Ethan Watter Crazy Like Us

It is true that in today’s world, it can be difficult to say exactly what a health system is as a singular definition. In the twenty first century the marketing industry, mainly Pharmaceutical companies help define what health and illness are to each separate country or society. Depending on the country, culture, religious values, traditions, economic status, or influence from the pharmaceutical companies the definition of health and illness varies. In 2005 the World Heath Organization survey showed seven out of ten Americans died because of chronic illnesses, while three years earlier the Japanese mortality rate for chronic disease was at eighty percent. Countries like Japan and the United States, have different ways of defining health and illness . This directly relates to the written work by Ethan Watter titled Crazy Like Us, in which Watters discusses the “most devastating consequence” of bringing the American culture to the rest of the country. In the excerpt “The Mega-Marketing of Depression in Japan” Watters discusses the effects of the spread of American

The tan toned physique is preferred to someone who has a healthy diet and flabby muscles. Another form of American health is having a steady income from a respectable job. Another idea of health in America is the involvement in social activities. This is similar to the concept of mental health in that it is socially unacceptable or seen as strange when people are not social. American advertisements about healing drugs is different from any other country. There are commercial, advertisement, and all other types of media surrounding health and curing illnesses. In this way Americans are accustomed to self diagnosis, which leads to a spike in sales for the pharmaceutical companies. Americans also have to register for healthcare. In the past, healthcare was not the government’s job to provide. Thankfully, Obamacare helps those that are in need of medical