Do you just love paella, tapas, gazpacho, or tortillas? That appears to be a good move as this type of diet is good for your health. The news that Spain tops Bloomberg's Healthiest Country Index is also likely good for the country's reputation as well as those who particularly enjoy the cuisine.
Spain, which beat out Italy for the top spot, notably has the highest life expectancy at birth at 86 years. Other countries with the highest life expectancies at birth are Japan, Singapore, and Switzerland.
The index classifies countries by balancing variables such as life expectancy with risk factors including smoking and obesity. The ranking also looks closely at environmental factors like drinkable water and sanitation.
In the previous ranking in 2017, Luxembourg was still in the top ten. A number of factors explain the Grand Duchy's slip out of the top ten, including increasing obesity, junk food, and the lack of physical activity. However, Luxembourg remains ahead of France (12), Portugal (22), Germany (23), and Belgium (28).
The ranking is the 2019 edition of the Bloomberg Healthiest Country Index, which compares the health of 169 countries through factors that affect their citizens' lifestyles.
Four other European countries made it to the top ten alongside Spain and Italy (2). Iceland (3), Switzerland (5), Sweden (6), and Norway (9) all feature as the index's top ten healthiest countries alongside Japan (4), Singapore (8), Australia (7), and Israel (10).
