Includes bibliographical references (pages 69-74) and index.
"For many years, health policy in developed countries has rested on the assumption that health-care consumption does relatively little to produce better health. This new study shows that it is time to rethink conventional wisdom, particularly regarding consumption of pharmaceuticals. In this sequel to their 1999 book, The Productivity of Health Care and Pharmaceuticals: An International Comparison, Richard D. Miller Jr. and H. E. Frech III extend their analysis to quality of life, disease-specific life expectancy, and the impact of obesity. This is possible because of newly available data from the World Health Organization and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on disability-adjusted life expectancy, obesity, and disease-specific death rates."--BOOK JACKET.