Why are Americans so unhealthy?

[Sisyphus]

The United States spends more per capita than any other nation on healthcare, yet it doesn't seem to be working.

 

For example, Americans spend twice as much as the British, and yet in every age group, economic bracket, and education level, Americans die sooner and are much more likely to get heart disease, stroke, cancer, and any number of other ailments.

 

So, why? Is it diet? Do we stress ourselves out more? Is our healthcare system just corrupt and ineffective? Is it all three?

[Royston]

Well I've been to the states once, but going by observation...I'd say it's diet, every next person I saw was overweight, the portions you have over there...christ, there's just no need to have meals that big. The sandwiches were ridiculous, thin layer of bread with about 5 inches thick of reconstituted ham. I'm not having a pop, but if you sell it, people will buy it.

 

Britain is starting to follow suit though, obesity, heart disease, liver problems (drinking heavily is increasing over here) are all on the up from what I gather on recent news articles.

 

It seems to stem from this exponential need to consume more and more, it's the manufacturers and establishments that need to change IMO.

 

EDIT: As for stress...well I think that's just a case of people being more aware of stress related illnesses. I'm not convinced people are more stressed than they were say 50 - 60 years ago. Stress is such a tenuous illness, you can get signed off work just for feeling a bit ticked off with somebody.

[Glider]

Stress isn't really an illness. It's more an aetiological factor in certain illnesses (e.g. coronary heart disease, chronic hypertension, depression etc.). Even then, it's only a certain kind of stress, not yer everyday just being pi**ed off with somebody. It needs to be chronic for a start.

[Royston]

Stress isn't really an illness. It's more an aetiological factor in certain illnesses (e.g. coronary heart disease, chronic hypertension, depression etc.). Even then, it's only a certain kind of stress, not yer everyday just being pi**ed off with somebody. It needs to be chronic for a start.

 

What I was getting at, is that people go to the doctor and get signed off work for quite literally being pi**ed off with a co-worker, and claim they are suffering from 'stress' as though it is an illness. This still costs money, and stress is a viable reason for people not to work. There was an article on BBC breakfast where they said the amount of people going to their GP complaining of being 'stressed' is becoming a bit of a joke. I'll try and get a link.

[ecoli]

Food that's bad for you

 

1) Tastes better

2) Is cheaper

 

There's little incentive to eat well.... most people don't think of the long term benefits, just of the here and now.

 

My girlfriends younger brother (3rd grade) is doing a nutrition section in school, and he had to make a food diary of everything he ate in the week. In this entire week he Under "fruits" he had fruit punch (which, most you you should know contains 10% fruit juice or less, these days) and under vegetables, for one day, he had "potatoe" (which isn't a vegetble), and no vegetables for any other day. - and this is his usual week.

[Royston]

There's no incentive to eat well.

 

I'd say an early death is incentive. I eat cheap all the time...it doesn't have to consist of huge portions of offall covered in mayo.

 

EDIT: Sorry Ecoli...you added to your post since I wrote this.

[ecoli]

I'd say an early death is incentive. I eat cheap all the time...it doesn't have to consist of huge portions of offall covered in mayo.

 

EDIT: Sorry Ecoli...you added to your post since I wrote this.

 

no problem...

 

 

People don't think of dying when they grab a McDonald's hamburger. They think that it tastes good, and that a dollar on a drive through is gonna go further then at the organic produce section of a health food store.

Plus, there's less prep. time, which is also a perk.

[Royston]

See your point, it's a bit rich coming from me seeing as I smoke and drink...I certainly don't think of death when I spark up a cigarette...infact I try to put it right to the back of my mind.

 

However, if I couldn't get cigarettes, I would never of started. So I think it's up to the establishments, as wells as the individual to sort it out. The money that must get spent on people's lack of will power, when there's much more worthwhile research and treatment to be concentrating on...and better wages, and smaller hours for nurses and doctors !!

[Phi for All]

There are so many factors here. Restaurants, trying to increase per ticket sales, increase the size of the portions so that every meal is like two meals (look at the people leaving, most every party is carrying a take-away container).

 

Food is grown and processed with consumerism, distribution and profits in mind, not with health in mind. For instance, Iceberg lettuce is more profitable to grow and sell for several reasons, but it contains a lot less vitamins and minerals than green leaf lettuce.

 

Stress is a factor because so much marketing is out there telling you your day is hectic and stressful so you need all these products to relax, relax, relax. We relax so much we don't get enough exercise. There are too many interesting things to do that are sedentary.

 

Western medicine ends up fixing symptoms rather than causes. Any doctor worth his licence will work with you on good nutrition and best health practices but most realize that people just want the quick fix of a pill or a shot rather than investing in the behavior modification they really need.

[GutZ]

I've figured this all out!

It all comes down to one thing...well two but..

 

It's Convience with lack of self-control.

