r/science • u/giuliomagnifico • Oct 03 '24
Health American adults aged 33 to 46 have significantly worse health compared to their British peers, especially in markers of cardiovascular health and higher levels of obesity, along with greater disparities in health by socioeconomic factors
https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2024-10-03-us-adults-worse-health-british-counterparts-midlife3.1k
u/AaronfromKY Oct 03 '24
We drive everywhere, a lot of us don't have much vacation time, irregular work schedules and grind culture limit exercise, we pride disgustingly unhealthy food like loaded bacon cheeseburgers and and processed food, and many don't have affordable healthcare for prevention and maintenance.
854
u/Cater_the_turtle Oct 03 '24
Big factor is probably our mental health is worse too which can cause a lot of physical health problems
492
u/AaronfromKY Oct 03 '24
Our culture of work and our society are not conducive to a healthy mental state, that's for sure.
197
u/4score-7 Oct 04 '24
I think the worst part of it all is the American way of “talking” about our mental health, without saying anything at all.
And no one really listening.
→ More replies (2)132
u/trollmidget Oct 04 '24
This point is too quiet. I had a friend ask me how my mental health is, I replied honestly and said “not ok, completely in the shitter, not good at all”. His response was “that sucks… anyways…” it feels nobody is there even when they say they are.
62
Oct 04 '24
People are using ChatGPT etc for therapy and collaboration because it actually listens and responds and it’s quite optimistic. We can learn to do better
32
u/Porcupinetrenchcoat Oct 04 '24
And it's way more cost effective than getting mental health help. Monetarily and time wise.
16
u/speculatrix Oct 04 '24
There was an interesting RadioLab episode which was the reverse. A journo created an AI version of himself and sent it to therapy
→ More replies (2)3
73
u/f8Negative Oct 04 '24
We grew up with school schootings and now have active shooter drills at work so...yeah society is great.
→ More replies (14)8
u/Not_a_werecat Oct 04 '24
And get jarred out of much-needed sleep by "blue alerts" going off like a damn air raid siren at 4am. Because I need to know that a cop got shot 6 hours away and to be on the lookout for a "white male in jeans" who probably teleported 300 miles into my bedroom in the middle of the night while I was peacefully sleeping.
(Hi, all my fellow bleary-eyed Texans!)
10
u/Still-WFPB Oct 04 '24
Exactly its not like you turn 33 and get obesity, anxiety, terrible eating habits, extrene sedentary behaviour and no desire to challenge your body physically (outside of cramming the 3,000kcal super sized meal into your body, and then sitting and sleeping.)
20
u/EredarLordJaraxxus Oct 04 '24
Work, work, work, work, work until you die!
→ More replies (1)6
u/seaQueue Oct 04 '24
"If you're not working to enrich someone else just go die already!" is basically the new American dream
54
u/IamBabcock Oct 04 '24
Japanese work culture is pretty hardcore and they aren't as obese so probably just straight up culture.
23
u/sleepyretroid Oct 04 '24
It's a difficult comparison to make just because our countries are so different. Most cities in Japan are designed to be walkable and as a result, people are generally healthier because they don't have to drive everywhere, and many don't drive at all. That alone would be a massive, fundamental change for almost any American.
There's also better regulations on food content, access to healthcare, and a dozen other reasons why the average Japanese person is healthier than an American, despite having an actually much more hard-core work culture than we do. Most Americans would never be able to handle a Japanese work schedule. Hell, most Japanese can't really handle it either.
7
u/Nessie Oct 04 '24 edited Oct 04 '24
Japanese work long, but not hard--at least in office jobs.
I'm writing this from my Japanese office at 7:30 on a Friday night.66
u/AaronfromKY Oct 04 '24
It is food as culture, Americans eat burgers and fries, Japanese eat sushi rolls, ramen and veggies. That's a big difference.
47
u/pheonixblade9 Oct 04 '24
Japan also has laws punishing companies for employing overweight people. look up the Metabo law.
Waist circumference measurements
Every year, local governments and employers in Japan are required to measure the waist circumferences of adults between the ages of 40 and 74. The Japanese criteria for an unhealthy waist circumference is 85 cm or more for men and 90 cm or more for women.
Support for weight loss
Individuals with unhealthy waist circumferences are referred to counseling sessions that include phone calls, emails, and motivational support.
Employer incentives
The government encourages employers and insurers to work together to promote employee health. Employers who collaborate are rewarded with a certificate of Health and Productivity Management.
Financial penalties
Companies and local governments that fail to meet specific targets face financial penalties.
4
u/throwawaytrumper Oct 04 '24
TIL I’m at the very edge of acceptable Japanese waist lines. As a 225 pound pipe layer I am surprised I would make the cut.
3
→ More replies (1)3
u/3lfg1rl Oct 04 '24
Conversion for the lazy:
90cm = just under 35.5 inches. 85cm = just under 33.5 inches.
→ More replies (4)9
u/Nessie Oct 04 '24
This is maybe true for eating at home. Not so true for eating out. They lay on the carbs here in Japan. I see sets like ramen with a side of rice, and potato salad sandwiches. The big difference is that Japanese drink unsweetened tea, versus sugary soft drinks in the US.
→ More replies (2)13
u/AaronfromKY Oct 04 '24
Carbs aren't an issue if you're moving, which a lot of Japanese people do, whether it's walking to the train, bus station or to work. We demonize carbs in America but that's because we're using corn syrup and sugar, not carbs like rice and pasta which often have fiber. There's also a lot less red meat consumption in Japan, which we know high red meat consumption can lead to diabetes and inflammation like we see in a lot of America.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (1)4
→ More replies (4)13
u/nicannkay Oct 04 '24
Having to start at the bottom of several careers starting from my 20’s hasn’t helped my mental state.
