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Survey: An American Citizen's View Of The Health Of Its People

By James Edholm

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Published: 06Mar2012
Word count: 427
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American citizens have aired their view on the health of our nation through a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation survey which was conducted recently.

Many Americans had a pretty interesting take on the health of the country. In this article, I will just share the results as reported and not the whole survey. The poll was run by a professor, Robert Blendon, at the Harvard School of Public Health.

According to the survey, 45 percent of the American public strongly feels that U.S' state of health has actually grown worse in the past 5 years. However, 40 percent simply thought that it is still the same, and just 13 percent believed that the American health has improved.

This is what the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta show:

From the year 2000 to 2007 the life expectancy at birth rose from 76.8 to 77.9 and at age 65 years it rose from 17.6 - 18.6 years.

Deaths arising from every cause, all ages dropped from 869 per 100,000 - 760.2

Deaths caused by heart disease dropped from 257.6 to 190.9,

Deaths caused by different forms of cancer dropped from 199.6 to 178.4.

The above simply shows a serious improvement in the health of the nation.

Yes, there were declines and mixed-messages. While the percentage of the American population who are in fair or poor health grew from 8.9 percent - 9.9 percent over the age 65, it reduced from 26.9 - 24.0.

Cancer actually increased ( it grew from 4.9 - 6.1 percent of the population), this also goes for heart disease (from 10.9 - 11.8 percent)

In adults >20 diabetes has increased from 8.5 - 11.9 percent, the number of people suffering from hypertension also increased from 28.9 percent - 32.6 percent and the obese population increased from 29.9 percent - 33.7 percent; these are all troubling factors.

Thankfully, high serum cholesterol in adults has dropped considerably from 17.7 percent to 14.6 percent, and the number of smokers has dropped from 23.2 percent - 20.6 percent, and adults who take part in aerobic/strengthening activities has risen from 15.1 percent - 18.8 percent.

There is one point of the survey that most people in the country will agree with and this point of the survey states that "60 percent of the public believed that if the country spent more on efforts to improve health and avoid disease, it would save money in the long run."

It also makes great sense for citizens to do the necessary things that will keep them in great health. Thankfully, more and more people are happy to eat healthy and invest a great deal of money on exercise equipment and tools to live a healthier active life.

Jim Edholm is President of Business Benefits Insurance (BBI), an employee benefits planning firm in Andover, MA. He has worked with employers for more than 25 years and can be contacted at (978) 474-4730, via his website (http://www.bbibenefits.com), or via e-mail (jedholm@bbibenefits.com ).

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