For our first blog assignment I watched "There's No Small Stuff" Being Poor in Louisville, KY. Watching Mary Turner shop for her family reminds me of myself. I am constantly bargaining in my head with thoughts like this, "okay, if I buy this meat then I won't be able to get any treats" or "we really need more fresh fruits and vegetables but they are so expensive." I completely commiserate with her plight. I, however, do not live in rural Kentucky. I also have to fee three teenagers. We cannot even make it through a full week on $200, yet she has to make this $200 (or less) last for a month, sometimes borrowing from other bill payments. When it is nearing the end of the month she cuts back feeding her family to only one meal a day.
There were many things she said in this four minute video that made me physically uncomfortable. Her statement that "everything is large" really hit home with me (unnaturalcausesdoc, 2008). Sometimes I feel that way in my own life. Thinking that Mary wakes up every morning and says to herself, "Oh God, not another day" is unfair and terribly sad (unnaturalcausesdoc, 2008). Knowing others who reside on the easter side of her county are living longer than she and her family members is another totally depressing reality. What can be done?
When she coughed during the interview I couldn't help but think she may be a smoker and could possibly be sick. In our text we read this regarding women and prescriptions, "Kaiser Family Foundation found 1 in 5 (21%) non elderly women did not fill a prescription because of the cost, compared with 13% of men (Alexander, 23). Mary is non-elderly and has admitted that she has to decide whether she wants her family to eat or to have electricity. Getting the medicine she needs would probably not happen for Mary. This is just one example in Mary's life that exemplifies the obvious link between health and poverty.
Our health care system is desperately overworked. We have the highest gross national product yet we "ran 30th in life expectancy" (unnaturalcausesdoc, 2008). One of the experts in the video "Unnatural Causes" stated we have "huge inequalities in our society" which causes the desperate state of illness in our country (unnaturalcausesdoc, 2008). I believe one way to improve American health is education in wellness and illness prevention. I wish we could incorporate this type of curriculum into all schools that illustrate simple ways to stay healthy that do not necessarily cost a lot of money to implement. Mary Turner's family does not have enough resources to alter their whole lifestyle. But arming her children with easy and free ways to keep their family healthy could have a positive ripple effect in their world and others living in poverty.
Works cited:
Alexander, Linda, LaRosa, Judith, Bader, Helaine, Garfield, Susan, Alexander, William James, (2010). New Dimentions in Women's Health. Sudbury, MA. Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Unnaturalcausesdoc. (2008, Mar 26). Unnatural Causes [video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE7v5cHlHDQ.
Unnaturalcausesdoc. (2008, July 10). There's No Small Stuff [video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dshh1JLO3ps.
Hello! I think we had a similar thought process when viewing this film. I, too, wondered if Mary Turner was a smoker when I heard her cough. However, I also think it was excellent that you addressed the health of her children in your post! That is something I emphasized, as well. Although I believe people are ultimately responsible for their own health, and although Mary may choose to spend money on cigarettes instead of investing in healthcare, that does not justify that her children should have to suffer through an illness or grow up without access to the care they need! I do not have all the answers to how these problems should be addressed, but I think it is clear that changes in our healthcare system must be made, and soon. Unfortunately, Americans seem to be divided on this issue.
ReplyDeleteI’d like to share with you a quote that I found from the World Health Organization’s (2012) Constitution that I thought was really great: “The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being” (para. 1). Thank you for such a thoughtful post! I look forward to working with you throughout the rest of the semester.
References
World Health Organization (2012). Health and Human Rights. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/hhr/en/
Cathy,
ReplyDeleteI watched both of those videos for another class I took for Health Studies and I was shocked to find that there are so many links to poverty and illness. I mean I understand that without money, access to healthcare is slim picking, but what I didn't realize was that the stores actually stock based on the local population! I think that this is awful and is only contributing to the problem when it has the potential to resolve the issue by offering healthier choices that are as accessible to the people of the neighborhood as they are to those in wealthier neighborhoods. It is sad but wealth and health seem to go hand in hand these days. Great post!
Hi Rachel,
ReplyDeleteYes that is so sickening. Sometimes the greed in our country astonishes me. I have actually looked at the allowable foods to be purchased using food stamps and many of them are not healthy for a family to consume. I am not sure what the answer is to this serious problem but equipping poor families with better tools, like helping them grow their own vegetables or making healthier choices (not more expensive) while shopping could help.
This is my first Health Studies class. I am loving it so far!!
Now when you say she might have been a smoker due to her cough you heard in the video raises other concerns; for instance: she chooses smoking over filling her medications or buying food for her family. I never really understood why people smoke. It has no benefit whatsoever and all it does is harm to the smoker and all of the people around the smoker who have to inhale the second hand smoke. Not to mention the outrageous expense of smoking.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog post! I didn't choose this particular blog post but now I am going to go back and watch the video. It's terrible to think about the choices some people have to make. I don't feel that anyone should have to make a choice between being able to keep their family fed or a roof over their head (or clothed, or warm, or clean). I feel like in these rural areas families need to be educated in what they can do to grow their own fruits in vegetables. Composting is inexpensive and a great way to get healthy nutrients to growing vegetation. Municipalities could offer starter kits to families in need and teach them how to grow these healthy vegetable that are so expensive in our grocery stores. It's sickening how much money is being made off the organic market. I know how it is to grow up without a whole lot and I do have a budget that I stick to at the grocery store, but I would love to be able to grow my own fruits and vegetable so that I don't pay the premium.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion I think that Cathy believes that the healthcare system is unbroken. By working in the healthcare field I personally believe that the system needs to be overhauled. This system should be able to provide aid for all persons and not just some.
ReplyDelete