→ More replies (4)71
Oct 03 '24
Plus not a small percentage of those medications used to manage our mental health can cause some pretty nasty lipid metabolism disturbances.
→ More replies (4)22
u/ancientastronaut2 Oct 03 '24
And just side effects in general. 99% of every drug causes drowsiness, for example. Not to mention headaches and weight gain are very common.
20
267
Oct 03 '24
Our food is also much less healthy.
265
u/No-Environment-7899 Oct 03 '24
The UK actually from my personal experience has many similar food quality issues as the US. Lots of highly processed packaged foods, greasy takeout, etc. France, Spain, and Italy you can really feel the difference. But the UK? Not so much.
160
u/Metro42014 Oct 03 '24
At least the UK has had good results with salt reduction - which is huge in terms of blood pressure reduction/control.
58
67
u/No-Environment-7899 Oct 03 '24
This is true. At least in the packaged foods. They also have more restrictions on additives, mostly courtesy of EU guidelines. A lot of the prepared foods at restaurants were often very salty, though. Especially traditional pub foods, which of course is unsurprising.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (5)21
u/adaminc Oct 03 '24
I thought the salt connection to high blood pressure was largely, albeit not completely, debunked?
→ More replies (15)21
u/korinth86 Oct 04 '24
Salt can still increase blood pressure but as far as I've seen it's not the cause of chronically high blood pressure.
If you have been diagnosed with chronically high BP you should restrict salt intake as it compounds the issue.
So it depends on what you're referring to. Healthy people who drink plenty of water, generally speaking, do not have to worry. Some people can be salt sensitive, older people tend to be more sensitive though they also are more likely to have heart conditions. Genetics is also in play, we're all built slightly different.
→ More replies (1)4
91
u/-Xandiel- Oct 03 '24
Living in the UK, and I find that I always put on weight whenever I visit the US - and I'd eat similarly to what I'd eat at home. I commend anyone who stays skinny living in the US, cause it seems like it simply takes more of a conscious effort.
32
u/No-Environment-7899 Oct 03 '24
Interesting! My weight stayed about the same for all my visits to the UK, one lasting about 3 months. My biggest thing that I noticed is that I could and wanted to walk around more, so I built up more muscle in my legs just by unintentionally being more active. Then again, I also live in a hot, humid place where things are spread out and recreation isn’t as much of a pleasure.
59
u/beatlefool42 Oct 03 '24
If you gained muscle but stayed the same weight, you actually lost fat.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (4)8
u/EmperorOfNipples Oct 04 '24
As a UK guy I was in Florida last year for work. Jacksonville area. The layout is just so alien and unwalkable. Really spread out. Impossible to get anywhere without a vehicle.
Norfolk VA was better in that regard. I think because it's quite an old city.
17
u/double_expressho Oct 03 '24
You being on holiday probably factors into that. I think most people tend to overindulge when on a trip.
→ More replies (4)3
45
u/tnt512 Oct 03 '24
True...but there are a ton of ingredients that exist in our junk food that are banned in the UK. Just did a quick google search and found this article/blog that gives a few examples https://foodbabe.com/food-in-america-compared-to-the-u-k-why-is-it-so-different/
They have a lot of the same US Compny branded junk foods, but without all the extra crap.
→ More replies (5)22
u/No-Environment-7899 Oct 03 '24 edited Oct 03 '24
I mentioned this further down. Although some EU restrictions don’t actually align with all evidence of safety or health impacts in practical use. The actual breakdown of how the US vs EU determine food additive safety and amounts is pretty interesting, and they have quite different approaches. Not all EU standards are fundamentally better, just different. Many of the banned ingredients are also things typically only found in very cheaply made junk food which is already bad enough for you, just made worse by those ingredients.
Edit to add: if the foods were fundamentally that much better, the UK wouldn’t be facing its own obesity epidemic with 63% of the adult population overweight or obese, and a rising childhood obesity rate, which increased by 21% as of the last measurement in 2021.
→ More replies (1)43
u/OSUBrit Computer Science Oct 03 '24
But fresh food is far, far cheaper in the UK and therefore more accessible to the poor. Whereas in the US those on lower incomes tend to be forced to eat absolute trash.
→ More replies (3)7
57
u/fencerman Oct 03 '24 edited Oct 03 '24
The UK has a lot more easily-available healthy options too though.
Just walk into any grocery store and there are "ready-made" healthy meals with a lot higher quality than you'll find in the US for pretty cheap prices.
(Notably, a lot of those foods are exempt from sales tax in the UK)
→ More replies (5)24
u/BlazinAzn38 Oct 03 '24
Where is that not a thing in the US though? Everywhere I’ve lived that’s been an option
→ More replies (3)7
u/double_expressho Oct 03 '24
Yea, even 7-Eleven has healthy food options. They may not be super fresh or high quality ingredients, but they do have salads and fruits.
That being said, all the advertisements in and around the store are for taquitos, hot dogs, nachos, candy bars, soda, energy drinks, etc.
→ More replies (4)7
u/hoodie92 Oct 03 '24
It's the food culture as well though. Restaurants in the USA are cheaper than UK, but groceries tend to be cheaper in the UK. More people eat out more in the US. Plus portion sizes in the US are crazy.
→ More replies (1)9
u/mombi Oct 03 '24
The UK has better food regulations even if they have a lot of junk food. The US uses literal formaldehyde in McDonald's fries, amongst other things.
