I am not saying that it's not an important factor. But please, the policy expert on the listserv, tell me how are you going to increase income level for the poor and improve living standard?
>>> GRETA DOUCET <[log in to unmask]> 05/18/07 9:36 AM >>>
Diana,
You cannot teach anything to hungry people. You cannot help someone who does not have a proper diet. You cannot promote exrecise to folks who do not have energy to exercise. You cannot or will not exercise when you have improper nutrition. You have to put first things first. People need approprite clothing to exercise. People need to choose their exercise.... It's for autonomy. It's to feel part of the group. Many, if not most, poor people look at us as if we were totally crazy when we tell them to eat well on the income they have. We must learn to walk a mile in their shoes, not just once, but often, if we want to help them. And the best help we can give them is appropriate income. I am of the school that believes we could probably totally abolish a lot of so called social programs, if we just made certain everyone has a adquate income. I truly believe this. Greta
Diana Liw <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
I think that the point is that addressing chronic illnesses or any conditions (be it physical, mental, and etc) needs to take a boarder and more inclusive perspective. Advocating and focus on any one strategy singlely will like to result in small impact. Improving ones living standard and income status but not advocating for a healthier and active life style will not result in big impact on well-being either.
The book that you mentioned yesterday "Handbook of Urban Health", concluded that "Multiple coordinated efforts will be required to significantly alter the well-being of the economically deprived." And the same is truth for anybody. For too long, our strategies have been fragmented and uncoordinated. And this is especially reflected in the policies and funding. The interesting thing is that more coordinated efforts are seen at the community level, but our policies and funding rarely reflect that. Take any initiative, and examine the policy and funding associated with it, and you will understand what I mean. Most of the time, when we promote an intiative, and after a couple of years, the initiative starts "losing popularity", and eventually the funding dries out, but work still needs to be done. This type of policy and decision making often leaves communities with limited resources and long term sustainability. I think that it's time that we really starting doing what!
we say and what we write.
>>> Dennis Raphael 05/18/07 5:41 AM >>>
Letter in Golden Star Newspaper from BC
http://www.thegoldenstar.net/
---------------------------------------------
May 16 2007
In response to an article titled ' Determining health through personal
health practices, coping skills', which appeared in the May 2 edition of
The Golden Star.
Your aticle stated: "According to the BC Healthy Living Alliance, poor
diet, physical inactivity and tobacco use remain the biggest obvious
causes of preventable chronic disease in Canada and in B.C."
This is absolutely untrue. It is well documented that the primary
modifiable factors for chronic disease are the adverse living conditions
associated with income, housing and food insecurity. Lifestyle factors
such as diet, tobacco use, and activity account for only a small amount of
predictability of chronic disease once living conditions are taken into
account. In addition it is well documented that so-called lifestyle
programs are rarely effective for those most at risk for chronic disease.
While the motivations of lifestyle health promoters are laudable, in
reality they have the potential to divert attention away from the primary
causes of chronic diseases, adverse living conditions brought on by poor
public policy.
Dennis Raphael is a professor at York University and author of "Poverty
and Policy in Canada: Implications for health and Quality of Life",
published by Canadian Scholars' Press.
Dennis Raphael,
Toronto, Ontario
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