When you think of America. you probably think of burgers, freedom – and maybe a health care system that makes your wallet hurt.
After spending time in Italy, I can’t help but notice how different life feels on the other side of the Atlantic, especially when it comes to food, wellness and what really matters.
It’s not just the pasta or the espresso. It’s the atmosphere. In the United States, chasing the American dream often means working long hours and measuring success by your bank account or the car in your driveway. In Italy, it’s about savoring meals, slowing down and putting family first.
Back home, people tend to tie their self-worth to paychecks and possessions. No surprise: stress is sky-high. Forbes ranks the U.S. No. 7 among the world’s most stressed-out countries. Meanwhile, Italians seem to have cracked the code – live in the moment, lean on your loved ones and don’t sweat the small stuff.
My time studying abroad has made one thing clear so far: the American obsession with material success might be costing us our happiness.
Italians, on the other hand, know how to prioritize community. That cultural gap could be fueling some of the mental health problems we’re seeing in the U.S., according to CNBC and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. And let’s be honest—Big Pharma isn’t complaining about it, either.
In my opinion, the more anxiety your people have, the more you can control them.
Americans also face shorter life spans than those in many other countries, including Italy. Our heart disease rate is the second highest amongst 17 peer countries worldwide, according to the National Library of Medicine
This is alarming. Why does one of the wealthiest countries in the world have such poor health outcomes? One factor may be food safety. The New York Post reports that the U.S. allows more than 10,000 chemicals and additives in US food, while the European Union just allows over 300 food additives. So maybe the Italian Mediterranean advantage is all it’s cracked up to be.
According to EUNews, Italians are among the highest globally for healthy lifestyles and life expectancy. The avarage life expectancy in Italy is 83.7 years; in the U.S. it’s 78.6. This almost seems unreal for one of the wealthiest countries in the world. My native Italian source, Francesco Monciatti, put it simply: “the cause of death in Italy for most elderly people is cardiovascular issues from old age rather than poor health.”
As much as I love America, something is missing. Despite its reputation for providing opportunities and fostering innovation, the U.S. fails to preserve its citizens’ health through proper nutrition. We have the power to create positive change through better nutrition for Americans.
Wow! It is amazing to see the difference! It is true that people nowadays are more focused on how much they make than the time they could spend with their families! It always shocks me when people are surprised when a family sits together during dinnertime, like what my family does. The most important thing we should do is focus on family, not our bank accounts!
I knew that there was a lot of chemicals put into our food, but it was shocking to see the actual statistics of it! I didn’t realize there was so many! I do agree with other countries for not allowing all of that! If they are doing just fine (and actually better!) without all of that, we can too!
Hopefully someday we can change it and go back to the way things used to be, following along with other countries in a better strive for overall healthiness!
Leah