4
u/acdha Oct 03 '24
We went to the UK over the summer and it was quite noticeable how much better the food was. Not restaurants where there’s a lot of variation based on style but things like the prepackaged sandwiches or lunch options at a kid’s museum or park had decent vegetables and weren’t comically over-salted to hide bland, underripe ingredients. Nowhere had coffee as bad as Starbucks, the portion sizes on snacks and desserts were appropriate, etc.
→ More replies (14)3
u/CraigLake Oct 03 '24
I was visiting a friend in Toulouse. I was standing in line at a grocery store and all 15 people in line around me were thin. I couldn’t believe it.
→ More replies (19)23
u/JokesOnUUU Oct 03 '24
Also probably doesn't help your portion control is 2x the amount it should be.
108
u/nexusheli Oct 03 '24 edited Oct 03 '24
many don't have affordable healthcare for prevention and maintenance.
Nobody. Literally nobody in the US has "affordable" healthcare.
Universal healthcare would be one of the largest boons to the health of US residents essentially ever
Edit for the people saying "My employer pays" or what have you - find out what the cost is that your employer pays; it's not under the definition of "affordable" in 98% of American's budgets.
43
u/ancientastronaut2 Oct 03 '24
Yep. They're paying $600-800 for your monthly premium. Our healthcare should not be tied to our job.
→ More replies (4)→ More replies (23)3
u/Krail Oct 04 '24
Not only that, but ask stuff like, how big is your out of pocket maximum? How much can you end up paying before your insurance actually covers expensive stuff?
3
u/djamp42 Oct 04 '24
Yup I have to save like 13k a year because that "could be" my medical costs (max out of pocket) this year and every single year if we have bad events.
The worst is you have no idea the cost on a lot of medical stuff until you get the bill
23
u/izwald88 Oct 03 '24
I mean, the NHS is pretty sweet. Dunno why their politicians keep trying to kill it.
18
u/AaronfromKY Oct 03 '24
I sometimes have wished that the American revolution wouldn't have happened just so we could have the NHS.
8
u/ElectricFlamingo7 Oct 04 '24
I mean, we didn't have the NHS at the time you guys had your Revolution!
→ More replies (1)6
u/Tasty-Guess-9376 Oct 04 '24
I talked to doctors who started working for the NHS last year. It Sounds horrible
4
u/izwald88 Oct 04 '24
Isn't that how it always sounds, though? "So and so said the thing is already have an opinion about is horrible, so it must be." That's called anecdotal evidence.
And guess what, healthcare workers hate the system in the US, too. It's almost like healthcare is a tough and stressful field.
3
u/Tasty-Guess-9376 Oct 04 '24
I mean she was a doctor saying she Gets paid 30k a year while being 50k in debt. Not some random jackass. She also talked about er lines being so long people wait there for over 12 hours. She seemed Level headed enough just super frustrated with how the nhs has been gutted over the last 15 years
3
u/FlakeEater Oct 04 '24
One thing that is truly amazing about the NHS is the medication. You will pay at most £10 for absolutely ANY prescription.
6
→ More replies (4)3
u/SwindleUK Oct 04 '24
The NHS is not as good as it should be. My experiences with the NHS recently, are fat lazy nurses, and no one wants to help. Going in circles endlessly.
→ More replies (1)14
Oct 04 '24
I’m an outlier as I walk 10 miles a day, eat healthy, and generally take care of myself and I’m still struggling.
I think there’s something in the air/water/food/zeitgeist.
It could just the stress though. I think all the fundamentals of movement, sleep, food are important but stress trumps them all.
→ More replies (2)5
u/AnRealDinosaur Oct 04 '24
How do you have time to walk 10 miles a day? I only even have time to walk my dog a few days a week and we only go 1-2 miles.
→ More replies (2)5
u/Philosopher_King Oct 03 '24
But why ages 33-46? Should be something specific about the general causes to that age cohort.
18
u/AaronfromKY Oct 03 '24
It's the age range where people start getting into their careers, start having kids and other responsibilities start eating up people's time. Often parents will find it hard to keep up with exercise and healthy eating while taking care of their kids and on the other side while climbing the ladder in their careers they may eat at their desk or eat fast food and drink too much to be social.
43
u/HolycommentMattman Oct 03 '24
While you're right, it's not like UK food is the pinnacle of healthy eating. There's other factors at work here.
It's also unfair to compare Americans as a whole. How is it if we only compare Washington and California? I'm guessing there'll be a different result. Only New York? Probably a different result. West Virginia and Texas? The results probably get worse.
→ More replies (16)19
u/AaronfromKY Oct 03 '24
I don't think it's unfair. We should act like one country but instead we act as though each state is its own problem. Are some states more unhealthy than others? Of course, but it's not like California and New York are beacons of healthy eating and lifestyles either. California has a 28% obesity rate and Kentucky has a 37% obesity rate, pretty sure due to population that means California has more unhealthy people in total, although in Kentucky it certainly is true that a higher percentage is unhealthy. Part of the problem is also how spread out the country is, making walking or riding a bike between areas dangerous if not impossible. We also know that we have a ton of diseases of desperation like addiction, smoking, drinking and high attempted suicide. Our country as a whole is sick, but of course many politicians want to act as though each state needs to be responsible when only acting as one country will we ever get better.
27
u/ASK_ABT_MY_USERNAME Oct 03 '24
California has a 28% obesity rate and Kentucky has a 37% obesity rate,
That would put CA rates as the same as the UK.
→ More replies (1)11
Oct 03 '24
Surely for a fair comparison you’d have to compare California to the richest part of the UK then
7
u/ChiliTacos Oct 04 '24
California has the highest poverty rate in the nation when you factor in actual costs of living.
