By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Fat, Stressed and Not Very Healthy: How We Rank in the Human Capital Index
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Global Healthcare > Fat, Stressed and Not Very Healthy: How We Rank in the Human Capital Index
Global HealthcareNewsPublic HealthWellness

Fat, Stressed and Not Very Healthy: How We Rank in the Human Capital Index

Whistleblower Insider
Whistleblower Insider
Share
5 Min Read
obesity and stress
SHARE

obesity and stressJust when it seemed like America’s global standing could not get any worse, here is a new finding that sinks us even lower.  We are a country of overweight, highly stressed and generally unhealthy people.

obesity and stressJust when it seemed like America’s global standing could not get any worse, here is a new finding that sinks us even lower.  We are a country of overweight, highly stressed and generally unhealthy people. That is the ultimate pronouncement from the Human Capital Report just released by the World Economic Forum.  It ranks the 122 major countries of the world according to how healthy, educated, and productive their people are.  For some of the study’s key measures, the United States came out shockingly low in the standings.

It is not that our overall ranking of 16 is so horrific.  That almost falls within the top ten percent.  Although some would argue something is seriously wrong when with all our might and resources we cannot even clear the top-10 or beat out the likes of Belgium, Austria, or Iceland when it comes to the productivity of our workforce.

Nor is it that we failed to score high grades in any of the report’s measures.  With respect to the capability of our workforce, for example, we came in near the top at number 4, driven largely by our capacity for innovation and ability to attract and retain talent .  We did not fare too badly in education either, scoring the 11 spot overall and the number 1 and 3 spots, respectively, for female access to school and for how many of us go to college (or beyond).

More Read

weightloss
New Research Shows How to Lose Weight After 40
3 Ways to Improve Your Health That Have Nothing to Do With Diet and Exercise
Understanding Patient Advocates and Patient Navigators
Financial Assistance for Clinical Trials
Mobile Health Around the Globe: IRC Uses Mobile to Track Mortality in Africa

It is in the “Health and Wellness” category where the bulk of the trouble lies and where the report should give us the most cause for concern.  There, we ranked 43 overall, scoring well below a horde of countries that no doubt spend a fraction of what the United States does on the healthcare of its citizens.  Thailand, Malaysia, Croatia, Estonia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Costa Rica and Sri Lanka are just a few of the countries ranked higher than the United States in the health and well-being of its people.  Sri Lanka!

But it gets even worse.  Where we really hit rock bottom in this category is in our towering levels of obesity, stress and what the report calls “non-communicable diseases.”  This is just a fancy term for such illnesses as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory failure.  For these three indices, we really stand alone and far below the pack at 112 for obesity, 106 for stress and 112 for disease.  With these kinds of scores, it is no wonder America has fallen so far off its economic perch.  It is a wonder our economy can function at all, notwithstanding all of our other problems.

What is so startling about what the Human Capital Report says about the American condition is not so much that we could all shed a few extra pounds, relax a bit more, and lead healthier lives.  There is nothing so earth-shattering in that revelation.  What is so disquieting is how far we have plunged in the global landscape and what it foretells for our economic future.

Afterall, that is the whole point of the report; to gauge long term economic stability, growth and competitiveness.  And by all accounts, we seem to be heading in the wrong direction.  So now that the government is finally up and running again (at least for the next few months anyway), hopefully it will add to its long list of work items a serious study of, and action plan to remedy, what is ailing the ultimate productivity of the American workforce.  Accepting that Obamacare in one form or another is here to stay, and working together to get it right, would be a great first step.

This article originally appeared in Whistleblower Insider.

(overweight and stressed / shutterstock)

Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

a woman walking on the hallway
6 Easy Healthcare Ways to Sit Less and Move More Every Day
Health
September 9, 2025
Clinical Expertise
Healthcare at a Crossroads: Why Leadership Matters More Than Ever
Global Healthcare
September 9, 2025
travel nurse in north carolina
Balancing Speed and Scope: Choosing the Nursing Degree That Fits Your Goals
Nursing
September 1, 2025
intimacy
How to Keep Intimacy Comfortable as You Age
Relationship and Lifestyle Senior Care
September 1, 2025

You Might also Like

CBD Gummies
News

What to Expect as a First Time User of CBD Gummies

October 18, 2019

Fighting Anti-Abortion Legislation with Humor

March 9, 2012
sleep hygiene
Home Health

What Is The Multiple Sleep Latency Test All About?

January 30, 2020
SpecialtiesWellness

Cancer research: high levels of asparagine could drive the spread of breast cancer to other organs

February 28, 2018
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?