Defining Health: A Study of Social Inequalities

Health in Relation to Social Inequality

Imagine you are sitting on a park bench and two different people pass you- one is an overweight young man who is smoking a cigarette and the other is a slim woman of about the same age who is jogging. Who is healthier, the man or the woman? Now imagine you actually know the woman and know that she has cystic fibrosis. Who is healthier, the man or the woman? Now imagine you know the man as well, and know that he has severe depression. Who is healthier, the man or the woman? ‘Health’ can be seen as a very vague term. Many people have different understandings of it and what it means to be ‘healthy’. This paper will examine the different ways that health can be defined and it will justify the approach which

Social inequality is the disparity and unequal distribution between different groups in a society. Inequalities can be detrimental to health as a result of lack of income, resources or opportunities (bbc.co.uk, 2017). The effects can harm the physical, mental and social well-being of individuals and also cause illness and disease.

The social class someone belongs to is a major factor in determining how healthy they are. Social class is the most singular reason for differences in health between people in the UK since social class is closely linked to available wealth, itself a key determinant in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Hence, almost all social inequalities which affect health are related to social class. Unsurprisingly people in lower social classes tend to be less healthy than their middle-class counterparts (Warwick-Booth, Cross, and Lowcock, 2012). Geography is an important factor when determining standards of health. On a regional scale geography links to social class. There are clear differences in average life expectancies between different cities in the UK. For example, the life expectancy of men in Manchester is

This is known as a ‘food desert’. Food deserts can cause people to consume a bad diet and become overweight. Being obese can heighten risk of type 2 diabetes and cancer. A healthy diet is expensive and so unaffordable to many. For example, two peppers can cost the same as ten frozen fish fingers, encouraging families who are on a budget to choose the unhealthier option. Poor diet can also be caused by a lack of education as some people do not know how to cook healthy food as no one has shown them. Wealthier people can afford healthier food and understand the benefit of it due to education and awareness raising campaigns. They are also more likely to know how to cook healthy meals and can afford to take a chance with trying new things. As well as that, many manual workers, mostly the profession of working class people, see physical activity as something they have to do in their job and become inactive in their leisure time whereas many in the professional classes exercise vigorously in their leisure time. Unemployed people are often very inactive because they have no incentive or need to leave their house. Wealthy people are more likely to participate in and can afford more healthy leisure activities such as having a gym membership. These