Georgia and Armenia may not be the Caucasus' richest countries, but they do seem to be the healthiest.
Bloomberg L.P. on August 15 released its global health rankings of countries with a population of a million or more. At 71st, Georgia was the highest-ranked country in the Caucasus. Armenia was next, occupying 79th place.
Although it may be loaded with oil & gas, energy wealth has not encouraged healthy living in Azerbaijan. At 87th, the country lagged behind its Caucasus neighbors in the health rankings.
That Georgia did comparatively well is surprising, given that 57 percent of the adult male population smokes, according to World Health Organization data. That’s the highest percentage in the Caucasus. In Armenia, 51 percent of adult males are smokers, and in Azerbaijan the figure is 41 percent.
Bloomberg’s interest in healthy living is not surprising, given that its owner, Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York City, recently tried to launch a municipal program to preventing obesity by placing limitations on the size of sugary drinks sold in the city. Bloomberg is also credited with the 2003 ordinance that banned smoking in city bars and restaurants, spurring a movement toward restricting smoking in many of the world's major cities.
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