Sind Canadians healthier than Americans?

Im Nordwesten der USA, mindestens, sie sind. That’s according to the February 2009 Cascadia Scorecard:

British Columbia führt die Pacific Northwest in several critical long-term trends, einschließlich Mensch Gesundheit, energy effiiciency, und intelligentes Wachstum, berichtete die Cascadia Scorecard, a regional progress report released today by Sightline Institut.

…British Columbia residents live an average of 81.6 Jahr, two years longer than residents of the Northwest states and topping all other North American states und Provinzen. In der Tat, if BC were an independent nation, Sie hätte den second longest lifespan in the world, nach Japan, und mit Island verbunden werden.

The healthiest jurisdiction in British Columbia is the suburban city of Richmond, BC, where lifespans exceed 84 Jahr.

Was macht British Columbia so gesund? Das Cascadia Bericht goes on to say:

British Columbians’ success in leading long, healthy lives results not from one single cause, aber aus vielen. None of the province’s inhabitants goes without Krankenversicherung — unlike the 1 in 7 residents of the Northwest states who do so each year.

BC hat auch lower rates of violent deaths: fewer homicides and also fewer fatal car crashes, the latter largely due to compact communities that allow residents to drive less.

Even economics may play a role. On average, residents of the province aren’t as wealthy as their American counterparts, aber das Einkommen und Vermögen gaps between the rich and the poor are narrower. Rund um den Globus, an unequal economic structure tends to be associated with poor health.

Other factors, einschließlich lower rates of severe obesity compared with the Northwest states, may also play a role.