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Health Care: Facts and Sources
In 1990, 13% of North Carolinians were obese. Now, 26% are. That's twice as many; one in four people. What is going on? Why are we getting so heavy, so fast? And what impact is obesity having on our health, and on our health care system?
(Source: report page 65)
A lot of us don't eat very well. We don't exercise enough. We're heavier than we should be; not as healthy as we hope. It's a personal problem… but it's also a huge public health concern, some would say an emergency. And it's expensive. 24 billion dollars a year in North Carolina alone. That's what one study estimated as the annual economic cost of unhealthy lifestyles in this state. What's going on? And what's being done about it? (report page 7)
A white baby girl born in North Carolina can expect to live until she is nearly 80 years old. But statistics show a black baby boy will only make it to the age of 68 - and, he is likely to be sick for 15 years of his life. Why? What's making some people sick while others stay well? And what do income, education, access to health insurance -- and the health care system itself - have to do with it?
(report page 1)
People who do not have health insurance tend to be sicker than people who do. They're less likely to get preventive screening for diseases, less likely to get care for chronic conditions, and more likely to be in the hospital for preventable problems. So is not having health insurance making people sick? Would more health insurance coverage actually make people healthier? What are the connections between health and health care?
(report)
What Do You Think? |
