America, we're not fat, loud and lazy. We're fat, diseased and stressed

Okay. The verdict’s still out on loud. (If my family–myself included–is any indicator, that’s probably a losing battle.) The point is, our human capital is plummeting globally thanks to our poor health, according to the World Economic Forum’s new Human Capital report. Our obesity and fast-paced lives are bound to catch up with us with heart disease and diabetes, among other chronic disease. But it could come around and kick us where it collectively hurts the most: our already hurting economy.

Maybe the Healthworks Collective puts it best:

It is in the “Health and Wellness” category where the bulk of the trouble lies and where the report should give us the most cause for concern. There, we ranked 43 overall, scoring well below a horde of countries that no doubt spend a fraction of what the United States does on the healthcare of its citizens. Thailand, Malaysia, Croatia, Estonia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Costa Rica and Sri Lanka are just a few of the countries ranked higher than the United States in the health and well-being of its people. Sri Lanka!

. . . we really stand alone and far below the pack at 112 for obesity, 106 for stress and 112 for disease. With these kinds of scores, it is no wonder America has fallen so far off its economic perch. It is a wonder our economy can function at all, notwithstanding all of our other problems.

For the record, the report only scores 122 countries. Sri Lanka! indeed. A country that considers itself an innovator and leader shouldn’t be behind 100 nations in any good health category. We also ranked 65 for depression among respondents, which is no coincidence, methinks.

If your own personal health doesn’t scare you, consider this a business tip: The report is intended to help predict the country’s economic standings.

Sigh.

It might be time to worry less about the balance sheets, spreadsheets and midnight work texts and instead work on making our lives harder in ways that will de-stress and de-tox our lives while keeping us healthy. Chronic disease, of course, isn’t always the fault of the healthcare system or the patient. But just one walk a day or taking the stairs instead of the elevator could make a big difference for many of us. Standing three hours a day is the equivalent to running 10 marathons a yea r.