Health and Wealth Go Hand in Glove

Numerous medical studies link all sorts of things to good health.  Lots of exercise.  Fresh air.  Health insurance and access to health care.  A good diet.  Ample rest.  Low stress.  Happiness.  Family support.  The list goes on and on and it makes perfect sense.  Surely, it would come as a pretty big surprise if a study found watching cute kitten videos while eating fruit after a 10 mile bike ride in the desert was potentially lethal (at least during the winter months in Arizona).  Now, what’s the one thing all of these factors associated with good health have in common?  Generally, they are a lot easier to achieve if you are not economically disadvantaged.

Unfortunately, a health lifestyle and good health come at a price.  For many a significant price relative to income.   It takes money to eat good food.  It takes money to have enough time to rest and exercise.  It takes money to support a  family.   And, while money can’t buy happiness (at least after  you earn $75,000 a year) it can go a long way toward making a healthy lifestyle and a healthy life possible.  Of course, earning that kind of money generally requires a good education which, again, depends on many factors related to wealth.

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It’s no wonder then a recent study by the Arizona Partnership for Healthy Communities found a direct correlation between health and zip codes.  It demonstrates that wealthier zip codes have healthier residents.  Significantly healthier.  According to the study, life expectancy in the Phoenix metro area varies by as much as 14 years between some zip codes.  Not surprisingly, in this regard, folks in North Scottsdale appear to be very well off…ahem… I mean healthy.

It may sound snarky, but “Duh!”  We need to better recognize the correlation between social and economic advantage and a healthy population.  It’s a synergy that benefits any community.

Perhaps the biggest barrier to good health for many is the cost of medical care and it’s getting less and less affordable.  As a percentage of GDP, health care costs have nearly doubled since 1980.  In view of these exploding costs, we need to do more to give everyone a chance at a healthy lifestyle and good health.  Not everyone will take advantage of such opportunity, but everyone deserves a chance and the better health of those that do will benefit everyone in meaningful and measurable ways.

 

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