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Argumentative Essay On Public Health Issue

885 Words4 Pages

One of the most pervasive and contentious issues plaguing modern American politics is that of public health. Within this realm of discussion are matters such as the obesity epidemic and the mental health debate, both of which pose considerable challenges to solving. Each of these subjects are deeply rooted in American society. According to the CDC, nearly 40% of all American adults are considered obese (cite CDC). In addition, according to the National Alliance on Mental Health, around 18% of adults in the United States experience mental illness each year. (cite) These problems are proven to be much more rampant in people and families living close to or below the poverty line. As such, one proposed solution to improving public health is an increase in the federal minimum wage. While there may be certain negative aspects to raising the federal minimum wage to 15 dollars an hour, the positive public health effects generated make such …show more content…

Countless indicators show that low wages result in decreased general health. For example, during the period of decreasing real minimum wage since its peak in 1968, obesity levels have increased in those families living at or below the poverty line. Researchers from the University of California Davis collected and studied the demographics of just above 6,000 households in 40 states, concluding that “people earning the lowest wages were more likely to have weights in the obese range.” (cite UC Davis study) In addition, David O. Meltzer and Zhuo Chen from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that 10% of the national average BMI increase since their study began in 1984 can be attributed to the decrease in real minimum wage. (cite Impact of minimum wage on body weight) Low income families, as shown in a study by

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