Oxford researchers found that British adults are healthier than Americans, especially in terms of cardiovascular health. The study compared empirical data from British and American adults aged between 33 and 46, revealing that American adults are much more likely to be obese, face high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and have overall poor cardiovascular health.
Significantly, the study reveals that even the most affluent Americans have health equal to, or worse than, the most deprived Brits. Co-author of the study, Dr Andrea Tilstra, believes that America’s high inequality, alongside an extremely limited welfare state, has contributed to these findings.
In addition to comparing their health, the study asked participants about their self-perception. The researchers found that while British adults have better health, they are more likely to say that they’re in poor health. While 18% of Brits said they had “poor health”, only 12% of Americans said so.
Nevertheless, the UK is by no means in the clear. Deputy Director of the Leverhulme Centre Professor Jennifer Dowd notes that Britain has a large smoker population when compared to the US.
Additionally, Britain has a growing obesity epidemic. The study reports the British obesity rate at 34.5%, trailing narrowly behind the US’s rate of 40.4%. Professor Dowd said that the “worsening health trends in the US could serve as a warning for Britain”, and she is not alone in this.
This study is in line with Prime Minister Starmer’s description of the NHS’s state as “reform or die”. Starmer further detailed that currently one in three British adults are obese, with one in five having high blood pressure by midlife, and that “those from the most deprived backgrounds are twice as likely to be obese by reception age”, indicating the complexity of the problem.
Dr Tilstra further adds that this paper illustrates a unique opportunity for comparative research between the two nations, by specifically comparing “differences in policies and other environmental contexts”.
