TT has been ranked in the top 20 of unhealthiest countries in the world.
An article on the website Business Insider reported on The Indigo Wellness Index ranks 191 countries on 10 key health measures and the order is from weakest at number one to strongest at number 191. The best score is one and the worst score is zero.
The 10 measures are healthy life expectancy, blood pressure, blood glucose (diabetes risk), obesity, depression, happiness, alcohol use, tobacco use, inactivity (too little exercise), and government spending on healthcare.
With a score of 0.39 TT ranked at number 14 (in the bottom 20) with the Index noting poor scores for depression, blood pressure, and blood glucose.
Ranking at number 18 was a tie between Samoa, Dominican Republic and Egypt. Caribbean neighbours Jamaica, Haiti, Barbados and St Lucia were ranked at 16th, 9th, fifth and second. St Lucia scored 0.29 for binge-drinking, blood pressure and blood glucose score.
Canada came out on top as the healthiest country while South Africa was the unhealthiest country overall. The Indigo Wellness Index was compiled and led by Richard Davies at the economics consultancy Bloomsbury Economics and was published by the investment business LetterOne in the new journal Global Perspectives.
The Indigo Wellness Index draws on findings as diverse as the World Health Organisation, the World Happiness Report, and public health data.