Why is this country so sick?

[308mate]

Its been playing on my mind for while now, Ive no statistics to back it up but is this country burdened with more than its fair share of terminal illness and disability?

My Mrs' brother is mentally handicapped. Whoopi-doo you may say. But its been hard for us because of my reaction to him. At the age of 32, he is the first mentally handicapped person Ive ever had to speak to or be in contact with.

In Australia, I didnt know any handicapped people and I didnt know anyone with Cancer (which is not to say that there isnt any incedence of it). I didnt even know anyone who had these issues in their family. And I knew a fair amount of people.

Here, I know LOTS of people who have mentally handicapped family members, lots of people who have battled cancer or know someone who has and I seem to see more of them day-to-day.

Conversely, over there I knew stacks of people who have been subjected to a home-invasion/break & enter. Here, I dont know any.

Edited by 308mate on Thursday 23 September 11:10

[Esseesse]

Because we're too good at treating ill/disabled people who naturally would not be around and therefore unable to reproduce.

[Pothole]

could it be anything to do with population size?

[TEKNOPUG]

Compare and contrast population sizes and density of population and you may come up with an answer.

Or go to a Walkabout on a weekend and see where 'straaaiiaa send all their mentally challenged citizens

[OMNIO]

The Uk has a population of around 61 million

Oz has a population of around 21 million.

The Uk also has a higher birth rate thaan in Oz so I would say statistcly The UK is likely to have a larger number of 1 in 1,000 or 1 in 50,000 cases in children born.

I suppose it could also be down to the UK having more pollution, 2nd hand smoke, stress, etc which all contributes towards complications and whatever during pregnancy.

Also as the population is higher there is more potential for more Adults to develop illnesses.

I dunno I'm no expert but that my thinking on it

[Adenauer]

Could it be that the older you get, the more you tend to notice 'any' illnesses?

[ShadownINja]

Esseesse said:

Because we're too good at treating ill/disabled people who naturally would not be around and therefore unable to reproduce.

Yep. Back in the day, a sabre toothed tiger would get us before cancer set in.

[spikeyhead]

Higher rates of terminal illness?

Surely every country has a terminal illness ratio of 1.