The irony of the current health care issue in America is that it is causing more stress and consequently more health care problems for individuals who desperately need quality health care. While there is more discussion of late around the exorbitant cost of health care, working class and poor people in general have always lived this reality—to middle class, welcome to the struggle. The failings of the health care system have always acutely affected people of color, who in addition to dealing with cost also deal with institutional racism of the system. The high risk of life-threatening diseases and conditions is well documented in African American communities.
In the current health care arena, which is fraught with uncertainty and inflated cost, the onus for health falls squarely upon our shoulders. There are three major
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American society makes it very easy to eat unhealthy. If accessibility were the only enemy to eating healthy more people would do it; however, fast food feeds the economy and the health system’s appetite for profit is insatiable. I mean, the least expensive food is often the least healthy – a salad at a fast food establishment is often two to three times more expensive than a hamburger. Now I’m not saying that a fast food salad is a healthy option but it promotes the perception that eating healthy is more expensive. Cost is not the only limitation to food choice either. With our busy lives, time is also a factor, and healthy meal prep is often perceived as time consuming. Even if both these obstacles are overcome (money and time) there is also the issue of what we eat. There is often a reluctance in our community to change our diets and move away from “traditional” foods, and outright outrage over suggestions like vegetarian, organic non-GMO, or “whole” foods. We need refresher courses on the purpose of eating, and a discussion on the phrase “You are what you