Unhealthiest nation of all?
United States ranked unhealthy among developed nations, residents have low life expectancy
The United States ranks poorly among other developed countries for many health indicators, a report finds.
The report, released by the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council, found that U.S. residents (particularly men) are less healthy and have shorter expected life spans when compared to countries like Switzerland, Australia, Great Britain and Canada, according to California Healthline.
American men had the shortest average life expectancy—75.6 years, about four years shorter than men from top-ranking Switzerland—while U.S. women had the second-shortest life expectancy, at 80.8 years, or about five years shorter than top-ranking Japan.
Overall, the United States scored at or near the bottom for a number of key health indicators—chronic lung disease, drug-related deaths, general disability, heart disease, injuries and homicides, low birth weight, teen pregnancy/sexually transmitted infections and obesity/diabetes.