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It's a matter of survival-the final word I saw a program on public television last night that I found very enlightening. The show was called “Unnatural Causes” and the episode was entitled “In Sickness and in Wealth.” It proved (to me at least) one of the underlying root causes for poor health is actually the stress caused by feeling a loss of control over one’s life. The program illustrated that on the surface higher socio-economic status and greater access to resources leads to better health and longer lives. To take the economic factor out of the equation, the show highlighted a scientist whom was working with macac monkeys researching their health results based upon stress levels in dominant versus subordinate animals. The more subordinate the animal was, the more stress it experienced and, the more likely it would show signs of atherosclerosis upon examination of the blood vessels after the monkey died. The connection between the observed results in both human and macac populations is greater social status allows for individuals to have greater control over their lives and much less stress. Control over one’s life appears to be the key factor. In countries where legislation has been enacted to give people greater control over their lives, the residents of those countries have had positive gains in well-being. For example Ireland provides college education to everyone and Sweden initiated fiscal programs to help families. Sweden has 4.2% of its’ living in poverty as opposed to the 21% living in poverty in the US. The US now ranks 30th in the world for life expectancy. In the US we have lost much ground in the sense one has when it comes to control of one’s life and that is the primary reason our health is declining. In fact the generation of youngsters today, the show predicts, may be the first generation to live shorter lives than their parents. Fixing health care the way America is planning to will probably not stop this, unless included in the fix, we come up with a pill to reduce cortisol levels in the blood, which seems to be the primary influence of declining health in a stressed population or we enact social programs to help people feel they have more control over their lives. I agree with the show that giving people more control over their lives is the key to establishing better health. Stress increases cortisol levels and when those levels stayed elevated for long periods of time it has a detrimental effect on one’s health. For the poor it’s even worse. High levels of cortisol can interfere with brain development in young such that those whom grow up in poverty may be permanently affected. This is the issue with my own life, loss of control. Almost everything I do in my life is determined by others on almost a daily basis so I’m sure the cortisol levels in my bloodstream are in low Earth orbit and may have been for some time. I have very little, if any, control over my own life. I do a lot for everyone else and when I get done there’s no time left for me. More so, this show has validated for me why it’s a matter of survival. JJ |
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10/12/2009 10:29 am |
Sounds to me as if you are advocating socialism. Is a bit longer lifespan worth the loss of freedoms Americans love and cherish? Do you really want to give up the right to bear arms just because it will save a few thousand lives each year?
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10/12/2009 11:53 am |
poverty is a matter of perception ~ not having a colour television or a washing machine doesnt mean you live in poverty in terms of well being the soft options in life like office work generally make for a boring but longer life ~ you dont see many old miners , steelmen, hod carriers or deep sea fishermen most are worn out by 50 we all have a choice in life but peer pressure means we work long hours of over time then waste the money on trivialities when i look back i happily worked 100 hour weeks ~ was it worth it ?? we should work to live not live to work but getting that into our minds when we where raised to work is difficult
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10/12/2009 4:43 pm |
Rigel - I was joking.
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