US Has Unhealthy Population

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The US spends more on health care but lags behind other countries in health.

According to a joint report by the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine, here in the United States people have been dying at younger ages than people in almost all other high-income countries.

When the seventeen highest-income countries are ranked in terms of life expectancy at birth, the US is ranked 17th for men and 16th for women.

This report focuses on the health of the entire spectrum of ages, from infancy. Those who look closely at the report suggest there is a greater need for preventive medicine and an emphasis on diet and exercise.