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Health is a web of conversation that seems to never end. Topics such as insurance, afford-ability, hospitals and the difference between nonprofit or for profit institutions, and the cost of living healthy all interconnect with each other and I think more than ever the health sector is the most expensive for all.The health sector is the largest nonprofit sector, it brings in half of the revenue and supplies half of the jobs. Although the health sector always needs people in order to operate, it is the cost of living healthy that could be expensive for many in the United States. I would like to go beyond the issue of insurance policy and the policies that the hospitals, treatment centers and nursing homes have in place and focus on prevention of bad health.
The United States is rated nineteenth highest within the most industrialized nations to have a high infant mortality rate. The country has it’s first generation of children that are expected to die before their parents due to obesity and the complications that are to follow due to being over weight. When I first heard of this statistic it not only brings of feelings of anger, sadness, disappointment but also a hint of hopelessness. (What people do not tell you about college is that as a student you are thrown with a bunch of statistics about the world and it makes you realize how sad the world is.) Questions that beg to be asked is how did is happen? and most importantly in my mind, why is there no prevention for obesity?
I am a big fan of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution on ABC and in an episode Oliver came into a first grade class and asked the students what the names of certain vegetables were and they could not name what a tomato, potato, cauliflower or eggplant was, but they knew what ketchup and fries were. Do we see a red flag waving yet? What happened to the Food pyramid? Sure, many would say that “well, they are only first graders” but is it not the most important to start them with a healthy learning experience by learning the basics? If kids start to learn the alphabet, count numbers and the basics of mathematics, attend physical education, library and music, why can’t they learn about food?
It seems to be the theme within the health sector that prevention comes after solution. I honestly do not know why that is either, because I feel like that would cost more money than if we were to focus on prevention. We should not wait until there is a problem to solve it. It is hard to say how prevention can begin because it would have to be a collective effort from schools, hospitals, parents and small organizations perhaps even more.
I understand that adults are busy and it is less time consuming and slightly cheaper to buy pre-made food, but things add up and ultimately the price that we pay is more than just the bills for medicine, doctor visits but the price of being healthy and alive to live. Something to think about.
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Great post! If you’re interested in this issue of preventative care and healthy communities, one of my closest friends in grad school lives and breathes this stuff and would be a great resource for you to bounce ideas off of. Seriously, say the word and I’ll make the connection. (5/5)
Comment by intro2nonprofitsector May 10, 2010 @ 1:38 am[...] near. The student blogroll has been on fire with discussions of health care and education, from pondering the pursuit of healthy living to thoughtful considerations of the charter school debate. This “student highlight [...]
Pingback by Highlights from the Student Blogroll: Advocates, Artists, and… ALF? « PPPM 280: Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector May 10, 2010 @ 8:43 pm