Living Better: What it takes to get healthy in America
Poor diet, lack of exercise, stress and trauma, all drive America's declining life expectancy and high rates of chronic disease. So how can we live better in America? NPR looks for answers.
When COVID hit, Americans watched the news in horror as the death count rose and rose again, with thousands of deaths a day throughout multiple waves. Deaths from the virus were sudden and tragic, but today we're living through a slower pandemic that also brings a tragic loss of lives every day — from preventable, chronic diseases.
These deaths are often hidden in plain sight. For instance, nearly are linked to diet-related disease – heart disease, complications from Type 2 diabetes around the globe. Chronic stress fueled by also contribute to the toll of preventable deaths.
