The basic difference which I have seen in rich nations and poor nations ( its obvious world wide) is the vegetation, health food habits and attitude. Health and wealth both are there . Its the rich vegetation which supports both. India was a rich country in vedic times. People were dependent on vegetables. Its happening in rich nations even today People are dependent on vegetables. Forests cover are thick and major. Forests are maintained and not destroyed . A rich body can harbour a rich mind and produce a disease free children. Most of the rich nations dont eat fried food like samosa and kachori, namkeen. In India richness is expressed in terms of amount of Ghee ( Butter cream) is used in the roti of the guest. If you dip the roti or bread in huge amouunt of ghee its sign of richness. In marriages your dinner plate may .consist of 7 to 55 kind of sweets all cooked in oil and deep fried. India is also famous for Namkeen. Its known fact now if the world reduced salt intake per person from 4000 mg to 1500 mg per day the cases of heart diseases will be reduced by half ( they are millions world over and India has to open several heart hospitals I am not a doctor but trust advice from doctors only ) . Despite of Yoga being now practiced world over we dont practice it in India very much . Its a thing of export guru. Another difference which I found hard work. In our place its common site to keep two three to five six servants to do manual work. Here in rich nations people do their cleaning washing gardening by themselves . This provides exercise to their body and keeps them healthy . In Indian movies an army of servants is shown. A rich man is always surrounded by arry of workers. It may help provide employment . However its not good for your health to depend on others to do work for you. If you dont move your body will perish. We are not plants which grow better if they are not moved. . Movement provides oxygen to our body. Oxygen is provided by plants . There is no other source of Oxygen on the earth as far as I know. However even if we live abroad we always look for "Indian stores" which sell namkeen and samosa or dosa or puri and bhaji . Is it not true . When we visit any tourist place we dont forget to eat dosa or idli or puri or jalebi or samosa if it is available there. Its climate, vegetation which makes people healthy ( and perhaps happy too) . Healthy people make a rich nation. Do you want to be rich nation. . Change your attitude also. Though we should follow our traditions but should not be slave of them . The basic attitude is to worry about what our neighbours daughter or son is doing. To whom our chldren want to marry. What the boss has said about X or what the Y is telling about the boss. Who is visiting our neighbour and where our neighbour is going ( and with whom). Many serials on TV in India depict happenings of a inhabitants of a housing society. Our worry level is more what others are doing rather than what is happening in our home or what we are doing. There is basic difference in attitude in rich nations. You clean in front of your house and I clean in front of my house and the whole nation is clean. Its very true for Germany if you dont believe me go and see it for yourself. In Germany its a custom to clean surroundings of your house clean. Trust me each and every person living there follows this tradition. First we dump the garbage in front of our house and then we wait for Government or Local self Government to take it away. (First we contribute to make pollution world over and then we ask for help to clean it up). Hope we can also live in pollution free world. If we could have 85 percent of our land covered with vegetation ( or atleast 37 percent which was there in 1947 as compared to 10 percent which we have now in India in 2010) we will be sone ki chiriya (wealthy nation )again . Trust nature to give you health and wealth. Grow more plants and they will keep you healthy.