Wino Posted October 6, 2009 Report Share Posted October 6, 2009 PARIS (AFP) – Norway takes the number one spot in the annual United Nations human development index released Monday but China has made the biggest strides in improving the well-being of its citizens. The index compiled by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) ranks 182 countries based on such criteria as life expectancy, literacy, school enrolment and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. Norway, Australia and Iceland took the first three spots while Niger ranks at the very bottom, just below Afghanistan. China moved up seven places on the list to rank as the 92nd most developed country due to improvements in education as well as income levels and life expectancy. Colombia and Peru rose five spaces to rank 77th and 78th while France -- which was not part of the top 10 last year -- returns to the upper echelons by moving up three places to number 8. The UNDP said the index highlights the grave disparities between rich and poor countries. A child born in Niger can expect to live to just over 50, which is 30 years less than a child born in Norway. For every dollar a person earns in Niger, 85 dollars are earned in Norway. This year's index was based on data from 2007 and does not take into account the impact of the global economic crisis. "Many countries have experienced setbacks over recent decades, in the face of economic downturns, conflict-related crises and the HIV and AIDS epidemic," said the UN development report's author Jeni Klugman. "And this was even before the impact of the current global financial crisis was felt." Afghanistan, which returns to the list for the first time since 1996, is the only Asian country among the bottom ten which also include Sierra Leone in the 180th spot, just below the Central African Republic. The top ten countries listed on the index are: Norway, Australia, Iceland, Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, France, Switzerland and Japan. The United States ranks 13th, down one spot from last year. From: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091005/lf_afp/undevelopmentpoverty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lvdkeyes Posted October 7, 2009 Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 Too bad Norway is so cold in the winter with long nights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wino Posted October 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 Too bad Norway is so cold in the winter with long nights.It is too bad the winters are long and cold because the people are very friendly. The countryside is beautiful, especially the fjords. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer Chang Posted October 7, 2009 Report Share Posted October 7, 2009 Maybe quality of life should be measured by how much people smile? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wino Posted October 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 Maybe quality of life should be measured by how much people smile? How much people smile would be good. How about measuring it by the cost of beer? I couldn't believe how much they wanted for a little glass of beer in most of the Scandinavian countries. Ridiculous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lvdkeyes Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 Thailand is the Land of Smiles, but I hardly think the millions of poor people here would say Thailand has a high quality of life. I will hasten to say that I love Thailand with all of its foibles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer Chang Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 Thailand is the Land of Smiles, but I hardly think the millions of poor people here would say Thailand has a high quality of life. I will hasten to say that I love Thailand with all of its foibles. I've been to shacks in Issan and the people seem happy. Poor people in the slums of America seem bitter. But I get what you're saying Lvd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer Chang Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 Thailand is the Land of Smiles, but I hardly think the millions of poor people here would say Thailand has a high quality of life. I will hasten to say that I love Thailand with all of its foibles. I've been to shacks in Issan and the people seem happy. Poor people in the slums of America seem bitter. But I get what you're saying Lvd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wino Posted October 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 I've been to shacks in Issan and the people seem happy.Happiness comes from within. Money cannot buy happiness....although you might be able to rent a few happy moments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lvdkeyes Posted October 8, 2009 Report Share Posted October 8, 2009 Smiling and being happy are not what the UNDP's criteria was regarding quality of life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WannaGo Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 For what it's worth, men commit suicide in Norway at more than three times the rate of those in Thailand (19.5 to 5.6). The rate's also a little more than 10% higher than that for men in the US. Got to be all that damn cold weather and snow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lvdkeyes Posted October 9, 2009 Report Share Posted October 9, 2009 Probably the long dark winters cause depression. Prolonged "cabin fever" can get to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wino Posted October 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 Probably the long dark winters cause depression. Prolonged "cabin fever" can get to you.I hear the same goes for Seattle. All the dark gloomy days increases depression, thus a higher suicide rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lvdkeyes Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 I thought the coffee in Seattle kept everyone euphoric. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WannaGo Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 OK, this seems counter-intuitive, but suicide rates seem to peak when it is warm, not during the gloom of winter. That's been the case with studies in the UK, Taiwan and Greenland. The BBC interviewed a researcher in the UK study and she offered some plausible explanations: She said: "We felt overall that the most likely explanation was probably a psychological one where for some people you have an unusually high degree of irritability, aggression and impulsivity." She said it was possible that the effect was linked to levels of the mood-controlling chemical serotonin in the brain, which have been shown to dip in the summer months. Alternatively, the suicide rate may be linked to the tendency to consume higher levels of alcohol in hot weather. However, she said the finding was unlikely to be down to people being made miserable by seeing others enjoying the good weather, as the effect was specific to unusually hot days, rather than summer days in general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wino Posted October 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 This website mentions trends in seasonal suicides dating back to the 1880's. http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2009/02/does-everyone-get-more-depressed-in-winter.html Seems suicide is a complex subject. Perhaps the winter blues are not as bad as they once were? Maybe it was an urban myth about Seattle being high on the suicide list? I guess the rainy, gloomy days of winter and cabin fever are not as bad these days with all our modern communication gadgets. Although in the vast majority of cases, suicide is a result of mental illness. Major depression is usually the cause and depression can be brought on by a number of reasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lvdkeyes Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 The top 7 countries with the highest suicide rate are eastern European countries, according to Wikipedia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wino Posted October 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 With all the suicide bombers in the middle east, I would have thought one of those countries would make the list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lvdkeyes Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 Not according to Wikipedia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wino Posted October 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 Not according to Wikipedia.How up to date is Wikipedia? Seems like the news is filled with guys wanting to meet Alla. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer Chang Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 How up to date is Wikipedia? Seems like the news is filled with guys wanting to meet Alla. Or maybe the 77 virgins? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wino Posted October 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 Or maybe the 77 virgins? I bet most of them are counting on meeting the virgins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wino Posted October 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 Alternatively, the suicide rate may be linked to the tendency to consume higher levels of alcohol in hot weather. If you are worried about possible suicidial tendancy, don't drink alcohol in hot weather but be fat and enjoy your food. NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Obesity may lead to numerous health problems, but it may actually be linked to fewer successful suicides, according to a new study. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091009/hl_nm/us_obese_suicide Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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