U-S-A! U-S-A!

This just in- a report funded by Oxfam America, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Conrad Hilton Foundation have found...

"Americans live shorter lives than citizens of almost every other developed nation, according to a report from several US charities."

Here are some other interesting blurbs from the BBC article:

- "The report found that the US ranked 42nd in the world for life expectancy despite spending more on health care per person than any other country.

Overall, the American Human Development Report ranked the world's richest country 12th for human development."

- "The US report identifies obesity and the lack of health insurance for some 47 million Americans as the most significant factors in premature death."

- "Some Americans are living anywhere from 30 to 50 years behind others when it comes to issues we all care about: health, education and standard of living.

"For example, the state human development index shows that people in last-ranked Mississippi are living 30 years behind those in first-ranked Connecticut."

- "25% of 15-year-old students performed at or below the lowest level in an international maths test - worse than Canada, France, Germany and Japan."

- "Of the world's richest nations, the US has the most children (15%) living in poverty."

From sea to shining sea we boast that we are the best, the richest and most powerful, yet as our rich get richer our poor not only get poorer, but also sicker. Poor or rich, we are still Americans. This is a sobering reality. There is something to be said about income compared to health and well-being, isn't there? And come ON, people! Even Canada is smarter than us! ;)