The effect of education on the individual and the society is perhaps best understood by comparing the standards of living and quality of life in societies that that have reasonable literacy levels with the conditions in societies where illiteracy is widespread. It has been noted that the amount of education an individual has directly influences their standard of living and even affects life expectancy.
Some facts are truly astounding. In a world that is suffering from a myriad of lifestyle diseases and conditions that can be avoided, it has been observed that people with a college education are at a lower risk of heart diseases than high school dropouts. Moreover, education improves life expectancy and lowers the risk of diabetes.
People with better education also tend to be more productive economically. Not only does higher education increase the earning potential of an individual substantially, those with better education have been observed not to miss work because of poor health and are generally in better physical and mental health than those with less education.
Interestingly, people with good education are less likely to get involved in practices that could harm their health in the long run. While they could have tried drugs, drinking and smoking, it has been observed that people with good education are less likely to get hooked than those with less education. The result is that people with good education are less likely to get overweight than those with less education. The ability to stay in good physical shape makes well-educated people less likely to suffer lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.