Consider the following and then ask yourself why the
Best, Worst Countries for Life Expectancy
That’s according to a new report, World Health Statistics 2009, issued by the World Health Organization.
The report shows that children younger than 5 account for nearly 20% of the world’s deaths, and that child mortality is a major reason for the wide range in life expectancy amount countries.
The World Health Organization’s new report is based on data from 2007, the most recent year for which global life expectancy statistics are available.
The report shows that 14 countries had life expectancies of at least 81 years. Here are those countries, along with their life expectancy for babies born in 2007:
J
At the other end of the life expectancy spectrum, 15 countries had life expectancy below age 50. Here are those countries and their life expectancy for babies born in 2007:
In the
Think you’re healthy?
Don’t answer too quickly. Even though we’re bombarded with health and fitness information, on average American adults still don’t get it.
Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina compared two large-scale studies covering the period 1988 to 2006 and found the percentage of adults with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 rose from 28 percent to 36 percent.
The number of people exercising three times a week or more fell from 53 percent to 43 percent, while the number of people eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day fell by nearly 40 percent.
The Bottom Line: As Americans, our sedentary, overfed, and indulgent lifestyle trumps our world-class health care system.
From WebMD and World Health Organization: “World Health Statistics, 2009.”
Comments / Posted by M. Keith Schrader, MD
August 12, 2009
Life expectancy lagging in the United States