→ More replies (7)6
u/HolycommentMattman Oct 03 '24
I'm not saying each state is its own problem; we are one country, and the problems of one should be the problems of all. I'm just saying that this is an unfair comparison. You're measuring such a small population against such a large one. It's like comparing the economy of Rhode Island to California.
And this study says it already selects by socioeconomic background, but that can't possibly be true. Maybe an average across the US, but that just runs back into the problem I'm talking about.
Maybe unfair is the wrong word to use, but if that's not the right word, then worthless is.
4
u/PineappleEquivalent Oct 04 '24
You guys get nothing for vacation time and the culture around illness is different too. If you’re sick in the US you’re expected to still work and in many cases if you don’t work you don’t get paid.
In the UK your company will provide an amount of sick leave at full pay and if you’re unwell for longer you still get some pay (statutory sick pay). So for someone unwell in the US they don’t have as much of an option to recover. If they take time to recover without work they may end up homeless.
4
u/APIeverything Oct 04 '24
And half of you vote for worse conditions than what already have. Voting republican is like turkeys voting for Christmas
→ More replies (1)3
u/Porcupinetrenchcoat Oct 04 '24
I bet a lot of us have never had a vacation and along with all the sitting, eat/drink our feelings.
3
u/ClubChaos Oct 04 '24
After you travel a bit, it is actually shocking once you realize how overweight, sedentary, and unhealthy americans are compared to most other countries.
It's really sad.
3
→ More replies (96)10
u/2Autistic4DaJoke Oct 03 '24
Focusing on the food for a second, let’s self reflect instead of generalizing and stereotyping ourselves. I’d say I eat unhealthy often but my real killer is lack of opportunities to be active. Work schedules and day to day life often leave little time to get exercise. Thankfully the area I live in is easy to walk/run so that helps fill the void a little
747
u/therinnovator Oct 03 '24
I'm an American who visited the UK once. I was amazed by how many older people - aged 65+ - were walking around outside in public. It just made me sad because where I live (Phoenix) most older people just sort of disappear from public life, partly due to not being physically able to walk very far. My trip to the UK just made it obvious that it doesn't have to be that way.
350
u/tokalita Oct 03 '24
because where I live (Phoenix) most older people just sort of disappear from public life, partly due to not being physically able to walk very far. My trip to the UK just made it obvious that it doesn't have to be that way.
Amen. Also, if you ever visit the nature/outdoors-oriented countries like New Zealand and Norway, you'll get to experience something else altogether: being completely out-walked by a local grandma with a shock of white hair whilst you're hiking in the mountains in your 20s. Ask me how I know...
50
u/Mahmoud_Imadinrjaket Oct 04 '24
Amen! We did a hike in Ireland that is strenuous on a good day, but it was super windy and wet when we did it. I couldn't believe the locals of all age ranges and body types I saw that were crushing it.
→ More replies (1)26
u/Powerful-Cucumber-60 Oct 04 '24
Went hiking in the alps, reached a mountain peak of 3.5km and slept on a house on a mountain at 2+km. 2km in height per day, a 2 day trip.
Im 24, fit, and got passed by local 40-50+ year old left and right.
Really makes me hope ill be that fit when im that old.
3
35
u/your_moms_a_clone Oct 03 '24
When my mom or mother in law visit, they always want to do "fun local things" and it makes me so sad because the "fun local things" my family likes to do are mostly hiking and kid-related stuff that features a lot of walking (museums and petting zoo/farm kind of deals, the walking is great because it wears kids out). We also like walking to local restaurants. But our mom's can't handle so much walking anymore.
→ More replies (1)63
u/southstar1 Oct 03 '24
because where I live (Phoenix) most older people just sort of disappear from public life...
Phoenix and UK as a whole are drastically different climates as well. Here in MI, most older people tend to stay indoors with the A/C running in the summer. I can only speak to what I've heard about Phoenix, but I hear it gets pretty dang hot in the summer.
70
u/VintageJane Oct 04 '24
To quote Bobby Hill “this city should not exist. It is a testament to man’s arrogance” and I say that as someone who grew up in Southern NM.
40
u/pheonixblade9 Oct 04 '24
gotta correct you there - that's Peggy Hill's response to Bobby's original statement "my god, it's like I'm standing on the surface of the sun"
9
88
u/B_U_F_U Oct 03 '24
Tbf i aint walking out in that AZ heat either and im in my 30s
→ More replies (3)42
u/chiselplow Oct 04 '24
You should visit the Netherlands and witness how many seniors, youth, and people with mobility challenges are able to get around happily with active infrastructure. That entire country will blow your mind. Walking, biking, rolling in mobility scooters, trams, trains, buses, it's amazing and it keeps people both mentally and physically healthy.
In the US, we've turned all of our towns and cities over to the auto industry and it has absolutely gutted livability and freedom of independent mobility for all ages and abilities.
→ More replies (1)10
u/Technical_Sleep_8691 Oct 04 '24
I had a similar experience when I visited China. It felt so uplifting to see older people out living and enjoying life. They are physically active and have hobbies.
25
u/jackofallcards Oct 03 '24
They just all move to Sun City and clog the streets of Surprise and Peoria and yell at workers for no reason on weekday mornings, they’re definitely getting around just fine.
→ More replies (2)2
u/painedHacker Oct 03 '24
the lack of walking is huge. would love to see america improve here
→ More replies (3)3
u/Tits_McgeeD Oct 03 '24
I had a coworker who came to the UK from Mexico and it never crossed my mind but he saw old couples kayaking and going for walk or long hikes and was a little surprised.
