who are we to "instill(ing) value of health in everyone? Do we really
understand how "the poor" define health. We at North Kingston Community
Health Centre (NKCHC)had some university students conduct a survey on how
middle aged women living on low income identified their health issues. It is
not surprising that most of their responses were about the stress of daily
living...having transportation money, making sure they had enough $$ to pay
the heat bills this winter, getting information for their elderly parents,
relationship issues with  young adult children, spouses etc. Oh they know
what is good for their physical health...it is breaking down the
barriers...that is the problem. I believe that is our business. Breaking
those barriers that they identify....and we work with them to develop
solutions that will work in their neighborhoods. At the same time systemic
advocacy needs to be continued and we use our ground base knowledge with
academics and policy maker to influence policy. On the healthy eating
issue...we run a good food box program...totally managed by community
volunteers..distributing 400 boxes every month.
Hersh Sehdev
Executive Director
North Kingston Community Health Centre


-----Original Message-----
From: Health Promotion on the Internet [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
Behalf Of Robb Travers
Sent: Wednesday, January 08, 2003 3:33 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: community capcity for healthy eating


you said..........."While the average welfare recipient may not have a ton
of
> money to throw around, they are still given some money and the choice
between
> buying nutritious food or fast food.  Giving them more money does not
remove
> the choice.  Part of our work is to instil the value of health in everyone
so
> that everyone, regardless of income or advantage, makes the healthiest
choices
> they can."

Implicit in these words is a 'moral imperative' about what constitutes
'healthy eating' and the 'proper ways' in which one should spend their money
(especially welfare recipients).  So little is understood about the meaning
of fast food in the lives of the poor, the links between consumerism, fast
food and obesity, and the 'reasons' why poor people appear to make 'poor'
decisions about food.  We do know that middle-class people with stable,
financial lives are better able to make 'good decisions' about food and
nutrition, about smoking, and about all of those other 'lifestyle' factors
that everyone in this field seems to believe accounts for good health.  I
quote....."instilling the value of health in everyone " is a moralistic
statement that will accomplish little in improving the health of the poor.
Indeed, there is an entire body of literature bantered around this listserv
to prove otherwise.........why is it being ignored?


Robb Travers, Ph.D (c)
Research Associate,
HIV/AIDS Social Research Group
KTH 208, McMaster University,
Hamilton, ON
905 977-7622

Research Affiliate,
HIV Social, Behavioural & Epidemiological Studies Unit,
Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto,
Toronto, ON
[log in to unmask]




From: "Jacquie Poitras" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: January 8, 2003 2:42 PM
Subject: Re: community capcity for healthy eating


> I think that is a very narrow point of view to take.  To say that we, as
public
> health practitioners, shouldn't be focusing on the nutrition habits of
> disadvantaged people because we wouldn't do the same for the middle-class
is,
> quite frankly, a cop-out.  We work within a certain framework--the social,
> cultural and economic structure that surrounds us--and we need to
acknowledge
> that in our work.  While the average welfare recipient may not have a ton
of
> money to throw around, they are still given some money and the choice
between
> buying nutritious food or fast food.  Giving them more money does not
remove
> the choice.  Part of our work is to instill the value of health in
everyone so
> that everyone, regardless of income or advantage, makes the healthiest
choices
> they can.
>
> More money is not the solution--though it may be part of a more
comprehensive
> policy and program initiative.  The solution is changing knowledge,
attitudes
> and behaviours at the individual level, resulting in a global impact.
>
> Jacquie Poitras
>
>
>
>  --- Dennis Raphael <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > you
may
> see it, but the populationn health survey indicates otherwsie.
> >
> > I do not see public health nurses going into Rosedale to tell middle
class
> > people how to live their lives,
> >
> > dennis
> >
> > Send one line: unsubscribe click4hp to: [log in to unmask] to unsubscribe
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> subscription
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
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