It's not just about "balance" it's also about "respect" and "dignity" and not
dismissing or insulting people simply because they disagree with your position.
Happy Holidays,
Joe
--
Dr. Joseph Levy
Professor, School of Health Policy and Management
Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional Studies;
Director, Wellness Centre at York University;
Academic Advisor, Vanier College
274 Vanier College, 4700 Keele Street
Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3
Phone: 416-736-2100 ext, 33898
email: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Fax: 416-736-5899
http://www.yorku.ca/wellness

Please note: Incoming E-mail may be viewed by my secretary.  If content is of
sensitive nature, please indicate a "Private & Confidential" in the subject
line.




Quoting Madeline Boscoe <[log in to unmask]>:

> Hi all:
> I can't help contributing to this debate...  I very much agree with David
> King's comments that the program resources are unbalanced. I think the
> women's health movement has wrestled with this dialectic over the years---
> and has strongly worked for healthy public policy.
> The Women's Health clinic in Winnipeg has had a "women, income and health"
> research and education project [which includes billboards, posters etc ---
> http://www.womenshealthclinic.org/whats_new.html  -- have examples and the
> report itself.
> the theme is Poverty is Hazardous to Women's Health
>                     Reducing Poverty improves health for everyone.
> This is a somewhat difficult concept I grant you but I have found concepts
> such the need for equitable income distribution  and a healthy housing plan
> a much harder "sell" -- with health professionals than I would have
> anticipated. Our Just Income coalition  and minimum wage review had few
> endorsements from the many health service organizations or professional
> associations.
> These messages, and those who bring these messages forward are somewhat
> unpopular as they do challenge power relationships and assumptions-- it can
> be hazardous in fact!
> Madeline
>
> At 03:54 PM 16/12/2003 +0000, you wrote:
> >Rachel, As a public health nutritionist who studied for six years I would
> >expect you to say exactly what you have said. As a result of your personal
> >investment in studying and practising nutrition you are bound to say that
> >diet is important and should be valued - which it is because so many
> >professionals and institutions have invested resources. I would expect
> >similar responses from smoking cessation specialists and those specialising
> >in promoting physical activity. Sometimes we need to stand back from our
> own
> >professional perspectives in this debate. Whenever the lifestyle vs social
> >and economic determinants debate develops on this list (usually twice a
> >year) someone will point out that the two positions are not opposed, that
> >they should be complimentary, that lifestyle interventions need to take
> into
> >account social and economic factors and adapt their programmes accordingly.
> >I agree that the recent debates are not productive, I would love to move
> the
> >debate on to the relative effectiveness of social and economic
> interventions
> >to promote health, however whereas nutrition is an accepted as a legitimate
> >area of activity for health services to be engaged in action on the
> >determinants of health is not. The relatively low numbers of practitioners
> >engaged in this sort of activity and the paucity of relevant research and
> >evaluation reports prevents us from having similar debates. Surely the
> >debate should be about how we can promote the development of health
> >promotion/public health infrastructure based on the broader determinants of
> >health so at least the debate about the debates would be more balanced.
> >
> > > David King
>
>
>
> >Madeline Boscoe, R.N
>
> Women's Health Clinic
>   419 Graham Ave.
> Winnipeg MB  R3C 0M3
> Tel (204) 947 1517 or 947 2422 ex 122
> Fax (204) 983 3844
> E-mail  [log in to unmask]
> www. womenshealthclinic.org
>
> To unsubscribe send one line: unsubscribe click4hp to: [log in to unmask] . To
> view archives or modify subscription see:
> http://listserv.yorku.ca/archives/click4hp.html
>

To unsubscribe send one line: unsubscribe click4hp to: [log in to unmask] . To view archives or modify subscription see: http://listserv.yorku.ca/archives/click4hp.html