Health and Wealth - They're Related

Not only do health and wealth rhyme, but it appears that they're related.

Having more money allows us access to fitness centers, better food choices and better medical care. Think about it -

• A family on a limited income cannot afford a membership to a gym or health facility.
• Stroll through your local grocery store and compare the prices of organic and fresh foods with prepackaged meals, hot dogs and cheap fillers.  The less healthy the food, the cheaper it is.
• Many families cannot afford health insurance.  The number of uninsured people continues to rise.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau, lack of insurance is much more common among people with low incomes.  In 2004, 24.3% of people with income levels below $25,000 were uninsured -- three times the 8.4% rate for people with incomes of over $75,000.

The Health Benefits of Having Plenty of Money

Persons enjoying higher levels of education and income almost always have access to better medical care. The availability of better care, whether it is through better employer-paid insurance, life in a metropolitan area versus rural area, or simply being able to afford a more specialized doctor when the situation warrants, is dependent on income.

People who have had a secondary education were exposed to a great deal of information during college years in health classes, athletic programs and other activities.

In many cases, higher income earners live in metropolitan areas offering access to better doctors and larger medical facilities. Higher wage earners also can afford magazines, health and fitness courses.

Socialized Medicine May Not Be the Answer

The relationship between health and wealth has proven itself time and again. All you have to do is observe developed countries versus the third world, underdeveloped countries to see that the standard of living and general health conditions are directly related.

It is disturbing that the people with the greatest medical needs are usually the ones who are unable to fulfill their needs.  Socialized medicine has been proposed as a possible solution but when studied in detail, socialized medicine really does not improve the level of health for the population.  Rather, it makes low quality medical care available for free, usually when a crisis warrants the care. Socialized medicine focuses on symptoms and does not educate and treat the causes of health problems.