Week 4

I was really surprised to read how directly related social economic status and health were related. It seems obvious that the rich are more likely to be in better health than the poor since they would be better able to afford health care and would have better living standards, but it surprises me how there is a similar disparity even within the middle class. I am really curious to find out what other factors cause the disparities within this class. With all the money the United States spends on healthcare, it makes you wonder where exactly is it all going. The article did point out have the decrease in TB deaths were correlated with better living conditions rather than medical treatment, which makes you question just how effective the US is in developing its healthcare. This reminds me about a paper I wrote for my PWR class. In my paper, I researched pharmaceutical industries and found out that the majority of their profits is spent on advertisements rather than research and development. In our modern society, it seems as if a lot of the research that is conducted is spent mainly on treating those who can afford it, which makes it difficult for those in lower economic statuses who can't afford the proper treatments. If the major illnesses of our time are cancer and heart disease, these treatments can be very expensive making it only possible for those in higher economic status to afford it.