Can we become the healthiest nation?
Did you know? Americans live shorter lives and suffer more health problems than peers in other high-income countries.
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Americans believe they are the healthiest in the world…
…but rank 34th in life expectancy.
When compared to other high-income countries the United states ranks 34th in life expectancy. And we perform poorly on most measures of health, from infant mortality to obesity and chronic disease.
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Within the U.S. we have shocking differences in life expectancy based on…
Where we live +/-15 years
Our income +/- 10 years
Our education +/- 9 years
Our race +/- 7 years
Even our most advantaged people live shorter lives than peers in other countries.
Social, environmental and individual factors influence our health as well as the opportunity to make healthy choices.
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Your health is impacted by:
Healthcare
Education
Income opportunity and mobility
Climate and environment
Food & nutrition
Neighborhoods
Behavior and choices
And inequities in these factors have greater impact on the health of people of color
We trail other countries in most areas affecting health – for example:
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We have less focus on prevention
- Nearly 50% of Americans suffer from preventable, chronic disease
- only 3% of health care spending is on prevention and public health programs
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More education = better health
- The U.S. ranks 21st in high school graduation rate
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More people in poverty = poor health
- The U.S. has higher rates of poverty, greater income inequality and less economic mobility than other high-income countries.
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We are overfed and under nourished
- Americans eat the most calories and 2/3 are overweight or obese
- 37% of U.S. adults eat vegetables less than once a day
- 16 million children go to sleep hungry
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Where we live matters
- Where we live should be safe and have accessible places to walk, exercise and play
- Gun homicides are 20 times higher than in peer countries
- Nearly 50% of Americans live in communities with unhealthy levels of air pollution
Together, we can change this
Creating the healthiest nation requires making healthy choices as individuals AND as a society. We must join together to demand that our leaders consider our health in all their decisions.
Step 1: Join the movement
Healthy choices + collective action = better health
Sign the pledge to create the healthiest nation
Step 2: Spread the word
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Address climate change Universal coverage Clean air Prevention Food security
City planning Gun control Health equity Menu nutrition labels
Public health funding Strong emission standards Living wage Expanded pre-school
Tobacco free communities Healthy school meals Green space
Reproductive rights School based health centers Safe and affordable housing
Affordable health care Access to clean water Transportation options
Vaccines Strong families On time graduation
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Learn more at http://www.apha.org/HealthiestNation