overweight people have the disease, and 85 percent of diabetics are overweight.](https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2012/03/the-big-setup/) > > \ > > Though not everyone with type 2 diabetes is overweight, it is type 2 — which accounts for roughly 90 percent of all diabetes cases — that has been linked to weight gain. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unhealthy-is-the-united-states-really/797849/14 "2017-10-03T15:37:58Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > There are many wealthy countries with access to rich food, whose life expectancy all exceed the USA (which is on par with Cuba and Costa Rica). So there’s clearly an issue. > > Source: [World Health Authority](http://gamapserver.who.int/gho/interactive_charts/mbd/life_expectancy/atlas.html). > > **GreenWyvern** beat me to it. This mostly genetic. Cuba and Costa Rica are filled with hispanics who tend to live longer than non-hispanic whites. If the US Hispanic population was a separate country it would have the fourth longest life expectancy in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unhealthy-is-the-united-states-really/797849/15 "2017-10-03T15:58:41Z")
I’ve got a sore knee. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unhealthy-is-the-united-states-really/797849/16 "2017-10-03T19:34:23Z")
> [@GreenWyvern](#): > > A rough measure of overall health is [life expectancy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy). > > Compared with other countries, the US ranks 31 in life expectancy. > Cyprus, Chile and Costa Rica are just above, and Cuba just below at number 32. 79.3 (for a country the size of a continent) verse 83.7 (for a small homogenous island nation, though I grant you they do have a large population, unlike most of the rest of the countries ahead of the US on this list) isn’t that far a difference, it doesn’t seem to me. Much larger than the difference between the US and, say, China or Russia which are very large nations with large mixed populations. I do agree we could do better, especially in some of the poorer states which is what really brings down the national average, as John Mace pointed out. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unhealthy-is-the-united-states-really/797849/17 "2017-10-03T20:55:27Z")
> [@puddleglum](#): > > This mostly genetic. Cuba and Costa Rica are filled with hispanics who tend to live longer than non-hispanic whites. If the US Hispanic population was a separate country it would have the fourth longest life expectancy in the world. Yes, that’s one of the surprising things if you look at the breakdown in the US by ethnic group. For my state, CA: Whites 79.8 Hispanics 83.2 Asians 86.3 Blacks 75.1 Native 80.2 Not sure if it is genetic or cultural (related to diet, etc) or a combo. But something not-so-obvious is going on. Could be that Asians and Natives, closely related genetically, have something us Whites and Blacks don’t have, and it could be that Hispanics are benefiting from a significant amount of Native genetic heritage. But Whites and Natives are pretty close. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unhealthy-is-the-united-states-really/797849/18 "2017-10-03T21:59:43Z")
America has higher than average rates of obesity (compared to other wealthy nations) but we have lower rates of smoking compared to them too. So as far as lifestyle we are both worse (with obesity) and better (with smoking) compared to other wealthy nations. [![](https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/health_glance-2009-en/images/thumbnails/g2-01-01.gif) ](https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/health_glance-2009-en/images/thumbnails/g2-01-01.gif) Life expectancy at birth is lower, but life expectancy at age 65 is fairly average compared to other wealthy nations. [![](http://slideplayer.com/slide/4843501/15/images/9/Life+expectancy+at+65,+women.jpg) ](http://slideplayer.com/slide/4843501/15/images/9/Life+expectancy+at+65,+women.jpg) I’d guess we really aren’t that bad. Not top of the line, but nothing horrible either. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unhealthy-is-the-united-states-really/797849/19 "2017-10-03T23:23:03Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Well Type II diabetes is partially self-inflicted. I would vigorously dispute this too. While obesity and lack of exercise are definitely common contributory factors, I’ve cared for dozens of type II diabetics who, at their time of diagnosis, were not significantly overweight and did not lead particularly sedentary lives either. Diabetes II is a disease of _insulin resistance_ and said resistance can occur in a variety of clinical settings, not just that of being fat and inert. But yes, probably 90% of the diabetes II patients I see do fit the stereotype. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unhealthy-is-the-united-states-really/797849/20 "2017-10-03T23:36:23Z")
Most of the nations with high life expectancy are highly urbanized nations, where a high proportion of the population live with ready access to hospitals and medical specialists. Ethiopia has over 100-million people, but less than 3% live in a city bigger than Lubbock or Fort Wayne. Obviously, a majority of people in Ethiopia have likely never even seen a medically-trained professional. Access to urban health care probably has the largest impact on infant mortality rate. Some poor rural countries still lose ten percent of their newborns, most of whom could have been saved by even a rudimentary clinic and/or a safe public water supply… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unhealthy-is-the-united-states-really/797849.md?page=2)