With the Winter Olympics coming up next month, we may be deluded once again into believing in American exceptionalism. Drawn from a vast population, and trained to the nth degree, our high-performance athletes will be making their mark. But if we take a closer look at the health statistics of Americans overall and compare them with other countries around the world, the U.S. simply does not measure up. According to the most recent data provided by the United Nations and published by the World Population Review, the United States ranks 62nd in the world for life expectancy, for example – falling behind the likes of Panama, Albania, Greece, and dozens of other nations. Other health indicators – infant mortality, alcoholism, obesity, suicide, and more – confirm our mediocrity.
