Battleangel

AP - White, middle-aged Americans — even those who are rich — are far less healthy than their peers in England, according to stunning new research that erases misconceptions and has experts scratching their heads.

Americans had higher rates of diabetes, heart disease, strokes, lung disease and cancer — findings that held true no matter what income or education level.

Those dismal results are despite the fact that U.S. health care spending is double what England spends on each of its citizens.

Waste your own and everyone else’s resources, and still it will do you no good. The study is interesting as it doesn’t jump to the old “fat american” conclusion and just laughs it off. In fact, it offers very little in terms of explanations and just states the facts. Nevertheless, here is a suggestion from a Slashdotter who has done his homework.

Have a look at table 8 in this report [eurofound.ie] on industrial relations.

Statutory minimum annual leave plus public holidays
UK: 28 days (four weeks + public holidays)
US: 10 days (0 weeks + public holidays)

Americans are pretty much unique in the post-modern world in that they think a high GDP is good even if it makes you so sick that you can’t enjoy life. Yet they keep working and ferociously defend their right to work themselves to death and the wonderful things is allegedly brings. Also, their version of “freedom and democracy” is so important and so much better than everyone else’s that they figure you’d rather be dead than not having it.