We’re told a lot that there is a great divide in health due
to a person’s low socioeconomic status (SES). That is that someone’s low income and education affects
their ability to make positive health choices.
This is rubbish and I’m not buying it. Low SES people can’t avoid the same
campaigns as the rest of us. They
are everywhere. Most low SES
people have televisions and watch the ads, they see the billboards, and they
see the warning posters that pubs and clubs by law have to display.
Low SES people know that smoking is bad for their
lungs. They see the warnings on
every packet they purchase. But
they smoke willingly and expect the health system to fix any health concern.
Low SES people know that fatty foods are bad for their
heart. But they eat it willingly
then expect modern pharmaceuticals to keep their heart pumping forever. Were told that fresh food is expensive,
yet I saw broccoli for 99c and a 1kg bag of carrots for $1.49. Plus there’s an Aldi supermarket
everywhere that could help you create dinner for four people for less than $10,
probably with leftovers. That is,
if you could be bothered.
You can’t even say that basic dental care isn’t
accessible. Toothbrush and
toothpaste available anywhere for less than $3 and would last for a month.
The problem isn’t really education or low SES. The problem is our lazy culture. People cry poor yet can spend upwards $20
per week on cigarettes and $40 per week on beer. There are some major priority issues.
They know better, they just don’t want to.
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1 comment:
The "health choices" of private individuals have nothing to do with the government. Governments are and should be concerned with public health, but that ought to be limited to sanitation, the provision of services such as emergency treatment and midwifery, and quaranteen. This business we have now of governments trying to tailor health care to individuals and micro-manage hospitals from Canberra has got to stop.
The best way to encourage good choices is to ensure that the full consequences of bad ones are visited on those who make them. You want to smoke? You pay for the cancer treatment.
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