Rich Americans as sick as poor Brits

By at 9:45 am Tuesday, May 2

A joint US/UK study of illness in both countries concluded that the richest Americans get heart disease and diabetes at the same rate as the poorest Britons. The researchers speculate that fast food and sedentary lifestyles are to blame.
In England, 7.8% of people in the highest income bracket had heart disease, whereas 12.0% of the same group in the US had heart disease, according to the survey data. The lowest income groups in England and the US had heart disease rates of 11.6% and 17.1%, respectively.

The analysis also suggests that while about 6.1% of adults in England suffer from diabetes, the illness affects 12.5% of US adults...

He speculates that dietary differences - and in particular greater consumption of fast-food - could perhaps explain why 31% of Americans in that age group are obese, compared to just 23% of their English counterparts. Possibly more stressful and sedentary lifestyles might also make Americans less healthy, Smith speculates.

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Cory Doctorow

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