Americans Are Less Healthy and Die Younger

Americans have shorter average life expectancy than people in other wealthy nations and are more likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors such as consuming high-fat, high-calorie diets, according to a report. The U.S. fared poorly on metrics such as obesity and diabetes, infant mortality and teen pregnancy when compared with 16 other countries. Overeating, lack of health insurance access and comparatively high poverty are among the many reasons why Americans are less healthy and die younger than people in other wealthy countries, a report showed. The United States spends more per person on healthcare than any other nation but lags on many important health measures amid higher rates of obesity and heart disease and worse infant mortality rates than other rich countries. National Research Council and Institute of Medicine Jan. 2013