Senator Bernie Sanders (CCCP-Vermont) has authored a column alleging that there is something unconscionable about why poorer Americans have a lower lifespan than their wealthier neighbors. Well, yes, but really not for the reasons that Sanders notes.
Some of the known risk factors:
- The rate of smoking among the poor is close to twice that of the prosperous.
- Obesity and sedentary lifestyles are far higher among the poor.
- Drug use problems are higher among the poor.
- Finally, crime, especially murder, is far higher among the poor, especially minority populations in inner cities.
And yes, it is true that many top doctors do not choose to serve in poor communities--you have the danger factor, and quite frankly, you also have the fact that Medicaid compensation ratios don't make it very profitable. And yes, you also have the difficulty of getting to a clinic, paying for copays, and related expenses.
But that noted, the fact remains that if you're 50 pounds overweight and huffing the cancer sticks, there is only so much medical science can do for you. Smoking reduces lifespan by 10-15 years, obesity reduces lifespan by 3-10 years, and dying of an overdose or murder deprives that person of many decades of life. I dare suggest it's long past time for the country to address the real drivers of shorter lifespans among the poor and working classes.
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