1. They were fairly transparent on this topic, as you said diets and other factors could give potentially skewed results. I'll put my hands up and say that's something which could give poor results.

2. Ischaemic heart disease is the most common cause of death in western countries, it would only make sense to count it. I see your point, the paper did state that figures ranging from 25% to 70% would be equally justifiable, although previous evidence suggested 50% was the most sound figure to go with, so the point was an educated guess. I wouldn't describe it as arbitrary exactly, but I see your point.

I disagree that they never explain why they pick the diseases they do, that is explained. The list of conditions came from a review of earlier work, which they explain. I don't think you can really accuse them cherry picking the diseases.

You miss the point of 2 Highwaystar.

The 25% to 70% number is based on those conditions... as an average worldwide... for contributing factors of people not taking care of themselves.

However, here you are splitting the number in half for every country.  This makes sense in compairing with other diseases...

It however, makes NO sense when compairing countries.

Example...  Obesity a condition, which for most(not all) is caused by people not taking care of themselves.

People with Obesity are TWICE as likely to have an IHD attack AND it's more likely to be serious.

The only way cutting the number in half makes sense would be if Obesity rates were standardized across all countries.

It isn't however... so countries with HIGH obesity rates are getting screwed in this metric, while countries with LOW obesity rates are getting bonuses.

Who has the highest obsesity rank among those covered?   Why the US of course.

France has 1/3rd the obesity of the US... it also has 1/3rd of the amount of amenable deaths caused by IHD.  I don't think it's a direct correlation as the numbers would suggest... but I do think that number tells us SOMETHING.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_obe-health-obesity

Kasz has done a good job replying to most of your article, so I will just reply to this last line.

Healthcare cost will be behind other first world countries even if we make it the model of efficiencies for one simple reason. We are the most unhealthy country in the world.

Until we find a way for that not to be true, it's just the way it's going to be. This is the reason why we need to allow insurance companies to reward healthy behavior. It's the best way to improve the health of our people.

Well, most unhealthy first world country in the world.

It would take more then healthcare companies rewarding healthy behavior for that to change that though.

The culture of the US is just unhealthy in general.

There are few higher stress countries then the US, in addition we have very low family connections throughout generations (seems to show a correlation with healthcare when you have multiple generations living under the same house,),  general beat yourself to death an exhaustian work ethic that's greater in a lot of places... etc.

In general a lot of the positive things seen about the US are it's greatest health downfalls.

We're a society of hard working, high stress people who smoke and drink away the stress and eat fastfood, ramen and other premade meals because we're always pulling extra shifts... even when we're in a good place financially because we always want to do more, do better and have more and genarlly low on sleep.

The US works itself to death in a lot of ways even among those who try and do things the "right way".  Few people really seem to take the time to enjoy life.  Even people who take care of themselves the right way seem to exhibit a crazy nervous energy.

If you'll notice, those people who lived forever doing the wrong things often had a "i don't give a crap" attitude.   They worked hard, but also... didn't really give a crap about a lot of stuff... if that's understandable.

@Kasz216

Most of that may be true, but companies that do there best to reward healthy behavior, like Safeway, have a much healthier work force then the average population (and when they started this program, they were average).

The problem with what Safeway is doing, is they are not allowed by law to offer more discounts. It cost them more then $1,400 a year to insure a smoker, then it costs them to insure someone who does not smoke.

They are willing to pass that savings on to all those who quit smoking, but the government does not allow them. Stupid if you ask me.

It now seems to me that people are quite happy to have very little options and no rights to medical care because for those that can pay it's some of the best in the world.
In the Uk its some of the best in the world and if I go to Harley Street then there is nothing better but I wouldn't want my basic human right to treatment removed because in order to keep the care high all the money goes to those that can pay for the best not just basic.

Isn't your government supposed to look after you? Thats why you elect them.

Therealmafoo raised an interesting point that ins't limited to just America. Unhealthy people. In the UK the government adds higher tax to fags because smokers need more treatment causing more expence to the NHS and refuse to stop smoking and be healthier for their own sakes. People with heart problems should change their diet. Kids should be taught how to be healthy because their parents don't know.
These people are the biggest drain on health care. Those that wont help themselves. It's their lives and they should fix it not wait until a heart attack and expect someone else to clean up their mess. Unhealthy lifestyles are ruining health care. Adding extra unecessary expence and they should be made to make up the extra.

Lord -

Here's the thing, if you need critical, life-saving surgery in America, you can and will get it for free. Hospitals cannot reject you if you've been shot, stabbed, or in the throes of death. Heck, it happened to my dad. He had blood pressure of 230/150 and was admitted to the VA immediately, and was (literally) 6 hours away from death. My parents had no money, but the VA took care of all of it.

The problem is when you need non-life saving surgeries. Its kind of like the issues with rationing healthcare in the UK. In the US, its terribly expensive, in the UK, its a long waiting time.

It's not a long waiting time.

You consider 8.6 weeks for patients admitted to a hospital, to receive treatment 'not a long time'?

In the US it is about 3 weeks, on average.