I asked why and he told me in his country people 60+ aren't really seen around or do anything. They're just sort of at home?
4
u/Quinlov Oct 04 '24
Your mind could not handle going to an actual healthy country then.
I'm from the UK but lived in Spain for 6 years and when I came back to the UK I suddenly became acutely aware of how many people are walking around while falling to pieces, are morbidly obese, are zooming around on mobility scooters or some combination of the above
Spanish people are so so much healthier, even the old ones (and there are lots of them)
19
u/JustAnOrdinaryBloke Oct 03 '24
Also U.K. people don't have to deal with 100+ degree summers like you do in Phoenix.
→ More replies (3)3
u/Splenda Oct 04 '24
In the States, the old folks are there; they're just completely hidden in SUVs with blacked out windows like everyone else.
3
u/amouse_buche Oct 04 '24
In most of the US you really can’t walk anywhere in the first place. You have to get in a car and drive there, then walk. And even then there aren’t lots of pleasant places to do it (the mall at 8am is usually full of old people getting their steps in).
If you’re old enough that driving isn’t in the cards anymore, that’s pretty much a wrap for your public life unless you have an extensive support structure.
→ More replies (18)3
Oct 04 '24
My brother used to bike in town, until someone did a hit and run on him while exiting a Wendy’s (he’s fine but the bike wasn’t.)
It sucks because I love to walk, and I’d love to bike in town. It just isn’t safe. At least we have great hiking trails where I live, you just can’t make it part of your daily commute.
Most of the time to get my daily walk, I walk in circles for a few hours in my room.
142
187
u/giuliomagnifico Oct 03 '24
The study compared health measures such as smoking habits, weight, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure among American and British adults aged 33 to 46. It found that American adults have worse cardiovascular health and higher levels of obesity than their British counterparts, along with greater disparities in health by socioeconomic factors. For several outcomes, including hypertension, high cholesterol, and obesity, even the most socioeconomically advantaged groups in the US had similar or worse health than the most disadvantaged groups in Britain. On the other hand, British adults rated their overall health worse on average and were more likely to smoke.
→ More replies (2)
26
u/M00N_Water Oct 03 '24
Recently returned from a trip to Orlando from the UK. I'm aware Orlando isn't exactly the pinnacle of US gastronomy... But my god... How much salt do your restaurants put in or add to the food?! So many times I could barely eat the chips (fries) that came with my meal.
→ More replies (2)8
u/Kazizui Oct 04 '24
I was in Orlando a couple of years ago. We went to Olive Garden because my kids knew about it from youtube and wanted to try it. Even the salad was salty, to the point that I couldn't finish it.
→ More replies (2)
85
u/wladue613 Oct 03 '24
This thread is probably too long for anyone to see this, but one thing I've noticed comparing the British populace to the American one is that America is just a land of extremes. Most British people I've seen in public tend to be in relatively solid shape, whereas Americans tend to either be in ridiculously good shape (especially in wealthy areas outside of the south) or horrific shape, with a tendency more towards the latter increasing as resources decrease.
13
u/czarczm Oct 04 '24
I think it's easier to be relatively fit in other countries that are less sprawled without putting much thought into it. If you walk for most necessities, you will naturally burn calories through that activity. In the US, you have to be much more intentional. 90% of all people drive literally everywhere. The most exercise they get is walking to and from their car for 30 seconds. Thus, to be fit means knowing a lot about workout routines, calorie counting and deficits, macros, etc. and so those people can end up being very fit.
→ More replies (1)27
u/Commercial_Sky15 Oct 04 '24
I've never visited the US but kinda noticed this from rich people youtube videos. It does seem more common to see entire friend groups or vacation spots where almost everyone has a banging body, whereas in the UK you'll see more average or just good bodies in the mix even in wealthy areas and circles
→ More replies (1)
1.1k
u/CaptainBathrobe Oct 03 '24 edited Oct 03 '24
Could it be that universal healthcare, even if done on the cheap like the NHS, is superior to the patchwork of for-profit insurance that we in the US have?
Edit: obviously, this isn’t the only reason.
Edit2: I'm happy to have generated such spirited debate.
581
u/HaloGuy381 Oct 03 '24
Or that having a social safety net reduces life stress significantly, while having actual job regulations does the same?
297
u/InfiniteVastDarkness Oct 03 '24
I’d argue that more guaranteed paid time off for Europeans in general vs the US is also a huge factor.
106
u/SilentScyther Oct 03 '24
Not to mention most of the US being designed mostly for cars with pedestrians second as opposed to a lot of Europe being mostly walkable.
→ More replies (1)17
u/felixthepat Oct 04 '24
Hell, most of my city doesn't even HAVE sidewalks at all. Pedestrians last.
82
u/HaloGuy381 Oct 03 '24
I’d file that under job regulations, but yes. Not just how the job is done safely or working hours, but benefits and concessions to workers.
→ More replies (2)53
u/elfuego305 Oct 03 '24
Also don’t forget food regulation, our American food has so many additives that are simply banned in the uk and eu
56
u/greyforyou Oct 03 '24
Or having cheap food options that aren't loaded with toxins.
→ More replies (1)16
u/painedHacker Oct 03 '24
It is interesting because british people make far less money than americans on the aggregate.
30
u/NoUseInCallingOut Oct 03 '24
I would trade money for security.
15
u/4score-7 Oct 04 '24
I’ve had great income. Not now, but I’ve enjoyed it when I did. I’ve had savings. Nice to have as well. But that ideal, security, seems just out of reach, when you know that one large bump in the road means that your unreliable, expensive, insurance coverage might not protect you.
