In a study reported by Reuter’s News Agency last year (2010), Americans spend twice as much as residents of Britain, Canada, Germany, Holland, Australia and New Zealand on healthcare, but get lower quality, less efficiency and have the least equitable system.
In 2007, health spending was $7,290 per person in the United States, more than double that of any other country in the report.
The report looked at five measures of healthcare: quality, efficiency, access to care, equity and the ability to lead long, healthy, productive lives.

Britain ranked first in quality while the Netherlands (Holland) ranked first overall on all scores. American patients with chronic conditions were the most likely to say they received the wrong drug or had to wait to learn of abnormal test results.

Without the obvious case against how medicine is practiced in the U.S., why else would Americans spend more and receive less when it comes to their health? One answer proposed in the report is what we’ve been discussing for years… Lifestyle may very well be a big factor.

One example: Americans have higher rates of obesity than other developed countries. Americans also take more prescription drugs per capita than any of the other countries in the report. Too bad the study didn’t measure personal responsibility!

It’s clear that more drugs and more medical care are in most people’s future unless more personal responsibility is take to change to a healthier lifestyle…and the sooner, the better. Walking at a moderate pace for 30-60 minutes at a time burns stored fat and builds muscle, thereby increasing metabolism and weight loss. Saying “NO” to fast food improves overall nutrition and contributes to conscious eating. Two simple starters: What else could you do?

Tags: Dr. Ben Smetana