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Americans Less Healthy, But Outlive Brits

Posted by timothy on from the cross-cultural-croaking-comparison dept.

An anonymous reader writes with this intriguing snippet: "Older Americans are less healthy than their English counterparts, but they live as long or even longer than their English peers, according to a new study by researchers from the RAND Corporation and the Institute for Fiscal Studies in London. Researchers found that while Americans aged 55 to 64 have higher rates of chronic diseases than their peers in England, they died at about the same rate. And Americans age 65 and older — while still sicker than their English peers — had a lower death rate than similar people in England, according to findings published in the journal Demography."

7 of 521 comments (clear)

  1. clearly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    Clearly this is because of our lack of socialized healthcare, and this is no other factor that could possibly affect this.

  2. Well, duh by metrix007 · · Score: 5, Funny

    The UK is more depressing what with its annual 4 hours of sunshine and the best looking women maybe rating a 7. Who can forget the warm beer, bad food and lovable totalitarian government?

    I'm not kidding. You don't think all of that stuff can have a negative affect on a persons psyche, perhaps affecting their health? Especially the warm beer...that's especially depressing.

    --
    If you ignore ACs because they are anonymous - you're an idiot.
    1. Re:Well, duh by rapiddescent · · Score: 2, Funny

      one of my clients is a life assurance company - the actuaries are saying that the first British woman who will live to 120 years old has just retired this year. i.e. for her 40 years of work she'll have to fund 60 years of retirement. that's news that will be enough to kill anyone off.

    2. Re:Well, duh by DarkKnightRadick · · Score: 3, Funny

      I bet you don't have warm beer. :p

      --
      "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." Proverbs 16:25 (NKJV)
    3. Re:Well, duh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      If a cheese isn't named after an English county, it's not worth eating... as a general rule, it holds mostly true.

      It's a ridiculous over-generalisation; there are some very good cheeses that are named after English towns or villages instead of counties.

    4. Re:Well, duh by h4rm0ny · · Score: 3, Funny

      (Besides, spray-on-cheese is not primarily for eating.)

      Then what on Earth is it for? Self-defense?

      --

      Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
  3. Poor ME by b4upoo · · Score: 2, Funny

    Here I am, deluded and home alone in the dark. I've never considered the death rate before. Too me the death rate for all mortals is 100%. Apparently I am misinformed.