Vulnerable Populations

I was very surprised in the video 'What makes us get sick?' when Rishi Manchanda said that our living and working conditions have more than twice the impact on our health than does our genetic code. I feel like people consistently blame health problems on genetics. While I know that many health problems actually are genetic, there are so many that are not. I think there are many reasons why most people continue to believe that health problems are genetic. First, it is an easy explanation that removes the responsibility or fault on the individual. Second, I don't think the companies producing products that are toxic to humans and causing so many health problems want us to know that they are making us sick. The information is out there if you really look for it, but it's so much easier just to attribute a health condition as being genetic.

I think it is similar for the obesity epidemic. While it is true that our lifestyles are more sedentary than they used to be, there are so many other factors contributing to this. One huge factor is the foods we are eating, but it was a shock for me to learn that the products we use every day or that our mother used while she was pregnant also contribute significantly to this. Again, the companies producing these products don't want us to stop using them because that's how they make money. Physicians for Social Responsibility lists chemicals known to cause weight gain:

6 of the 8 chemicals listed above are in our food, in our homes, or in household and personal care products. I think the general population could tell you that sugar and high fructose corn syrup are bad for you and cause you to gain weight, but I don't think most people know about these other chemicals that are so common. It is very concerning to me that I didn't know about all these chemicals and I feel like I need to tell everyone I know about what I have learned so they too can avoid these.

Reference: Physicians for Social Responsibility [PSR] (2018) Obesity: Chemical Causes. Retrieved from https://www.psr.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/obesity-chemical-causes.pdf


Comments

  1. Terrianne GSeptember 15, 2018 at 1:54 PM

    I agree 100% with your post. A lot of people do not know how vulnerable they are to certain chemicals and how it can affect your body. People are more aware of Hormone disruptors and how they can affect their bodies - I actually overheard a conversation in a parking lot while walking my dog, where a man was spraying his aerosol sunblock spray and the wind blew at us covering us with his spray; the women coughed and commented "I don't want those hormone disruptors near me!" - that sparked what we are overviewing in our class...however I don't know how many other chemicals you breathe in without you knowing?

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    1. UnknownSeptember 16, 2018 at 10:59 PM

      When I think of vulnerable populations I think of where we live. I feel that is the number one determinant for me. If you live in a poorer neighborhood, a person is more likely to be poor and exposed to more chemicals, products with chemicals and not able to seek treatments as opposed to someone living in a gated community perhaps.

      I also feel that environmental factors, stress, access to safe play space additionally to foods we eat are all factors to childhood obesity.

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