[MD] Ham unlike you I will not crreate false idols

[Platt Holden]

Hi Matt, 

> The health statistic I quoted was based on statistics gathered by the 
> O.E.C.D.  And i did wrongly use developed instead of industrialized, 
> refering to nations.
> 
> im not touting canada, and we arent in a position to do so.  Japan can laugh at
> everyone though.  they spend half as much as canada on health-care, but have the
> #1 ranking.  I'm pretty sure its because the natural diets and habits
> (drinkin/smokin) are much different.

Thanks for identifying the reference. I'm always suspicious of statistics and 
studies because they can be so easily skewered to make any point you want to 
make. I checked Wikipedia for their comparison of the U.S. and Canadian health 
systems and was impressed when in the course of the article it was admitted 
that differences "may be due in part to the different ways agencies compile 
their statistics. This led to the Wikipedia article on the "Misuse of 
Statistics" which should be required reading for every high school sophomore. 
Hopefully more people would then approach what they hear or  read with a 
healthy dose of skepticism. 

The advantage Japan has over other countries is their monolithic population. 
They don't have to deal with a hundred and one different ethnic groups and 
lifestyles, many with different ideas on what constitutes health and who is 
responsible for it.

Best,
Platt