The world health organization defines health as "A state of complete physical, mental, and social well being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity". (Source).
2. How many Americans consider themselves to be healthy? (general)
A study conducted by Michigan State University tested how many Americans are physically healthy. The criteria used to determine health was: maintaining a healthy weight, doing at least 30 min. of moderate physical activity at least 5 times a week, eating fruits and vegetables daily, and not smoking. According to the study, only 3% of Americans meet all of these standards. However, the amount of Americans who believe they are in "excellent or very good health" is 57%. This is such a huge difference, and it shows that Americans are misjudging their state of health. (Source) & (Source).
3. How many Americans exercise? (physical health)
Only 30% of Americans exercise regularly, a study found. However, 62% of adults say that they do engage in physical activity during their leisure time (though on an irregular basis). (Source).
4. How many Americans are overweight/obese? (physical health)
66.3% of Americans over the age of 20 are overweight, while 32% are obese. This drastically increases the chances of diabetes and certain cancers. (Source).
5. How many American are considered to be "mentally ill" or unhealthy? (mental health)
Approximately 26.2% of Americans over the age of 18 suffer from a diagnosable metal illness. Conditions include OCD, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and social phobias. However, only 6% of Americans are considered "severely mentally ill", and usually suffer from conditions such as schizophrenia, Alzheimer's and suicidal thoughts. (Source).
6. How many Americans are happy? How does this compare to other countries? (emotional health)
A December, 2007 Gallup poll found that 84% of Americans are happy with their lives. This is a high percentage, and the United States ranks number 16 in terms of worldwide happiness. Coming in as the number one happiest country is Denmark, while Zimbabwe is the unhappiest. (Source) & (Source).
7. How many Americans are religious? How many are "spiritual"? How does this compare to other countries? (spiritual health)
A study found that 92% of Americans believe in God or a higher spiritual power (although religions are very varied). Only 3% of Americans consider themselves atheist. Of those who believe in God or a higher power, more than half said that they pray on a daily basis. They also found that around 80% believe in miracles. America is a religious country, but the whole world is as well, with only an estimated 15% of the world population not believing in God or a higher power (some claim it's less). In terms of the most religious countries, Greek Orthodox and Muslim countries are the most religious in the world. 100% of Egyptians believe in God and identify as Muslim, and 98% of Greeks also believe in God and identify as Greek Orthodox. The differences in the amount of people who believe in God are not that drastic between Egypt, Greece, and America, however, the main difference is that in Egypt and Greece, there is virtually only one religion present. (Source) & (Source) & (Source).
8. How many hours a week do Americans spend on the Internet? Phone? Talking face to face? (social health)
Most Americans use the internet regularly, with 48% saying that they spend more than an hour a day on the internet. Nearly 80% of Americans own a cell phone, averaging around 22 hours of talking time a month. However, 58% of Americans also use their phone for non-voice activities, such as texting. Even though this may seem like a lot, the amount of time Americans spend talking face to face is estimated to outweigh this. (Source) & (Source) & (Source).
9. In what countries do people live the longest? How does America rank? (general)
The country with the highest life expectancy is Macao, followed by Andorra & Japan. The United States comes in at number 45 (out of 221). The lowest life expectancy is for Swaziland. (Source).
10. How important is health to Americans? (general)
82% of Americans believe that health is an important aspect of their life, and they state weight as their number one health concern. (Source).
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