Each week it seems, more evidence emerges regarding the poor health of Americans. We first documented a “U.S. health disadvantage” as chair and study director of the panel on understanding cross-national health differences among high-income countries at the National Academies in 2013.
Our panel’s report Shorter Lives, Poorer Health showed that, as long ago as 1980, the United States began to take a different path in terms of the health and survival of its population. We found evidence that the U.S health disadvantage compared to other countries existed among Americans at every age below 75, among all races/ethnicities, and among both men and women—but especially among women. We even found evidence of a health disadvantage among white, college-educated, non-obese, non-smoking, and health-insured Americans.
– Health Affairs
