Healthcare is quite the hot button issue in the U.S. these days. There is a lot of talk about reforming the health insurance industry, affordable insurance rates and what the overall healthcare system in America should look like. At the heart of all the legal back-and-forth is a question that not many people ask: just how healthy (or unhealthy) are Americans? When thinking about healthcare as general support for someone’s well-being, it’s important to know the facts about health statistics in the U.S.
Preventive care is a large part of why many Americans think healthcare is the most important issue facing us today. The more access someone has to regular checkups and early screenings, the more likely it is that they’ll lead healthier lives as they age. Preventing disease is much cheaper than treating it, and catching things like cancer early means longer life expectancy.
Viewing accessible, affordable healthcare as a way to prevent things like heart disease — America’s No. 1 killer — and cancer have the potential to change what type of care we think all citizens should have access to. The U.S. certainly isn’t the healthiest nation in the world, with almost 50% of adults suffering from a chronic illness; and many countries have higher life expectancy rates than we do. However, we all know knowledge is power, and statistics show that a lot of disease in the U.S. comes from preventable causes, like smoking, obesity and substance abuse.
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