Why do Americans die earlier than Europeans?

[cinematicdiversions]

The ‘mortality penalty’ that the US pays every year is equivalent to the number of Americans who died of Covid in 2020


https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/may/04/why-do-americans-die-earlier-than-europeans?utm_term=274d31ea257b0b6d0bb841d22a12847c&utm_campaign=BestOfGuardianOpinionUS&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=opinionus_email

30-year-old American is three times more likely to die at that age than his or her European peers. In fact, Americans do worse at just about every age. To make matters more grim, the American disadvantage is growing over time.


In 2017, for example, higher American mortality translated into roughly 401,000 excess deaths – deaths that would not have occurred if the US had Europe’s lower age-specific death rates. Pre-pandemic, that 401,000 is about 12% of all American deaths. The percentage is even higher below age 85, where one in four Americans die simply because they do not live in Europe.

There have been many efforts to account for the US mortality disadvantage. There is no single answer, but three factors stand out. First, death rates from drug overdose are much higher in the US than in Europe and have risen sharply in the 21st century. Second is the rapid rise in the proportion of American adults who are obese. In 2016, 40% of American adults were obese, a larger proportion than in Europe. Higher levels of obesity in the US may account for 55% of its shortfall in life expectancy relative to other rich countries. Third, the US stands out among wealthy countries for not offering universal healthcare insurance. One analysis suggests that the absence of universal healthcare resulted in 45,000 excess deaths at ages 18-64 in 2005. That number represents about a quarter of excess deaths in that age range.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

1. Huh ... nothing to do with the approximately 34,135,965,156 guns we have here then? nt

[EX500rider]

23. Not really

When you are talking about 400,000 extra deaths the 10,000 murdered is a small number.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

26. What about the suicides by gun? (nt)

[EX500rider]

27. Europe has a higher suicide rate the the Americas.

Europe has a rate of 15.4
America's have a rate of 9.9

The US rate is 13.7

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_suicide_rate

[RockRaven]

2. Guns, non-universal healthcare, different alcohol culture, war on drugs (& its secondary effects),

and our really fucked up sex/sexuality hang ups (suicides, murders resultant)...

The 1000 people killed by cops every year doesn't help either.

[ZonkerHarris]

3. McDonalds, Hershey, Coca Cola, etc...

[WarGamer]

4. guns and opiates.

[JI7]

5. Overworked is the biggest reason. From that all the other things result

like drug use , health problems etc.

Europe is very good when it comes to providing vacations . And just having a safety net helps if something bad happens like losing a job .

But I think right now we are starting to get into a point where people will expect certain things and it wont be seen as "communism, socialist, handouts etc" .

2 weeks of vacation after working 3 years or whatever the norm is , is NOTHING .

[Rstrstx]

6. We're fat

[Kablooie]

7. Americans do things like stick fireworks in their butts for laughs.

I don't think I've seen Europeans do that.

[David__77]

8. Because minority people suffer from inferior health care and living conditions.

...

[smirkymonkey]

9. I can think of a number of reasons.

Our diet, obesity, overwork, GUNS, the stress of not having a social safety net, our terrible "health care" system where people avoid getting medical care because they can't afford it and don't want to go into extreme medical debt.

Massive student loan debts from which there is no escaping for many people, burdensome consumer debt fueled by our cultural norms, and just our general lifestyle which causes severe stress, anxiety and fear to an unbearable degree.

Also, the extreme amount of self-medication that people engage in to avoid having to face the horrifying reality of this mess.

We are a disaster. This doesn't surprise me one bit.

[Karma13612]

20. Excellent! Eom

[NoRethugFriends]

10. Because Europe isin alter time zone (nt)

[DFW]

11. Diet

Stop stuffing the nation with garbage and the numbers, taking off for GSW, will probably start to resemble each other.

[cinematicdiversions]

22. Diet and a lack of activity.

It is amazing how much thinner and in better shape the people of NYC are compared to say Houston or Memphis.

[DFW]

31. We've noticed that these past 2 weeks

We were in Dallas from April 10 to April 16, and in NYC since then, and the contrast is huge. We came to NYC because our elder daughter was having her first child, and even a week later, she was already taking 1 hour plus walks with the baby through Central Park or Riverside Park just to be out and moving again. She has certainly worn US out anyway, and we live in Germany!

[Karma13612]

34. Very true. Walking is truly a healthy activity all round. Eom

[ck4829]

12. Because we have the "greatest healthcare system in the world"

[Maxheader]

13. really like the universal healthcare reference...

Never see that here.

That's how the1%er's keep americans under their thumbs.

Like countries with the ability to feed their people better,

but don't. Hard to revolt on an empty stomach...

[marie999]

14. Our infant mortality rate is obscene.

[uponit7771]

16. +1,

[dawg]

21. ... and the Pro-Lifers don't give a shit.

[uponit7771]

15. Lack of access to affordable healthcare defines A LOT of decisions Americans make

[area51]

17. I would say mainly because we don't have a right to healthcare. n/t

[tanyev]

18. Because Republicans are 'pro-life'.

[Karma13612]

19. Let's see, in no particular order:

Lack of universal healthcare
Lousy diet
Lack of exercise due to automobile centric culture
Lack of more, decent inner city green space
Lack of decent high-speed rail and transport alternative to cut down on toxic emissions
Too many weapons of mass destruction
Lethal force Police brutality
Sky high student loan debt creating stress
Expectations of working until you drop
Lack of mental health support
Fresh food deserts
Poor education
Constant state of worry about money and having enuf in old age (social safety net category)
Toxic crap in our food and air that other countries have banned.
In other words, we have a lousy quality of life.
Period.

I’m sure there are countless others, but that’s just off the top of my head.

We are a stressed society with insufficient help in all the areas that are needed in order to improve our quality of life.

[XanaDUer2]

25. And idiots negatively affected by this who vote against

their own interests

[Karma13612]

32. +1000!!!!! Great one! Eom

[mentalsolstice]

28. I would add medical deserts. nt

[Karma13612]

33. Oh, we are on a roll now! Excellent! Eom

[roamer65]

24. A shitty, for profit, healthcare system.

[FakeNoose]

29. Most Europeans do a LOT more walking than most Americans do

They're in better shape, and they maintain a healthy weight - not overweight or obese like so many Americans. They have better low-fat high-nutrition diets, and if they get sick they (as a rule) don't pop pills like Americans have been trained to do.

There are so many contributing factors, but I'd say diet, weight, and active lifestyles (such as walking regularly) are the main reasons.

[Crunchy Frog]

30. Because Freedumb. nt