Poverty and SES as barriers to Good Health

I think that there are four major components to why SES determines the health of a population. First, because of a general lack of higher education and sometimes language barriers contribute to a lack of health education. People with lower incomes often have a poorer diet, less exercise, and lack of preventative medicine.

Next, the stress of worrying about money and taking care of their families can cause harm to their health. Some lower income citizens work numerous jobs, leaving little time to eat well and sleep enough.

Along with this, and beyond being uninsured, many people with lower SES don't have time or means to get to the doctor or clinic for prevention or treatment.

Lastly, healthier foods are generally more expensive and not available with food stamps. Canned, boxed, frozen foods, and fast food is usually much cheaper than fresh vegtables, fruit, and meat.

What can WE do as Americans to fix this ever - increasing problem? We can provide insurance for all of our citizens. We can also incentivize preventative measures to make it easier to get to the doctor. We can also work in with the food industry to lower the price of healthy foods to make the access to them greater. Lastly, we need to make more available media campaigns to inform our public of ways to stay healthier.