 

You could walk to the store, but its more convient to drive. You could make good food, but its more convient to pick up fast food (in your car no less) You could exercise, but its less work not too. You could go out and socialize, but you can stay home and watch movies/play on the net/etc. You could clean your own car, but its quickier and easier to go to a car wash. You could get your own groceries but its easier to get them delievered.

 

For some people its a nessesity to have these services and conviences, because without them they could't do it alone.

 

Well thats what I atleast believe..

[badchad]

It would seem that the money is being spent in the wrong places (e.g. it may be better spent on preventive measures, rather than "cures").

 

Also, consider that emphasis is placed on having the most "cutting edge" technology which is more expensive. Add this to the capitalist attitude on healthcare and it's a recipe for high cost. For example, a single MRI machine could serve a relatively large area. However, since hospitals are in "competition" for your healthcare dollar you may have 3 hospitals in a 10 mile radius all having an MRI machine. It's redundancy and not needed.

 

EDIT: I meant to address the "cost" issue with this post, rather than a "why" we are unhealthy.

[insane_alien]

Ugghh i hate fast food restaurants. the food makes cardboard taste like its a whole feast with a huge spectrum of flavours. it makes you feel bad and almost depressed and it has the filling capacity of a vacuum.

[ecoli]

Western medicine ends up fixing symptoms rather than causes. Any doctor worth his licence will work with you on good nutrition and best health practices but most realize that people just want the quick fix of a pill or a shot rather than investing in the behavior modification they really need.

 

lol... I like my doctor, but he's really overweight.

[Prime-Evil]

I am 43. A couple of years a go I got back into running an hour a day, twice on Sunday. I got down to 180 pounds again and felt great for an old fart. Anyway, it occured to me since I was spending the rest of the day on my ass that that the running I was doing was just enough to bring me up to a 'normal' lifestyle. Anyhow, couldn't keep it up. Walking is the thing. Everyone should walk to work. I wish I worked in the woods.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

I suggest we do comparative studies on how much money is spent on fast food, as well as studies on health care. That would certainly clear up a lot.

[Phi for All]

A big part of the fast food dilemma is that it's *too* fast. It's eaten so quickly the body's normal "I'm full" responses don't have time to kick in. Flavor enhancers like MSG help this process as well.

[ecoli]

I am 43. A couple of years a go I got back into running an hour a day, twice on Sunday. I got down to 180 pounds again and felt great for an old fart. Anyway, it occured to me since I was spending the rest of the day on my ass that that the running I was doing was just enough to bring me up to a 'normal' lifestyle. Anyhow, couldn't keep it up. Walking is the thing. Everyone should walk to work. I wish I worked in the woods.

 

walking is less damaging to your hells and knees then running, in the long term, as well.

[PhDP]

Perhaps you also spend a lot because your healthcare system is costly and inefficient.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

I thought that was the Canadian healthcare system, spending two years waiting for an MRI.

[Phi for All]

Walking is the thing. Everyone should walk to work. I wish I worked in the woods.

Most definitely. I love hiking through the woods.

 

Another factor is that age and experience hopefully makes you smarter. You learn to put things that need to go back downstairs in a pile and take it all down at once instead of making five trips up and down. You learn to keep the remote controls in a basket next to your chair so you're not popping up to search for them all the time. You learn to put the coffee filters and the coffee in the cupboard *above* the coffee maker to save yourself some steps in the kitchen.

 

As you get older and wiser you figure out lots of ways to save energy. Add all those little things up and you're expending a lot less energy, you're being super-efficient, but you're also not getting as much exercise.

 

Unfortunately, you usually end up rewarding yourself for being so smart with an extra scoop of ice cream.

[Dak]

dont worry... senility will fix that soon

[insane_alien]

then the slow loss of bladder control necessitating 20 trips to the toilet a night.

[WillTheNewf]

I gained 10 pounds this term, from all the studying i was doing.. Its hard to study on a empty stomach.. But then i was really slacking, i picked up on my junk habits which is unusal.. That will change next time

 

Anyways...

[herpguy]

Americans also don't eat well because we don't know what we're eating.

 

My friend and I were at McDonalds sometime earlier this week. I had the usual: 3 peice Chicken Selects with a small coke. My friend, on the other hand bought a big mac, two large cokes, two large fries, and a milkshake ! We looked at the back of the fry box and noticed the nutrition facts. There were 550 calories in each box! My friend was scared to look at the rest.

 

My point is that if fast food companies and such made the nutrition facts more noticable, then people will know not to eat too much of anything, hopefully.

[ecoli]

My point is that if fast food companies and such made the nutrition facts more noticable' date=' then people will know not to eat too much of anything, hopefully.[/quote']

 

The fast food companies wouldn't do that! If people actually knew what was in that garbage, then they would eat it - think about what that would do to sales!