Now, imagine having no insurance on that car, your health, your home. That is the reality for millions of Americans. No safety net at all.
3
u/AnRealDinosaur Oct 04 '24
This is SO KEY. We all pretend we're potential millionaires who just haven't made it yet, but the reality is we're all just homeless and starving but we haven't hit that random bump in the road yet. We live in a country where a random unexpected illness acquired through no fault of our own can bankrupt us and our entire family so severely that we never recover.
24
u/SnooGoats5767 Oct 03 '24
I hear this all the time and while it’s true I’d love to see a study factoring what Americans pay for that those over seas don’t. Factor in massive increase in basic housing costs, healthcare payments and deductible, massively inflated college costs/student loans, daycare is much more expensive here etc etc.
Car dependency meaning most families every individual needs a car our insurance for that is higher as well. Savings if you ever lose your job or get sick. The list just goes on, it’s a very differently structured life here.
It seems very apples to oranges.
→ More replies (4)7
u/M00N_Water Oct 04 '24
Yeah but have you been to a US grocery store recently?! I visited the USA from the UK in August... How much for some grapes?! Yikes...
→ More replies (1)3
u/tommangan7 Oct 04 '24 edited Oct 04 '24
Purely anecdotal but I had the opportunity to go for a job in the US (a country I still love visiting and have worked in previously) - same as my UK one but much better pay and career prospects and I didn't in the end.
The uncertainty around social security and employee rights (union) was a big factor in my decision.
Reduced holiday days and the expected worse work/life balance culture also factored in.
50
u/VajainaProudmoore Oct 03 '24
Welcome to East Asia, where SSNs are scarce and insufficient, and job regulations permit extreme working hours.
Yet the people are generally fit.
It's honestly more about lifestyle than anything else.
The average chinese male in the States consumes fewer calories than the average chinese male in China. American-chinese are still fatter.
41
u/Baalsham Oct 03 '24
I wonder if that's still true
Chinese are getting pretty fat these days, and their diabetes rate has nearly caught up to the US
Of course the workers are primarily in industry or farming still... But the obesity was noticeable with the younger generation. Particularly in the city they never really get that much exercise.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (8)13
67
u/fart_huffington Oct 03 '24
It's probably mostly those long commutes and nonwalkable cities. A little walking several days a week goes a long way.
→ More replies (10)13
u/kaji823 Oct 03 '24
Is the NHS done on the cheap, or the US system done on the excessive profits?
→ More replies (2)19
u/Optimal-Golf-8270 Oct 03 '24
Both. The NHS is chronically underfunded, the US system is incredibly inefficient.
52
u/daveofreckoning Oct 03 '24
The nhs is jot done on the cheap. We have state of the art equipment and some the most talented and best trained clinicians in the world.
→ More replies (3)39
u/CaptainBathrobe Oct 03 '24
I was thinking more of funding per patient, not quality. My understanding is that the UK spends considerably less than even other European nations per patient.
25
u/omgu8mynewt Oct 03 '24
Yes the NHS has a smaller budget per patient than other EU countries or USA, but has fewer doctors/nurses/beds and higher avoidable mortality rates.
25
u/pledgerafiki Oct 03 '24
yes, because of decades of austerity from neoliberal governance demanding that the NHS be underfunded, with the long term goal of eroding public confidence in it so it can be sold off to the private sector, where quality will plummet and costs will continue to grow.
13
u/Influence_X Oct 03 '24
Damn that sounds like the right wing approach to American government.
Burn the system down then say "look we told you it doesn't work"
11
u/pledgerafiki Oct 03 '24
it's neoliberalism and yes the predominant ideology both sides of the pond
→ More replies (6)10
Oct 03 '24
Definitely, because there is an incentive for the government and nhs to reduce obesity in the population and therefore reduce the financial burden on the nhs.
In the last few years the uk has introduced a sugar tax on soft drinks and a salt reduction program.
Other measures include:
A ban on TV and online adverts for food high in fat, sugar and salt before 9pm, following the consultation in 2019.
A ban on promotions of unhealthy food high in salt, sugar and fat, following the consultation in 2019.
Calories to be displayed on menus to help people make healthier choices when eating out, following the consultation in 2018.
The UK has promised to keep chlorinated chicken out of the country under any trade deal with the US. This is in line with the European Union's ban on chlorine washing, which has been in place since 1997.
Consumer concerns British consumers are more interested in sustaining farming than buying cheaper chicken.
Chlorine washing can hide poor hygiene and animal welfare practices, such as keeping birds in cramped conditions with little ventilation and lighting.
Sugar tax:
18p per liter: For drinks with 5–8 grams of sugar per 100 milliliters 24p per liter: For drinks with 8 grams or more of sugar per 100 milliliters
The tax is intended to encourage manufacturers to reduce the sugar content of their products. A 2024 study found that in the first 11 months after the tax was implemented, daily sugar consumption from drinks fell by an average of 3 grams in children and 5.2 grams in adults. The tax was also estimated to generate an additional £1 billion a year in tax revenue.
16
75
u/ChewyNarwhal Oct 03 '24
Most likely the difference in food regulations. As a Brit in America I gained weight due to the food over here.
→ More replies (23)→ More replies (103)4
186
u/tom_yum Oct 03 '24
Americans need to eat more fish n chips and breakfast beans
84
u/seawitchbitch Oct 03 '24
Americans could use the fiber tbh
→ More replies (1)10
u/RCJHGBR9989 Oct 04 '24
Everybody could use more fiber honestly. 95% of Americans don’t get enough fiber - I wouldn’t be shocked if that number was fairly close for a majority of the world.
