Which country has the highest rate of chronic disease?
The U.S.A. This is nothing to be proud of. It is especially surprising if you consider the following information.
In fact, the U.S. has the highest rate of chronic disease in the world; partly due to an obesity rate that is two times higher than the OECD (comparable country) average. Obesity causes many chronic diseases, including diabetes, cancer and musculoskeletal disease. This is despite the fact:
1. The U.S. spends more on health care as a share of the economy – nearly twice as much as the average OECD (comparable) country – yet has the lowest life expectancy and highest suicide rates amongst comparable nations.
2. Americans have fewer visits to a doctor than people in most countries, which may be related to a low number of doctors in the U.S.
3. Americans use more expensive technologies, such as MRIs, and have more operations such as hip replacements, more often than similar countries.
4. The U.S. outperforms similar countries in terms of preventive measures – it has the one of the highest rates of breast cancer screening among women ages 50 to 69 and the second-highest rate (after the U.K.) of flu vaccinations among people age 65 and older.
5. Compared to similar nations, the U.S. has the highest number of hospital admissions from preventable causes and the highest rate of avoidable deaths.
Summary
We have explained which country has the highest rate of chronic disease. The U.S.A. As we say this is nothing to be proud of – especially as they spend more on healthcare than other comparable countries.
