I've spent a lot of time in England over the past 20 years and what strikes me (and what's not mentioned in this article), is that the average English person walks more often, and further each day, than the average American. They might go to the pub every night--but in most cases, they walk to and from the pub. Their village-centered communities make easier access for people to walk to shops. Also, they don't have drive-in services like we do. They still walk into restaurants (even fast food chains) and banks. Just something to consider.
pta momof VA8:57PM November 07, 2010
Gee.
Folks under 65 suffer under our privately operated for profit healthcare system. With limited access to healthcare. And their health deteriorates.
Until they turn 65, when they switch to a government health care system Medicare, where everyone has access, and they live longer.
And Americans think government run healthcare is not the answer. Go figure!
Drew Einhornof NM10:55AM November 05, 2010
How is this a win for the U.S. healthcare system? An extra three months dying of cancer and a higher risk for chronic disease?
The American health care system may be better at keeping very sick people alive, but it isn't very good at keeping us healthy.
Jenof OH3:22PM November 04, 2010
The life expectancy in UK is greater than in USA. However, as the study shows, if you live past 80 in UK you can ONLY expect 7.1 more years, whereas in USA you can live 7.6. How come?
Well, I know tens of young people with various health problems working @ grocery and drug stores, gas station, etc. who are given only 30-35 hrs per week – so that the employer doesn’t have to provide health insurance. When they get really sick they go to much more expensive emergency room. I guess most of them
are not going to live past 65 so they will not spoil the statistics. But here in USA we are amazingly good at keeping already dying old people alive at any cost for a few more weeks or months.
The price tag? Close to $10,000 per year – twice the cost in any other country. A small fraction of it could cover people dying for the luck of insurance (estimated from 19,000 to 40,000). If I am dying at the age of 87.1 – PLS! do not resuscitate, let me die. Spend the money on my son.
--- and then
“…While poorer people are more likely to die sooner than their more well-off counterparts, researchers say their finding supports the view that the primary pathway between health and wealth is that poor health leads to a depletion of household wealth, rather than being poor causes one's health to decline. Researchers found that the substantial changes in wealth that occurred in the years 1992 and 2002 in the United States through increases in stock prices and housing prices did not alter the probability of subsequent death….”
Oh, really? Yes, healthcare expenses can make one broke in USA. But, people who benefited from the “…substantial changes in wealth…: “already had very good health insurance; the ones who were dying from the lack of didn’t benefit much
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pta mom of VA 8:57PM November 07, 2010
Drew Einhorn of NM 10:55AM November 05, 2010
Jen of OH 3:22PM November 04, 2010
Michael of NJ 2:34PM November 04, 2010