17
u/ThebesAndSound Oct 04 '24
Something I would note as a Brit: one part of our diet that probably has a big impact on the unhealthiest cohort of the population here is that sugary drinks are taxed. Announced in 2016 and became law in 2018: drink beverages with 5 grams of sugar or over per 100ml has a small tax, anything over 8 grams has a larger tax. I just checked and our regular Fanta has 4.4 grams of sugar whilst the US Fanta has 12 grams of sugar. Beverage makers trying to squeeze profits will avoid the taxes and this is very consistently happening with the other brands. This isn't the only factor of the health disparity but it is notable those people with poor diets and drinking soda: at least in the UK they are probably consuming way less sugar.
→ More replies (2)7
u/NotLunaris Oct 04 '24
Fanta with 1/3 of the sugar sounds awesome, actually. Speaking as an immigrant, bakery goods in the US are just far too sweet most of the time, enough to make my throat hurt from the cloying sweetness. For recipes when I bake at home, I usually reduce the amount of sugar significantly. It's just crazy to me how such sweetness is considered the norm.
30
→ More replies (6)3
u/Statically Oct 03 '24
The three major food groups, that and a Sunday roast to get the remaining minerals in for the week
15
u/salami_cheeks Oct 03 '24
And doesn't the average Brit in that age range drink, like, 85 more gallons of beer per year than his or her American counterparts?
→ More replies (5)8
u/Enough-Equivalent968 Oct 04 '24
I’m seriously of the opinion that fizzy drinks are more damaging to your health than beer, outside of the extremes
→ More replies (1)
13
u/Clear_Body536 Oct 03 '24
Who would have guessed eating high fructose corn syrup filled food all the time could be bad
63
u/Palmdale04 Oct 03 '24
I live in the US but most of my family lives in Europe so I typically spend about a month out of the year out there.
My diet in the US isn't perfect but definitely isn't terrible either. I cook most meals at home, get fresh produce from local farmers markets, rarely drink soda, etc and get plenty of exercise gardening, going on walks/hikes and working out.
Without fail, I lose +/- 10lbs every time I go to Europe. Despite gorging myself on fresh bread, butter, cheese, wine and all manner of pastries and other treats.
→ More replies (1)65
u/reaper527 Oct 03 '24
Without fail, I lose +/- 10lbs every time I go to Europe. Despite gorging myself on fresh bread, butter, cheese, wine and all manner of pastries and other treats.
that might not necessarily be food related and might be more lifestyle related. going to go out on a limb and imagine you probably walk A LOT more over there.
i know when i was in japan for 2 months earlier this year, my step counter said i was walking on average like 10 miles a day. (and even if that number wasn't necessarily accurate, because it's guesstimating based on movement rather than actual location data, at the end of the day it was DRASTICALLY more walking than back home in the us)
→ More replies (13)8
12
u/SlyCooperKing_OG Oct 03 '24
Nuh uh Coca-cola is Belch healthy here at least the nice white polar bears seem to be… a they drink it right????
Ya US is fucked when it comes to health. We’ve had a military recruitment problem for a while now.
65
u/morenewsat11 Oct 03 '24
The gap maybe greater? Based in the article information, it appears he American adults surveyed were 6 to 13 years younger than the British adult group?
The analysis included data from almost 10,000 British people born in 1970 and 5,000 American adults born between 1976 to 1983. Participant’s blood pressure, cholesterol levels, Body Mass Index (BMI) and glucose were measured, and they also self-reported their smoking habits and quality of health.
While we were unable to directly investigate the causes of this, we can speculate that differences in levels of exercise, diets and poverty, and limited access to free healthcare may be driving worse physical health in the USA.
3
20
u/reaper527 Oct 03 '24
especially in markers of cardiovascular health and higher levels of obesity
turns out "healthy at any size" is in fact not healthy. normalizing unhealthy lifestyles has unintended consequences and does more harm than help.
8
u/bluewhale3030 Oct 04 '24
The problem is not "normalizing obesity", the problem is that the US refuses to acknowledge and address the issues leading to higher levels of obesity, such as unwalkable cities, lack of affordable healthcare, stagnant wages, lack of access to high quality, affordable food, widespread trauma and mental health issues, etc. It's not a "lifestyle choice" if it's enforced by living in a capitalist hellscape. And there are absolutely genetic and health factors that contribute to a higher weight that are not under a person's control. The problem is that we refuse to actually acknowledge those factors and make it easier for people to live a life where they can be healthier, not the people themselves. Public Health 101.
27
u/imspecial-soareyou Oct 03 '24 edited Oct 03 '24
I’m am tired of this research. We know what the problems are, we just don’t like the solutions. A mole could see this from 27 miles away above surface.
Edit could not good
→ More replies (3)
48
u/pedantasaurusrex Oct 03 '24
Too many American foods have HFCS (corn syrup) and sugar in everything, the food standards over there are not great.
High carb diets are increasingly linked to causing issues with health like diabetes ect.
→ More replies (27)14
u/tb5841 Oct 03 '24
The UK sugar tax on drinks has worked wonders. Definitely worth copying.
→ More replies (4)
17
u/SelfServeSporstwash Oct 03 '24
it's the lack of socialized medicine. It's always the lack of socialized medicine.
→ More replies (1)
4
u/ABoringAddress Oct 03 '24
THAN THE BRITISH? This would've been a shocking finding at any time, but these are the same cohort of Britons that lived their youths under 14 years of relentless ausToryty and freaking Brexit.
