Who is the healthiest country in the world

The Mediterranean diet popular in Spain and Italy is high in vegetables, nuts, fruit, fish and healthy grains, as well as the ubiquitous olive oil.

Numerous studies have shown such a diet has many medical benefits, particularly in respect to heart disease. Obesity is also linked to a sedentary lifestyle, and countries such as Switzerland and Sweden with high rates of participation in sport and other physical activities rank high on the list.

By , it is predicted that Spain will overtake Japan and boast the longest life expectancy in the world, with its inhabitants on average reaching nearly 86 years old. The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum. The pandemic both exacerbated harmful drinking habits for many people and made treatment more difficult to access — a wake-up call for the need to address this global issue. A new study on mice has found that the parasite which causes toxoplasmosis could be used to destroy 'cold tumours' in hard-to-beat cancers in humans.

I accept. Take action on UpLink. Forum in focus. The world has entered a new era of pandemic risk. Read more about this project. Explore context. Explore the latest strategic trends, research and analysis. Image: Bloomberg. Image: Statista. Health and healthcare How is the World Economic Forum bringing data-driven healthcare to life? That's according to this year's edition of the Bloomberg Healthiest Country Index , which ranks countries based on factors that contribute to overall health.

Six of the top 10 countries were in Europe, with Italy ranking second. In contrast, the United States didn't even break into the top 30, ranking at number 35, one notch worse than last year.

To come up with the rankings, Bloomberg researchers graded nations based on several factors including life expectancy, while giving penalties for health risks such as obesity and tobacco use.

Environmental factors like access to clean water and sanitation were also taken into account. The results mirror other research that came out last fall looking at future life expectancies in countries and territories around the world.

In that study, published in the international medical journal The Lancet, Spain also ranked first, with a projected life expectancy of The United States ranked 64th. Experts say the eating habits of the Mediterranean diet may provide clues for why Spain and Italy enjoy such good health. This might be as a result of the nourishing Mediterranean diet we follow here in Spain, which is known to reduce instances of mortality in older people. The Mediterranean diet referred to here is a diet rich in healthy oils, from food items such as fish, olives, and olive oil.

You can adopt the Mediterranean diet in your lifestyle, regardless of whether you live in Spain! Choose seafood such as anchovies and octopus instead of red meat, and add olive oil to your foods, whether it means substituting it for other oils and butter in your cooking, or simply adding it on the top of your salad and toast. Spain has many delicious traditional dishes on its national menu, ranging from pulpo a la gallega to gazpacho.