Their View: Overspending by U.S. leadership can cripple economy -

The cost of health care is outstripping the cost of living increases in Social Security for area seniors. It has gotten so bad that it often means the difference between taking your pills and eating.

Now, a report from the McKinsey Global Institute has revealed: They aren't the only ones.

The United States today spends more money on health care than it does on food.

Indeed, McKinsey went so far as to compare the United States to other countries and estimate, after adjusting for America's size and quality of life, what we should spend on health care. The nation spends more than $500 billion more every year on health care than we should, based on what other nations are spending.

A paucity of leadership over the last few decades has left us with this crisis and other problems that only get worse the longer we leave them unattended. Not only can individuals little afford the increasing costs, but it's crippling companies, such as GM, that once were considered invincible.

- Norwalk Reflector