Hi Dr Prabir,

You asked me about my income. That's between me and the Taxation dept, but, like most Australians, I'm neither rich nor pennyless. If you're wondering what I spend on my health, then it's considerably less than what many people spend on tobacco, expensive alcohol, endless cups of coffee, gambling, junk food, expensive restaurants and business suits [for instance].

I'm a freedom of choice person and don't concern myself overmuch on what others choose to do. I have a great social life, out dancing 4 or 5 times a week. I like a glass of wine, but I don't have expensive tastes. And I enjoy a bit of fast food, but I don't live on it.

But the many people who deliberately or negligently ruin their own health and then expect the health service to pick up the pieces are going to be an increasing problem. We can't deny them treatment and understanding, but where is the money supposed to come from? My solution is to tax the things which we know are likely to have a bad effect on health and have no redeeming features and put this money straight into healthcare. But this would be a politically unpopular move and we're not likely to see a bipartisan approach, because the pollies are too busy trying to score off one another to put Australia's interests first.

And I think a realistic approach to the cigarette problem amongst young people would be to tell the kids straight that if you smoke, then you will carry an unpleasant smell about with you. So what's glamorous, macho or sophisticated about that? And as for the people who sell/supply cigarettes to young people, then they are like paedophiles. They take advantage of young people to give themselves a benefit. Set them up and prosecute them. It shouldn't be too hard.

As for the US having an average life expectancy lower than we could expect. Maybe that's because many US citizens can afford neither health insurance nor healthcare. Something which could happen here too if we don't do some realistic planning.

To Rex
Yes,life style affects health.But the point is whether an average American drink,smoke or other unhealthy lifestyle as personal issues compared to a Spanish or Singaporien;so,lifespan shorten or some things else are responsible.Much more thoughts are necessary.

Dr Prabir,

The United States has the most expensive health system in the world and far from the best. The World Health Organisation's annual report in 2000 assessed comparative performance of health systems in 191 countries, http://www.who.int/whr/previous/en/ The systems were assessed according to a range of factors, including disability-adjusted life expectancy (living in a coma for a year was given less weight for example than living for a year while mobile and of sound mind).

The United States certainly did not come top (France did - those cheese-eating surrender monkeys must be doing something right). However it's nowhere near the bottom.

You would be slightly better off in the United States (at number 37) than you would be in Cuba (39). Now that's something to be pleased about. No wonder all those Cubans have flocked to Florida.

However if you're not happy with the American system, you'd be marginally better off in Costa Rica (36), better still in Australia (32) or Canada (30), or substantially better in Morocco (29) or Israel (28).

Patchy coverage with health insurance in the US was considered a major negative factor. Insurance cover by employers is a historical accident, dating back to the second world war when wages were frozen. Offering health cover was adopted by many companies as a tool to attract staff. But now no political party has the resolve to fix the problem.

The 2006 edition of the OECD Factbook has just appeared at http://miranda.sourceoecd.org/vl=2249570/cl=14/nw=1/rpsv/fact2006/

It provides a wide variety of statistics for the 30 OECD countries on population, economy, environment, prices, energy and other topic areas.

It reports the United States as being fifth worst for infant mortality out of the 30 countries and offering the nineth shortest average life expectancy at birth. Not much of a credit to the US health system.

To the extent that Australian politicians are tempted to follow in US footsteps, I'd suggest: don't.

Australia ranks sixteenth out of 30 for infant mortality and fifth for life expectancy. In both it ranks slightly better than Canada and the UK, other countries from which we might be tempted to borrow ideas.

Health is psychological and social wellbeing;emotionally stable and able to cope with life(Blaxter 1990) though it is positive approach but that is not the end in itself.
The question regarding the state of health in the life process of an individual in living a satisfying life and contribution of health in economic growth and development may be raised.How one can keep oneself healthy and the factors that intervene state of health are inseparable issues.Economists would be more interested to analyze and understand the interplay between health and other variables ie.interconnection between health and productive process.Health may be considered as capital asset ie.leading a productive life.
So,health does not mean only medical care system of a country.Medical care facilities is a small part of total health care system.

Life expectancy is the measure for public health care and medical care for purpose of to be cured when ailments.Ofcourse vaccination is also a medical care to get free from particular disease.Public health care keep people not to be affected by various diseases.For poor and developing countries the priority is of public health care
because which enhances life expectancy.Rich of poor and developing countries can avail medical care facilities available in developed countries.Life expectancy observation within developed countries show shorten and differ in life expectancy in comparative study due to the reason often public health care do not reach to a greater part of population.So,factors influencing the health are equally important as medical care.