Markers of Health by san jose state university

According to the World Health Organization, three key factors influence the health of the people in any given country: the social and economic environment, the physical environment, and individual characteristics and behaviors. While these factors are very complex and interconnected, they provide a foundational lens for comparing health outcomes across nations espcially between the USA and Japan. I created an infographic to compare the general health of the United States and Japan—two first-world countries with abundant resources and wealth. Despite these similarities, health disparities between the two are strikingly evident.
Diet is a focal point of this comparison. The infographic highlights the contrast in caloric intake and food composition. Americans consume an average of 3,600 calories daily, with a significant portion from unhealthy processed foods. In contrast, the Japanese consume an average of 1,900 calories, primarily from whole, nutrient-dense foods. Resulting in the US with one of the highest obesity rates in the world at 40%, while Japan has one of the lowest at just 4%.
Other key factors include the unemployment rate, which is surprisingly similar between the two nations, and cultural behaviors that influence both what and how much people eat. These variables collectively shape the health outcomes of each country.