Dear Editor of the Toronto Star
It is fascinating to see that the Ministers of Health at the
conclusion of their annual conference have committed
themselves to promoting "healthy living" as a strategy to
reduce health care costs. Perhaps someone could direct
all the Health Ministers and their staff to the Health
Canada website which discusses how societal factors are
much more important determinants of health and well-being than
lifestyle behaviours? Numerous studies show that "healthy living"
behaviours account for very little of whether people become ill or
stay health. Rather, policies that increase poverty and income
inequality are far and away the greatest predictors of poor
population health. What's the point of Health Canada printing all
of their documents, and health researchers using tax dollars to
demonstrate these realities if nobody in government
pays any attention to their findings?
--
Dennis Raphael, Ph.D.
Associate Professor & Undergraduate Programme Director
School of Health Policy & Management
Atkinson Faculty of Liberal & Professional Studies
York University
4700 Keele St.
Toronto ON M3J 1P3
Ph: 416-736-2100 ext. 22134
Fax: 416-736-5227
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
--
Dennis Raphael, Ph.D.
Associate Professor & Undergraduate Programme Director
School of Health Policy & Management
Atkinson Faculty of Liberal & Professional Studies
York University
4700 Keele St.
Toronto ON M3J 1P3
Ph: 416-736-2100 ext. 22134
Fax: 416-736-5227
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
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