"They might be cherry picking the group or the countries"
Of course, they're trying to show how bad we are.....get real!
If they are cherry picking the group or the countries than it can give an impression that we are doing relatively poorly, but it doesn't actually show any such thing. If I compare your wealth to that of Warren Buffett and Bill Gates and Carlos Slim to show that you are a pauper?
Live expectancy data show your chances of living to a certain age if you live in a particular country including all causes of death, not just the medical system which is a major part.
Not all that major. Sure at the extremes it makes a difference, life expectancy in the poorest countries in the world is probably significantly reduced by the problems with their medical care. But even here the other factors are larger, the fact that people are poor, hungry, often in violent countries with war and repression, have bad water, poor sanitation etc. makes more of a difference than their medical care system. When you get to wealthy countries well they all tend to have internal peace, good water, plenty of food etc., but they all have health care systems that are good enough not to significantly lower life expectancy compared to each other. Difference in weight, eating, exercise habits, accident rates, homicide rates, and social/cultural, economic, genetic, and other non-medical insurance, or even medical care, issues account for a large part of life expectancy differences. |
