Why Is It So Hard for Americans to Be Healthy?

Why do Americans struggle to be healthy? As compared to other countries, the U.S. is ranked relatively low when it comes to things like life expectancy and general health. In fact, the United States was ranked 35th in terms of general health by the Bloomberg Global Health Index which measures a variety of health factors. That is pretty low when you see the relative prosperity of the United States when compared to many of the countries ranked higher. So why is it so hard to be healthy as an American when there is so much apparent abundance and prosperity? Let’s explore this topic.

Why Is It Hard to Be Healthy in the United States?

The United States has one of the most unhealthy populations in the developed world. One third of Americans are obese, and another third are overweight. This is in spite of the fact that the United States spends about twice as much on healthcare than any other developed country in the world. So why do Americans have so much obesity, heart disease, and mental health issues? Let’s get into it.

Physical Inactivity:

No matter how healthy you eat, it makes it very difficult to actually be healthy if your activity levels are low. Many people exercise, but 30 minutes a day doesn’t exactly make up for an inactive lifestyle the other 23.5 hours. The US is a country where many live in the suburbs outside of cities and nearly every household has at least one car. Most don’t walk or ride a bike to go places because they may simply be too far. So they go everywhere in a car. Most other countries such as in Europe or Asia are more populated and many live in dense cities where it makes little sense to own a car. So they ride bikes, walk or use public transport.

And being a first world country, many jobs don’t require much activity either. If you work a white collar job or even a job just in a normal business as a cashier for example, you may not move much at all for 8 hours. And then you drive your car home and sit on the couch watching T.V. for the rest of the day. For Americans to be active, they typically have to make a very conscious effort to do so, while other countries may just be active by default.

Hustle Culture:

America has a culture that glorifies busyness, as if it’s a virtue. Americans work longer hours and take less vacations than other developed countries. It is ingrained in us that you have to work harder than the rest. This is also rooted in our competitive capitalistic economy which is not necessarily a bad thing. It has generated lots of prosperity and opportunity for those seeking wealth. However, that sort of culture is not always conducive to good health.

One of the reasons is because if you are always working, then healthy eating, exercise, and sleep may be seen as secondary. There is a reason Americans invented fast food. We don’t even have to get out of our car to get the food. We just go through the drive through and quickly eat the fatty, high carb foods in our car. When you compare this to meals in Italy for example, there is a huge difference. They sit down, take their time, and eat natural, high quality foods. 

The American Diet:

Everyone knows that Americans’ diets need some work. The healthiest countries in the world such as Spain, Italy, and Japan, eat very different diets from the average American. And this ties back to the hustle culture. A good meal isn’t really a virtue in the United States. We just want something fast that makes us feel full. The healthiest countries eat smaller portions, fish, vegetables, fruit, poultry, and healthy carbohydrates. The Mediterranean diet became a thing because we realized that countries in that region were way healthier. The olive oil that they use for example has healthy fats that can lower cholesterol and they eat little if any saturated fat or trans fat. Red meats are not heavily consumed either.

The United States has it more reversed. They mainly consume fatty meats and empty carbs very high in sodium. This is a terrible combination for a healthy heart. Americans consume little fish which are rich sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids which protect both the heart and brain. They eat much more packaged, canned, and processed foods that can be cooked quickly or in a microwave. Countries that eat more natural, balanced foods are the ones that are the healthiest. Americans seem to have a mentality that they will be ok no matter what they eat but that is clearly not the case.

Poor Mental Health:

In 2019 19.86% of American adults experienced a mental illness and those numbers keep increasing. Also, many of those adults and youth with mental illness are either uninsured or do not receive adequate treatment for mental health. And those numbers have been increasing every year since 2011. (source)

Mental health is deteriorating in the United States and that certainly affects physical health as well. High stress leads to high blood pressure which leads to heart problems down the road. Stress can really affect every aspect of our health including our sleep and eating habits. Many do not know how to handle their stress so they just push through it or use unhealthy coping mechanisms.

Smartphones seem to be making mental health worse especially in American youth. The constant comparison, screen time, and lack of real social connection is taking its toll. The abundance of technology reduces physical activity as well which would normally help fight depression and anxiety. Aerobic conditioning is one of the best natural ways to combat mental illness so Americans’ physical inactivity is also affecting their mental health. And this can be deadly. Suicide is currently the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S for adolescents. So depression is literally killing American youth and adults. First world countries tend to have mental illness as one of their first world problems and we are still trying to find the best solutions to the mental health crisis in America.

So What Can Americans Do?

So what we have described here are cultural issues in the United States which make it harder to live healthier. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t super healthy individuals living in that same culture. However, it takes a more conscious effort because humans are wired to do what is easiest. It is easier to not exercise and to eat unhealthy food in the U.S. We aren’t forced to walk or ride bikes to move around in the United States. So you have to set aside time to be more active even though you aren’t forced to. There is plenty of abundance and information even available for free on the internet. So it is very possible, but a healthy life in the United States typically won’t just happen by accident. You have to make it happen.