England 'healthier than the US'

[onehandle]

Source: BBC

People living in England enjoy better health than Americans, despite less investment in healthcare, research published in the US has revealed. Across all ages, US residents tend to fare worse in terms of diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease markers, data on over 100,000 people show.

The reason remains a mystery, says the US team, and challenges the idea that resources necessarily improve health. It may be due to the UK's bigger drive on disease prevention, they say.

Despite the greater use of health care technology in the US, Americans receive less preventive health care than their English counterparts. They have fewer physician consultations per year.

Acute hospital visits are also shorter in the US, potentially resulting in missed opportunities for follow-up, say the report authors in the American Journal of Epidemiology. It is also possible that differences in social or environmental conditions or lifestyle play a role.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12674976

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I was in England for about four days a couple of years ago. I was Shocked by how much healthy, high-quality food was available Everywhere. Also, particularly in the cities, people walk... a lot.

The horrible British diet has died in Britain and Jamie Oliver, as you may know, along with a responsive, supportive government social service is greatly responsible.

And then there's their free health care...

[truebrit71]

1. Fish and chips all 'round!!!

With mushy peas and gravy...Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....

[onehandle]

2. Rosemary Hummus Wrap with Field Greens from the prepared food case at 'Boots.'

Healthy, delicious and on every corner.

I could not believe it.

[Uncle Joe]

7. Nothing tops our

for profit "health" insurance inspired Little Friskies sauteed in a nice water sauce.

[flamingdem]

3. Give me my BANGERS 'N MASH! nt

[AsahinaKimi]

4. When I visited Scotland a few years ago

I had some of the best smoked salmon I have ever eaten. Since coming back to the States, I have never found any brand to even compare.

[CJCRANE]

5. "The reason remains a mystery".

Like the tides. No one knows why.

[onehandle]

6. 'Tide comes in, tide goes out. Never a miscommunication!' nt

[DBoon]

8. Americans don't want the government telling them what to eat

and whether to exercise

We pay dearly for our individualism and our hatred of the "nanny state"

Look at the nonsense about FLOTUS trying to advocate better eating. This would not be an issue in a sane society

See this:

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-daum-michelle-20110303,0,131178.column

A few weeks ago I was at the Denver airport when I overheard a conversation between two men sitting near me. They were eating some form of grab-and-go airport lunch when one man, between bites, suddenly raised his voice and called Michelle Obama something that can't be printed in a family newspaper.

"She wants to control what we eat!" he continued. "She wants the government to be in charge of what's in our fridge!"

These were respectable-looking businessmen: mid-40s, Dockers, wedding bands, cellphones on belts. I wouldn't have expected either one of them to burst forth with an obscenity, especially not in the United terminal, surrounded by innocent children and people trying to enjoy their Cinnabons.

[They_Live]

9. Just echoing

what I noticed when I visited Scotland a few years ago, WALKING is good for your health. We traveled to several cities and small towns and did not rent a car. We used rail, buses, and boats and got around just fine. I usually booked our hotels close to the rail terminal.

[Corruption Winz]

10. A mystery?

Since when has eating better food that isn't deep friend been such a big secret. The three examples of diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease can all be traced to the actual disease. These are only the symptoms.

Once we start trying to cure the disease (which is eating disgusting food), the sooner are numbers improve.

[PatSeg]

11. "The reason remains a mystery"???

Poor choice of words, as the article gives multiple reasons, hardly a "mystery" at all. Preventive medicine, longer hospital stays, differences in social and environment conditions probably all contribute to the better health of England's people.

I rarely see any assessment of the shorter hospital stays in the U.S. and I know from personal experience it can make a huge difference. On several occasions I was released too quickly and ended up right back in the hospital for conditions that would have been discovered if I hadn't been given the "bum's rush".

[Vinca]

12. I'm scheduled for a serious surgery at the end of the month and

I'm "allowed" a whopping 3 days in the hospital. Fortunately, other than the item being addressed, I'm pretty healthy,but a person who was not would be in real trouble with such a short stay.

[PatSeg]

13. Even if a person is healthy

there can be reactions to medications that one might not expect, or infections that get out of control. The one time it happened to me, I was released before I could function well. Even the nurses were concerned about my going home too soon. The hot-shot doctor just bombarded me with drugs so he could get the vitals he needed to release me. The next morning I was back in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. The excessive medications caused blood clots, resulting in emergency surgery and another full week in the hospital.

If I had been kept in the hospital another couple of days, the blood clots would have been manifested in a controlled environment. I'm just lucky it didn't kill me.

The irony is the rush to release patients (to appease insurance companies) often ends up costing them more money, as it did in my case.

Good luck with your surgery. I wish you a healthy and speedy recovery!

[Vinca]

14. Thanks and here's a doozy of a treatment plan re blood clots.

They will be sending me home with filled syringes so I can inject myself in the stomach. It's only a subcutaneous injection, but all the same. The only other thing I've ever injected is a brining solution into a turkey. I guess I should be grateful I didn't get a "do-it-yourself" kit for the surgery.

[PatSeg]

15. Oh god, no

I actually got a little woozy reading that. I can't believe they would go that far, and then if there are any problems, I guess it isn't their fault, but yours. Of course, in the U.S. we pay a fortune for this kind of medical care. The rest of the world must be laughing uncontrollably at us.

[JitterbugPerfume]

16. my sister married a Brit

and from what I can see all of the old duffers smoke like chimneys and drink a LOT