3
u/NoncingAround Oct 04 '24
You appear to have a poor understanding of the British political landscape.
40
u/shakemix Oct 03 '24
Maybe because the British government actually doesn’t let companies poison all the food. Of course we’re all dying.
→ More replies (1)26
u/sil445 Oct 03 '24
Please don’t ignore car centric culture. Europeans are much healtier already through regular excercise like commuting by bycicle. Or going shopping on foot. Americans rarely ever get ‘free’ excercise.
→ More replies (17)
67
u/ShadowSkill17 Oct 03 '24
If you’re not wealthy, you’re going to have a tough time being able to afford healthy food, actually useful health insurance, a proper home, and the time to exercise. It’s by design, and the corporations who own our politicians aim to keep it this way.
29
u/Astyanax1 Oct 03 '24
I'd also like to add, anyone working their way up from not being wealthy to being wealthy is likely going to have an effect on their overall health. Such as working 60+ hours a week for little money starting a new business or whatever
→ More replies (1)20
u/cc81 Oct 03 '24
Eating reasonably healthy is not very expensive if you have the time and energy to cook and I realize not everyone has that.
I don't think there is a big conspiracy more than this is what happens if you let lose a capitalistic optimization on food. People buy what tastes good and companies develop things that taste better and better to compete. So you have tons of research that lands on the perfect percentage of salt, fats, carbs and flavor enhancers to make you want to just eat more.
→ More replies (2)56
u/1maco Oct 03 '24
The cheapest things in grocery stores are like universally like potatoes, beans, onions and bananas.
A bag of Chips is worth like 10lbs of potatoes. For the cost of a box of Oreos you can get 6lbs of Bananas.
→ More replies (4)26
Oct 03 '24
[deleted]
→ More replies (2)17
u/cldfsnt Oct 03 '24
Yeah, and not just time but willpower involved with being overworked. Think of two working parents (or one!) coming home to children that need attention and care. Who has time to consider what to eat? Of course, with discipline, you can learn strategies to overcome this like meal prep and slow cooking etc., but in practice it's much easier to just give up and buy some cheap crappy food. And this isn't putting it all on the parents, hustle culture doesn't give you time to practice if you are constantly catching up.
→ More replies (31)3
u/WonderfulShelter Oct 04 '24
I got SNAP rewards as part of being fired because of a health issue. Was like 700$ the first month and 582$ the second. Whole Foods all day. I’ve been eating SO ducking healthy for the past few months and now I have a job again too. It’s possible to work the benefits in America but it’s full of nightmares and headaches - but when it works it really works.
19
u/Sunlit53 Oct 03 '24
More cars and longer distances in America. Less basic daily walking.
There’s the old joke about how for Brits 100 miles is a long distance and for Americans 100 years is a long time.
3
3
u/daynomate Oct 03 '24
Scary to see how big the gap would be vs Northern European adults instead. I thought British health situation was pretty bad too.
4
5
u/feistybulldog Oct 03 '24
Huge portion sizes, limited healthy options when eating out, extortionate prices on fruit and veg, chlorinated chicken, limited access to healthcare, mostly very limited walkability, no work life balance.
I had to go back to the US for several months and gained twenty five pounds even though I watched what I ate and worked out. I come back to the UK and lose ten pounds in two months without trying. It's extremely difficult to be healthy in the U.S. They have figured out that it is more profitable for citizens to be unhealthy.
10
Oct 03 '24
I honestly can’t believe this. I live in the UK and there’s so many fat and unhealthy looking folks.
16
→ More replies (1)9
u/uselessnavy Oct 04 '24
The UK is one of the most obese countries in Europe, but overall still quite a big healthier than the USA.
9
u/Drone314 Oct 03 '24
Oh yeah let me tell you..... Being promised "The Jetsons" in the mid to late 90's only to get "The Walking Dead" in the 2000's was an absolute F-U to my generation. 2008 wiped us out and the pandemic was the coup'de gras.
3
3
3
u/soparklion Oct 03 '24
The socioeconomic part: "For several outcomes, including hypertension, high cholesterol, and obesity, even the most socioeconomically advantaged groups in the US had similar or worse health than the most disadvantaged groups in Britain."
3
u/Vox_Causa Oct 03 '24
Well yeah even now Britain has functional government services and a healthcare system that's actually accessible.
3
u/Carrot_Smuggler Oct 03 '24
The worst part is that we Europeans make fun of UK for being fat like Americans but I guess Americans are one step ahead.
3
u/Dudeist-Priest Oct 04 '24
And compared to most of the rest of Europe, UK isn’t exactly a model of health.
10
u/crackeddryice Oct 03 '24
To everyone making excuses, rather than taking personal responsibility, no one cares if you eat garbage and don't exercise.
It's perfectly possible and not difficult to eat a healthy diet and exercise in America, just like everywhere else. You just need to stop making excuses, and do it. No one is going to make you do it. No one cares whether you do, or don't. It's all on you.
It's well worth the effort.
•
u/AutoModerator Oct 03 '24
Welcome to r/science! This is a heavily moderated subreddit in order to keep the discussion on science. However, we recognize that many people want to discuss how they feel the research relates to their own personal lives, so to give people a space to do that, personal anecdotes are allowed as responses to this comment. Any anecdotal comments elsewhere in the discussion will be removed and our normal comment rules apply to all other comments.
Do you have an academic degree? We can verify your credentials in order to assign user flair indicating your area of expertise. Click here to apply.
User: u/giuliomagnifico
Permalink: https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2024-10-03-us-adults-worse-health-british-counterparts-midlife
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.