In yet another study on world health it appears that life expectancy in the US is lagging behind a number of industrialized nations. According to the latest figures, a child born in 2004 can expect to live 77.9 years. As any learned individual can attest statistics can be manipulated quite easily, often reflecting the vantage point of the messenger. While it is certainly true that the US now ranks 42nd amongst the world’s leading industrialized nations, one would assume, based on the wording of this report that the US life expectancy had declined. In fact US life expectancy has consistently risen throughout the years. Yes it would be nice to be number one in the rankings but lets take a look at these rankings and what they do and do not reveal about America.

According to an article from CNN “Countries surpassing the U.S. include Japan and most of Europe, as well as Jordan, Guam and the Cayman Islands.” Not to nit pick but Guam is the United States, secondly, do a Google News search on US life expectancy, why do you suppose that in none of these articles do they show the actual rankings for each of the 41 countries ranking higher than the United States? We do know that Andorra had the highest ranking at 83.5 years but we have no idea how most of Europe and Asia faired. Perhaps, just perhaps it has something to do with the difference between most of these 42 countries is statistically insignificant, but conveniently ignored in order to cast the US and its healthcare system in the most negative light possible.

So what accounts for this disparity, well if you are sit on the left the answer is obvious, it lies in the fact that 45 million Americans lack health coverage. If that were the case then why is it that the US ranked among the top 15 countries 2 decades ago when poverty rates in the US were higher? The fact that many American who chose to squander opportunities, or have children as teenagers or drop out of school or otherwise waste the opportunities this nation affords and thus lack health has little to do with the US ranking.

The fact is lifestyle is greatest single factor influencing life expectancy in the United States. Americans are growing more and more overweight as a gluttonous lifestyle gradually takes its toll on the US population. The fact is if many Americans consume too many fried foods and get little or no exercise such actions are personal decision and have nothing to do with high quality of care offered by the vastly superior US healthcare community. The fact also remains that the US has one of the highest crime rates in the world, drunk driving, domestic violence, drug use and so is also a significant factor. These factors of course have nothing to do with health care, but reflect values, or lack thereof amongst many Americans. Regardless of what so many leftists would have you believe, if you get sick pray its an American hospital you are going to…
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/08/13/life.expectancy.ap/index.html