"What they find is that, in states and countries where there is
a big gap between the incomes of rich and poor, mental illness,
drug and alcohol abuse, obesity and teenage pregnancy are more
common, the homicide rate is higher, life expectancy is shorter,
and children’s educational performance and literacy scores are
worse. The Scandinavian countries and Japan consistently come at
the positive end of this spectrum. They have the smallest
differences between higher and lower incomes, and the best record
of psycho-social health. The countries with the widest gulf between
rich and poor, and the highest incidence of most health and social
problems, are Britain, America and Portugal."
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/non-fiction/article5859108.ece?print=yes&randnum=1248565874620
