Unnatural Causes - Is Inequality making us sick?

The film shows that health and longevity are directly related to their social class and those people who have access to resources, power and opportunities live healthier and longer lives. Those people with higher incomes than those in the level below them have more control over their living environments and jobs. In the film’s episode 2: When the bough breaks , the issue addressed involves why African American newborns are death rate is twice as much as the rate of those born by white families(Fox, 2009). Another issue relates to why black women who are well educated have worse birth outcomes than educated white women. In episode 4, as the Native Americans lost resources in terms of water and land to white settlers first, and to the government later the rates of diabetes soared (Fox, 2009). The people in the social classes that are considered lower are likely to experience a drop in income levels, which raises stress levels and turn lead to excess stress hormones production. This increases their blood pressure and thereby the vulnerability to various illness. From such a scenario, it can be seen that limited unequal distribution of job opportunities and healthy environment are major factors which lead to health disparities.

The economic, social and political policies should address the inequality in income, education and occupations in order to narrow the health gaps between the haves and haves-not (Adler &Newman, 2016).  This is because these policies determine people’s social economic-status which in turn affects their birth weight, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer.  Policies that address these factors ensure that the poor do not suffer malnutrition and can easily access health care services.

References

Fox, H. (2009). "When race breaks out": Conversations about race and racism in college classrooms. New York: Peter Lang.191 -192