Life Expectancy

That doesn't surprise me at all. Alcoholism and obesity are big problems in Native American communities along with poverty. While some reservations have gotten rich off of gambling many more remain mired in poverty and even among those tribes that are making money there are still problems with alcoholism and other health related issues.

 

I disagree that food in europe is much less healthy.

Most of the oils in their food come from olive oil, There's less preservatives, and fresher produce.

 

That really depends on where in Europe. French cooking uses a lot of animal fats in their cooking. British and Irish cooking uses animal fats and also fry most of their food. The average US diet seemed healthy compared to stuff I was seeing people in Ireland eating a lot of the time.

 

don't euros smoke more than us? that's what trips me out, but maybe i'm wrong

 

That would be true...if county hospitals weren't required by law to treat people. When the govt has to foot the bill for people's crappy decisions (whether it's a homeless person who eats junk food or some suburban moron who blows his hand off with a cherry bomb), I think we get to be involved in the decision-making process. Are you suggesting we should close county hospitals?

No, they're just plotting to sell a product that is as unhealthy as they can get away with in order to profit as much as possible. If folks become fata$$es from eating it, well that's their problem.

While I agree that portion control is a definite problems with Americans, I don't know that food in Europe is "much less healthy". I do, however, think that Europeans overall get more exercise than Americans.

 

Isn't that the problem then?

What happened to civil liberties of people? So they can marry who they want, but they can't eat or smoke what they want??

 

Yes, but with less stress, more exercise, and better overall diet (even if it is because of portion control) it makes a difference as well.

 

They still can eat and smoke what they want, but they would have to pay for the negative externalities of their life styles choices. Or do you have something against holding people accountable for their choices.

 

..related to less stress, most employers are required to give employees a MONTH of vacation every year.

 

A supersize Quarter Pounder meal is bad for anyone regardless of size. The fat person might have much better blood pressure/cholesterol numbers. Looking at someone and saying "You are too fat for a large fries, tubbo, thats an extra buck and a half" is just ridiculously discriminatory and silly.

 

Fixed for better poster efficiency.

Seriously, that is wine country more or less. WTF.

And I see what the map makers did by choosing red -- very clever, you libruls.

 

I totally agree, the first thing i thought was "that's no oakland"

secondly, when it was revealed to be napa valley, i'm like wtf. i thought wine was supposed to make you live longer. not to mention the class of folks in napa valley

 

Yeah I think that's definitely one of the reasons they have less stress.

I heard something on NPR once about the difference between Europe and America, and they were talking about as far as industry and big corporations Europe had very profitable ones and that Americans could drive a major brand automobile, get gas from a European owned gas station, stay in a major hotel chain that was also European owned, and basically their whole vacation would be paying money into the European's businesses. And that even though that's true there is still a huge difference in the outlook. The Americans brag that they are the hardest working, and most powerful nation in the world and are proud that it's that way.

Meanwhile the Europeans are happy to spend their money not on military but on health care, longer vacations during the year, and are fine allowing the Americans being the "hardest working, and most powerful nation". That's part of what makes it possible for them to spend the money on the things they do, and apparently the Americans wouldn't trade since they continue to talk about how hard working and powerful they are.

It was pretty interesting, and showed the difference in philosophies and how apparently each philosophy works for each place.

 

So a little girl with no insurance comes into the county ER with severe head injuries sustained while playing on a jungle gym...should we just let her die? I mean, it was her choice to climb that jungle gym.

The problem with the black and white ideas you espouse is that we live in a world filled with shades of gray.

 

Excellent post. The majority of these stress problems are brought on by the ivory tower most Americans want to live in and the fact that they'll overprescribe drugs, work longer hours and raise more kids to stay in the idealistic environment portrayed to them by the media. The educated have self imposed barriers to leading a truly stress free life. It's an over competitive environment that emphasizes one upping instead of class and savvy. Europeans on the other hand don't cater to the so called "ideal scenario"... they are indifferent to it.

Now as we shift into the era of multipolarity, with a middle class in crisis and reform needed, we could see a change in the American philosophy as people seek out alternatives to just "putting in the hours".

 

Yup. That looks like Lake County. My boss use to live up there. She says it's full of meth labs and rednecks with missing teeth.

 

Of course we could make it easier to take care of one's self. Better food, more walkable cities, more vacation, health insurance for eveyone, better family and maternity leave etc. but that would require more government regulation and therefore would be cheating and against conservative family values.