The journey of UNNATURAL CAUSES took us to deconstructing our very ideas about health in society. Llew Smith: This series led us to go further than exploding myths. And we learned that it isn’t just African Americans or the poor leading sicker, shorter lives because of inequality, but white, middle class Americans too. That's when we first realized how the "outside" – our social and economic environment – could get under our skin and disrupt our biology as surely as germs and viruses.Īs the RACE series screened around the country, folks brought to our attention literally hundreds of studies and journal articles describing the many pathways by which class and racism influence health outcomes as surely as diet, smoking and exercise do. Instead of some mythical genetic variant, the real culprit behind these high blood pressure rates is more likely rooted in the stresses of everyday life particular to the African American experience, i.e., racism. The knee-jerk hypothesis among some scientists was that this had something to do with genes, but that idea was exploded by research showing that West Africans (whose ancestors are shared by many African Americans) enjoy one of the lowest hypertension rates in the world. We found out that African Americans have one of the highest hypertension rates in the world. Producers Larry Adelman and Llew Smith Larry Adelman: The seed was planted several years ago when we were making RACE - The Power of an Illusion, a series that explored popular myths and misconceptions about race. Justice, racial equality and caring communities may be the best medicinesĬreators Muse: A Conversation with Larry Adelman and Llew Smith Will help you work towards better health by bringing into view how economic We hope that UNNATURAL CAUSES and its companion tools Other nations already have, and they live longer, healthier That we as a community, as states, and as a nation have made, and can The unequal distribution of these social conditions – and their healthĬonsequences – are not natural or inevitable. Our access to resources and even our tax policies are health issues everyīit as critical as diet, smoking and exercise. The wages andīenefits we're paid, the neighborhoods we live in, the schools we attend, Economic and racial inequality are not abstract conceptsīut hospitalize and kill even more people than cigarettes. Root causes of health and illness and to help reframe the debate about We produced UNNATURAL CAUSES to draw attention to the But evidence suggests they miss the most vitalįactor of all: how the social circumstances in which we are born, liveĪnd work can get under our skin and disrupt our biology as surely as germs Healthy behaviors, molecular research, and of course, universal healthĬare are all important. And illness now costs American business more than $1 trillion In 1980, we ranked 14th in life expectancy by 2007, we had fallen to 29th. Our international health status has fallen radically in the last few decades. Recent Latino immigrants, for example, though typically poorer than the average American, have better health. But the longer they live here, the more their health advantage erodes. Interestingly, that’s not the case for most new groups of immigrants of color. Native Americans and Pacific Islanders often fare worse than their whiteĬounterparts. It's not just the poor who are sick.Įven the middle classes die, on average, almost three years sooner thanĪt every step down the socio-economic ladder, African Americans, Yet we have among the worst disease outcomes of any industrialized nation –Īnd the greatest health inequities. Twice what the average rich country spends per person on medical care. Videos and spas sells healthy "lifestyles." We spend more than Trumpet the latest gene and drug discoveries, dietary supplements line shelfĪfter shelf in the supermarket and a multi-billion dollar industry of magazines, It often appears that we Americans are obsessed with health. Series Executive Producer & Co-Director of California Newsreel
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