Delete comment from: Captain Capitalism
cgh, with an issue this complicated, it is unlikely that there is a single factor that explains all the differences, and I am not pretending that any one of my points provides the answer for all differences between all countries. Nor do I think that all my points together necessarily explain all the differences. I just think that when presented with a complex set of data like expenditures vs. life expectancy, you need to look at all the factors involved.
So some countries count live births similar to the US. OK, but many don't. Some countries have similar rates of road deaths. OK, but most don't. Does our violent crime rate explain the difference. No, but it accounts for some of it. Canada imports poor people too, but most countries don't at the rate that we do. As to obesity, there has been much research showing that it does decrease life expectancy, and it is has tremendously expensive health consequences. That other OECD nations have been getting heavier does not tell us much, because we are still #1.
Jul 24, 2009, 10:08:02 PM
Posted to We Don't Spend Enough on Health Care