Feeling Poorly To Excess

When you saw a distended belly of an African child surrounded by flies in his mother's arms you certainly don't think that to be a symbol of obesity. Historically when you saw a painting of a Rubensian figure in art it meant a sign of good health and great wealth. Currently such a size on an individual in reality indicates poor health and now poverty according to researchers.

“Social Context May Be a Better Indicator of Obesity Disparities than Race - In a national sample not accounting for race differences in social context, black women had twice the chance of being obese as compared to white women,” Sara Bleich, PhD, lead author and assistant professor in the Bloomberg School's Department of Health Policy and Management. “To date, efforts to explain the disparity in obesity prevalence have primarily focused on individual level factors and little research has focused on social context as a possible explanation. When we examined poor, urban women exposed to the same environment, race disparities in obesity virtually disappeared.” - Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (May 6, 2010)

We've long maintained that eating properly and exercising as solutions to individual illnesses that often lead to premature deaths isn't the answer to the problem. While social inequities are becoming more prevalent by the current economic climate solutions, we suggestion, need to be more proactive. Which we admit is as contradictory as the research.

"Obesity, Poverty, and Participation in Nutrition Assistance Programs - Poverty, as measured by household income, is associated with obesity in some population groups. One review of 144 published studies shows a strong inverse association between socioeconomic status and obesity in women, and an inconsistent relationship in men and children. The panel concluded that it is necessary to separate the effects of poverty and socioeconomic status from the potential effects of food assistance to determine the relationship between obesity and program participation. The research challenge, however, is that poverty is highly correlated with program participation, making it hard to separate their independent effects. " - USDA Food and Nutrition Service (February  2005)

The poor who appear to be eating to excess by the physical appearances when in reality their bulk can and often is the result of the opposite. It's where you are in both location and along the economic scale that determines not only your wealth but also your health. Departments of Health in our region and the nation need to be prepared for not only moments of prosperity as well as poverty when they're least likely to afford the services needed by our communities.

"New Flu Vaccine Option for Adults 65 Years and Older  - Adults 65 years of age and older are among the groups hardest hit by influenza, and annual vaccination remains the best protection, particularly for this population. However, as people age, their immune function tends to decrease, which makes older adults not only more susceptible to infections, but also less responsive to vaccination." - American Lung Association (Top Stories)

We at PearlieMaes also believe that age is another significant factor in both health and well being of individuals. One of PearlieMaes biggest complaint was that as a senior no one, meaning doctors, would speak to her directly. Physicians often directed their answers, comments and or suggestions to whomever ferried her to her appointments. While priority should be given to the patient in the case of relatives or transporters secondary or supplemental information should be given. Unfortunately doctors are too often too pressed for time to give the information twice.