Based on factors contributing to general health, Spain is rising from sixth to the healthiest country in the world.
According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, Spain has 86 years of life expectancy at birth. Italy, the country that often tops the lists with countries with the oldest people and healthiest diets drops to second place followed by Japan, Singapore and Switzerland.
In the top ten there are six European countries, Iceland 3, Switzerland 5, Sweden 6 and Norway 9. Japan scores highest in the Asian countries with a fourth place. Australia dropped two places to the seventh and Singapore dropped from fourth to eighth. Portugal, the neighboring country of Spain, sinks with one place to 22. Belgium collapsed with one place and now stands at 28.
Spain
Primary care is mainly provided by public health institutions, specialized general practitioners and staff nurses, who provide preventive services to children, women and older patients, and acute and chronic care, ‘according to the European Observatory for Health Systems and Policy 2018 on Spain. It also points to a decrease in cardiovascular disease and cancer deaths in the past ten years.
Variables
The Index, supplied by Bloomberg, is compiled a.d. variables such as life expectancy, environmental factors including environmental pollution and access to clean water and sewerage. Negative factors that influence life expectancy such as tobacco use and obesity were also included.
Mediterranean diet
The eating habits for the health levels of Spain and Italy may be indicative according to researchers as a ‘Mediterranean diet, supplemented with extra virgin olive oil or nuts, shows a lower number of major cardiovascular disorders than that of a diet with reduced fat content.