If you want to be healthy, try not being poor

On Friday September 27, Joe and I attended a workshop in Pembroke titled ‘Creating a Better Future for Our Children.’ The day featured a keynote address by Dennis Raphael, a professor from York University and a well-known expert on the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH). This was followed by break-out sessions in which smaller groups gathered to discuss more specific aspects of the SDOH.

While I learned many interesting things and heard a lot of detailed statistics, the main theme of the day was definitely that poverty is bad for your health. Not surprised? Neither was I, but the information came from a perspective I had not considered before. Dr. Raphael pointed out that while health agencies are busy with public education projects teaching people to eat fruits and vegetables, get regular exercise and use sunscreen, people living in poverty are suffering from ill-health not because of poor choices on their part, but rather from the reality of their situation. As Dr. Raphael says: “in North America we are absolutely fixated on health behaviours…but once you pay attention to a person’s social conditions you find health behaviours have little effect on those who are poor.” In a system such as ours which sustains people in poverty and limits their ability to make healthy choices, educating them on such choices is laughable.

Logically extending from this conclusion is the lesson that if we want to improve the health of hundreds of thousands of Canadians we need to address the social conditions that cause ill health. Rather than teaching about the importance of a balanced diet, we need to demand that our government take preventative action against poverty. People know the facts. The conclusion that poverty is bad for your health is nothing new. Despite this, change is slow and in many cases non-existent. If there was one resounding message of the day, it was this: Canadians need to join together and show our government that we expect poverty eradication to be a priority, not just in words but in concrete action.

But where do we start? Sign on to Dignity for All: the campaign for a poverty-free Canada. Lobby your MP about upcoming bills that could have a positive impact on poverty levels (and consequently health) in this country, such as Bill C-304 and Bill C-545. Educate yourself on poverty in Canada. And, express yourself with your vote.

There is no reason why the situation of poverty and health should be what it is in Canada. When hearing about the declining health of the Canadian population, citizens should look beyond the ‘healthy choices’ reasoning that is provided and question whether those ‘choices’ are even an option.