Posted on 05/03/2006 11:36:51 PM PDT by demlosers
The British Are Much Healthier Than The Americans
A large study, which looked at the health of middle class, middle-aged, white residents in both the USA and Britain found that the British enjoy much better health than their American counterparts. Even though the USA has a much higher income per capita than the UK, about 25% higher, the British are far ahead when it comes to the health of its residents.
Americans also spend a great deal more on health care than the British do. The average expenditure per head per year on health in the UK is $2,164, while in the USA it stands at $5,274.
You can read about this study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), May 3 Issue.
Even when obesity, drinking, smoking and social levels are taken into account, the difference between the two nations is significant.
Here are some figures showing the incidence of some diseases:
Diabetes USA - 12.5% UK - 6.1%
High Blood Pressure USA - 42.4% UK - 33.8%
Heart Disease USA - 15.1% UK - 9.6%
Cancer USA - 9.5% UK - 5.5%
Lung Disease USA - 8.1% UK - 6.3%
Stroke USA - 3.8% UK - 2.3%
Heart Attack USA - 5.5% UK - 4%
The study looked at the health of 6,400 Americans and 9,300 British people aged 40-70.
The researchers also found that in many aspects of health the UK people at the lower end of the social scale enjoyed better health than the Americans at the top end. Heart disease in Britain's lowest group stood at 11.6%, while for the highest American group it was 12%.
The researchers are not sure what the reason(s) for this disparity may be. There are many factors which could be responsible. Here is a list:
-- Britain has a universal health care system which is free for everyone. The USA has a patchwork of public and private healthcare. However, this study looked at well-off white residents - in both countries, all the people studied had good access to health care.
-- The USA has a bigger obesity/overweight problem than the UK does. The obesity/overweight problem has been present in the USA for longer than in the UK.
-- The British are more physically active than the Americans. People walk and cycle more in Britain than in America. The British also use public transport more.
-- Americans eat more junk food than the British do.
-- American food portions are much bigger than British ones. American portions are three times the size of a portion in the 1970s.
-- Americans are not addressing the underlying problems of obesity as much as the British are. Americans are treating the symptoms of obesity, rather than the reasons for it. However, it must be pointed out that the British are getting fatter and people complain not enough is being done to address the reasons for rising obesity levels in Britain.
-- Americans suffer from higher levels of stress than the British do.
If all the British have access to free health care, which is not the case in America, one wonders what the health disparities would be if all sectors of society in both countries were studied and compared.
Britain does not enjoy better levels of health when compared to many of its European neighbours.
Written by: Christian Nordqvist Editor: Medical News Today
This couldn't be a push for socialized medicine, could it?
Why is this relevant?
Is that before, or after, they pay the crippling taxes to support the decaying NHS?
And they have that cool accent, too!
The article specifically mentions "white" people.
Life expectancy for white people in America in 2002 was:
total Men Women
77.7 75.1 80.3
8.4% of all non-Hispanic whites aged twenty years or older have diabetes
He cherry-picked his numbers too. This is from the CDC 2002
At first glance it looks like the author is a cheerleader for socialism.
?????
Nope. It dismisses the differences between healthcare systems, looking at similar groups of people with ready access to healthcare, however it's delivered.
And yet, two of the conclusions of this cover article claim that the universal health care system may explain it.
"The researchers are not sure what the reason(s) for this disparity may be. There are many factors which could be responsible. Here is a list:
-- Britain has a universal health care system which is free for everyone. The USA has a patchwork of public and private healthcare. However, this study looked at well-off white residents - in both countries, all the people studied had good access to health care."
"If all the British have access to free health care, which is not the case in America, one wonders what the health disparities would be if all sectors of society in both countries were studied and compared. "
I also notice they used 33% fewer Americans than Brits for their study. Why?
Mark my words, some Democratic congressman will get up and use this study to push for national health insurance.
If you live where mass transit isn't a viable option - which is quite a lot of the US - you may never have considered the health benefits of walking to the bus stop, and then walking from the bus stop to your actual destination (not to mention the healthful stress of wondering if you will miss your bus, or if it in fact has already gone when you got there </sarcasm>).
If this is based on Hospital reports then they have to take into account the immigrant population.
"Doesnt appear significant difference to me. Women: less than a year difference. Men about a year. not a big deal."
Yeah, and the Brits probably spend on average 2 years more of their life watching soccer (the biggest p*ssy-ass f*ggot "sport" on the planet), which doesn't count as living. Advantage, USA.
Definitely relevant. When I loved in London and later in Durham, I got a heck of a workout in during the morning rush to work. Less of a rush in Durham, but definitely a walk to the bus stations and to and from.
Having public transportation available almost guarantees that you're going to be walking more.
Honestly, I loved it. It's not practical here due to our infrastructure, but being able to get out and walk in the mornings between jaunts of reading a book or talking to a stranger were good times.
In a similar spirit of universal amity, American football is for complete gaydars :0)
Seriously: the NHS cost 6.5% of UK GNP in 2003. The bulk of it is paid for by a 30% component of VAT, the 17.5% UK sales tax. It's expensive, and it sucks. The reason why British people are healthier (if that's true, which I doubt) is that we're too scared of the NHS to get ill.
"Compare average age at death."
The media is so tranparent. Last week's news bite that Americans are dying in smaller numbers probably gave rise to this little article.
I'll admit the climate is tough...particularly compared to Oz or the SW UA. I lived in the UK for four years in the 80's in the center of London. If there is a reason for the discrepancy in the state of health it's because the Brits walk everywhere (a general statement now). After I sold the car I had, because of headaches parking it, and started utilizing public transport, I found the nearest Underground was about 3/4's of a mile from the flat. Then down into the tube which meant walking up and down stairs as the escalators were usually our of order. Get to my first stop and probably a another walk of a quarter mile, etc. I calculated once that I would average 5-6 miles of walking a day.
Then, in the evenings, down to Tatersall's for some pub food and a couple of pints, or three. Not exactly healthful eating but I would lose on the average a couple of pounds, in weight, a week.
I would go back to the States for 10 - 14 days about once a quarter. Guess what? California cuisine, wine, riding everwhere in my car...presto - chango! I would gain about two pounds a week back.
I don't think it's rocket science.
But just think of all the healthy exercise they get by rioting after every match!
"Britain has a universal health care system which is free for everyone."
Stopped right there....nothing is "free"....
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