Nice article. As an American who has lived almost 2 years in Russia now I can say that I think you're not too far off the mark. As far as health goes I would say the only thing really keeping Russia from blossoming in this area are smoking and excessive alcohol use. You mentioned taking the "best of both worlds" in an approach to health, and I think as a foreigner living here we've tried to do that in our family. Living in St. Petersburg we walk quite a bit more than we ever did in the States, giving us more natural day-to-day exercise. We also take advantage of fresh produce and preparing meals and eating at home more often. This is something that Americans could truly learn. However, on the flip side, the United States has come down hard on smoking, especially in the past 20 years, and while many Americans do still smoke, the campaigns have had a very significant effect on lowering the number of people who do to the point where I would say the vast majority of society sees smoking as negative now. Oh how nice it would be on my walks through the beautiful streets of St. Petersburg and not be almost constantly smelling breathing second-hand smoke. So, of course, lets keep learning from each other. Perhaps this can be a way our two countries can press that "overload"...I mean..."reset" button together.

Okay, so, Russians are thinner than Americans. And yes, the food they consume on a regular basis is more fresh. But to casually disregard Russia's excessive smoking, alcohol consumption and high-fat diets in order to claim that Russians are THE healthiest people on the planet is just ridiculous and makes no sense.

I don't think we have a global standard by which to judge this issue ... but it would really be good if we did. Perhaps the UN could focus on some science for this, like they did global warming?? I now understand, having been diagnosed with insulin resistance and being pre-diabetic (Type 2) that the food I had been eating,which is what most Americans eat, is POISON. Grains, beef, lots of fat, all make you very sick. I belive if you have any kind of endocrine problems, the wheat and grain based diet is murder for you. I now eat much better, although I still have to improve, and have lost 100 pounds. I now eat no meat but turkey and fish, and will try to eliminate that; I eat lots of vegetables and few grains (no wheat) and very little fat; I try to eat only almods and avocado for fat. The left wing had been telling me this for years, but I did not get it...now I think about the food we are sold, and I want to scream! It is so rotten...those horrible frozen potatoes, fried in horrible fat, the awful high fructose fruit syrup in everything, including bread...but yet they say that being fat is a "personal problem" and if you can afford it, go to a gym! I hope Russia does not go this route...better set up a lot of hospitals for diabetics if you do.

Great report. Americans definitely need more articles about healthy lifestyles. I am so grateful to my GI physician for diagnosing me with fructose malabsorption. I feel certain that he has given extra years of life by giving me a no sugar/fructose diet instead of another colonoscopy with additional pills. God Bless!

If they are,it is probably due to the vodka they drink.

Eating GM food affects the aura of a person. As does alcohol, drugs, cigarets, stress etc. If the aura is affected the person starts to get sicker faster and is unable to heal it's self. Re energizing by eating organic vegetables(no meat) makes the aura grow back therefore a persons sickness disepears. Wake up people God made us the humans the most marvelous thing in this univers and the most powerfull. READ READ arent u curios what you can realy do?

I don't believe it, Cause i know them better than anyone else. So i don't buy it. My answer is Swedish people are the heathiest people in the world. (male-85, female-90)

This is perhaps the sinlge most retarted story I have read in a while. Russians are surely among the least healthy people in the world. Any nation where it is socially acceptible to drink vodka with breakfast has some serious health issues.

This is ridiculous. Your sole criteria for "health" seems to be small clothing sizes, a preposterous notion considering that "skinny" and "healthy" are far from being the same thing. By this standard people who are starving or suffering from malnourishing disease are the healthiest of them all! Also, doesn't it say anything to you that Americans, even with their obesity problem, have a higher life expectancy than Russians?