While it is undoubtedly true that addressing both social context and lifestyle
choices leads to the greatest improvements in health, we must be careful not to
impose certain lifestyles on poor and marginalized groups. There is a fine line
between providing information and preaching about "bad behavior."

So, give everyone the resources and information they need to be healthy, but let
them make their own lifestyle choices (in this new social context).

Usurping the right to lifestyle choice denies freedom (itself a SDOH) and
amounts to forced behavior modification, or what sociologist Mary Patillo calls
a "tyranny of the middle class."

I am confident that most people value health, and, when living in the right
social context, will make healthy choices most of the time, without anyone
shoving the "right" choices down their throat.

Jeff

--
Jeff Denis
PhD Student
Department of Sociology
Harvard University

"The principle of organizing our society for the benefit of all the people and
not for a privileged few - that is still here and that is a principle to which
we adhere." - Tommy C. Douglas



Quoting Diana Liw <[log in to unmask]>:

> Absolutely, and well said Anne!  These two are absolutely interrelated
> and interwined. It's not just about academicians and politicians coming
> up with unrealistic policies, and it's not just about individual
> responsiblities of one's lifestyle choices.  We need policies that
> affect the "social determinants", and why?  Because these policies could
> change the environment that affect our individual lives, and also in a
> larger social and political context that help to facilitate and
> encourage changes in our lifestyle.  For example, you can't promote
> outdoor activities, if the neighborhood that you live is unsafe and
> can't afford developing recreational spaces and activities for its
> residents.  We do also need "ordinary people" who are constantly making
> the lifestyle decisions and choices to stand up and voice their issues
> so that we can change the "social determinants" from the larger
> environmental and social context.  In other word, to come up with useful
> policies and get it passed in our political system, we need people to
> advocate for themselves and for the communities, and we need people to
> understand the issues and to vote!   When these two forces join, we can
> do great things!
>
> >>> Annette Penney <[log in to unmask]> 01/08/07 6:43 AM >>>
> One listserv member stated that "Life-style choices are simply not
> separable from the social context in which they occur. " and that "It
> might be more appropriate to ask what is the most effective way to
> impact upon the health of a population: to try to change the life-style
> choices of individuals or to change the social determinants."
>
> Since they are not separable and there is an effect on health from the
> interaction of the social determinants and lifestyle choices, both need
> to be addressed. First of all address the SDOH and then lifestyle
> choices. My view is that after I make certain lifestyle choices because
> I have limited options (I am a low-income single parent for instance), I
> may continue to make them after I have more options simply because it's
> what I'm accustomed to doing. If the SDOH are addressed and I have more
> options I may need information to allow me to make better "lifestyle
> choices." I wouldn't want anybody to get the idea that we can toss the
> health promotion model aside just because we have addressed SDOH. It is
> a combination of the two that will make the greatest difference in
> health outcomes and quality of life (addressing SDOH first). .
>
> Annette A. Penney, B.A. (Hons), M.A.
> Community Researcher
> LFVA Community Health Centre
> www.langs.org
>
>
>
>
>
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