Quote: "We should not be able to do that."
In this documentary, it was discovered that by looking at your income level, looking at your access to public resources, and looking at your high school completion level, your life expectancy can predicted. "We should not be able to do that!" It is generally thought by many that if people would simply make more time for exercise, chose healthier food options and get plenty of rest, humans will be able to extend their life expectancy. However, scientists are now finding that having too much cortisol from heightened stress levels that are directly related to your type of employment (or lack thereof), the amount of resources you are able to afford, and the amount of control you have over your environment play a larger part in your life expectancy than we originally believed.
Quote: "Economic policy is health policy."
A century ago, our life expectancy as Americans was 48 years of age. With more resources added to the nation including social programs, as well as better healthcare, the life expectancy went up for all people. However, since 1980, we have been going, as a nation, in the opposite direction. We have slashed social programs and reduced taxes on the wealthy. The rich have gotten FAR richer and the the gap between Rich and Poor has widened dramatically. We are one of the most unequal nations of the world's richest democracies. Therefore, it is not healthcare that is directing our disintegrating health as a nation necessarily, but the economic policies that our nation is putting in place. As the policies become more equal, the health of the nation goes up. As economic policies protect the rich and leave behind others, becoming more unequal, our health deteriorates. Therefore, equal and beneficial economic policy should BE our health policy.
Quote: "Power is a public health issue."
We are the richest country in the world, however, we are far behind many other nations in terms of economic policies that create good health. Other nations support their citizens with daycare, free education through college, and good healthcare for all. America's has so many people in their prime working ages dying of diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and other related illnesses. They can't get an education. Fast food, quick marts, and liquor stores are more readily available to them than healthy grocery stores. They suffer from hypertension. Lack of power is creating a public health issue by shortening the lives of the people who have less access to power. The next generation of young people in America may be the first generation to see a shorter life span than their parents did. American Life Expectancy Isn't it inefficient to have people who could be contributing to America's economy to be caught up in the hospital with issues that are related to high levels of cortisol stemming from the fact that they have less power and control over their circumstances than their neighbors in the neighboring towns do?
