Though the US enjoys the benefits of overall high population health, such as high life expectancy, some measures are notable for their lag behind other industrialized countries, such as rises in maternal mortality (see the WHO Country Profile for the US, and the graph below). The maternal mortality ratio in the US has doubled since 1990 (from 12 to 28 deaths per 100,000 live births). Al Jazzera America quoted William Heisel, stating the causes for rising maternal mortality include increasing obesity and diabetes, as well as more complications in childbirth. The article went on to also observe the large inequality between health outcomes for white vs. African Americans in the US, quoting a CDC maternal mortality report that found that black mothers experienced mortality rates three times higher than while mothers. The problems that the US faces in our health outcomes, are a consequence of ongoing struggles with social inclusion, as well as malnutrition. Policies in the US that have subsidized less healthful forms of food and food production (processing) have generated adverse incentives to consume poorly, contributing to an increase in obesity (Sachs 2015, p. 324, 352).
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