Unfortunately you won't find the answer here. In part the problem is we are comparing ourselves to Europe, which is still very similar to us.<p>The real answer is that we are extraordinarily unhealthy. We now assume that we are supposed to have an assortment of health problems that must be alleviated by drugs or costly medical interventions.<p>One remarkable example to demonstrate this point is that we assume humans are required to have dentists and orthodontists pull and shape their teeth for them to come in correctly. Of course, that is not the case- such a creature could not survive in the wild and there is ample evidence to the contrary: <a href="http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/price/price8.html" rel="nofollow">http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/price/price8.html</a>
I have a hard time believing the main cause is overuse of medicine although it's a likely contributor. I was in a car crash a couple weeks ago, went to the ER, waited 8 hours without seeing a doc, gave up and went home. Just got the bill for $1,000. $1,000?! to sit in a waiting room without seeing a doctor! Prices at hospitals are unconscionable and divorced from reality. No one asks what things cost and so the hospitals take advantage.
Earlier discussion, two days ago: <a href="http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1747202" rel="nofollow">http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1747202</a><p>(There are other posts in the same series, to which the one linked here is the introduction. At least one has been submitted to HN, but hasn't attracted any comments.)
It's a silly thesis. For one thing it confuses cause and effect.<p>For another, compare the per capita GDP of Norway, which is higher than the US's and Norwegian health outcomes, which are also better.<p>I'm left wondering; what about the current situation so appeals to the blogger that they attempt to make it an inevitable outcome of being a really rich country.