U.S. Health in International Perspective 

US health disadvantage likely has multiple causes and involves some combination of inadequate health care, unhealthy behaviors, adverse economic and social conditions, and environmental factors, as well as public policies and social values that shape those conditions. National wealth needs to be spent wisely to promote a healthy population. 

The report "US Health in International Perspective: Shorter Lives, Poorer Health" finds that Americans live shorter and less healthy lives than people in other high-income nations and explores possible reasons for this disadvantage. In this video, Steven Woolf, the chair of the committee that wrote the report, explains its major findings.