10. Threats to Health
Weight: Too Much & Too Little
• Increased rates of eating disorders in the US but also
most obese nation
• Fat used to be a sign of health (thinness was caused by a
lack of resources to purchase food)
Disabling Environment
• Hazardous/Dangerous jobs, living near toxic waste, pollution,
working with harmful chemicals
Drugs
Alcohol: Biological Gender differences exist in effects,
but higher rates of alcoholism for men
Nicotine: Most lethal recreational drug (Addictive) &
Advertising targets youth
10
12. Issues in Health Care
Depersonalization
Emphasis on Efficiency instead of bedside manner
Malpractice Suits & Defensive Medicine
Average DR earns ≈$250k/yr, but owe ≈$100k for med school, &
expensive malpractice insurance → consequently, Drs order more
tests to cover themselves which is costly to patients
Medical Incompetence (wrong side, wrong patient, wrong
procedure, staff infection deaths, utensils left in body, etc)
Mistakes kill ≈90,000 patients/yr (6th leading cause of death)
Conflict of Interest: allegiance lies elsewhere than
with patient
Stock in medication, drug company gifts, owning labs,
self-referrals
12
13. Issues in Health Care
Medical Fraud
White-collar crime (diluting drugs, false reports to
Medicare/insurance, harmful side effects not explained, etc)
Medicalization
Life event redefined as a medical issue (ADD,
grief, Restless Leg Syndrome, wrinkles, balding, obesity, ED)
Female bodies are medicalized more than
male bodies (hysteria of the past, mammoplasty, plastic
surgery, PMS, PMDD, birth control, pregnancy, miscarriage,
abortion, childbirth, menopause)
13
14. Issues in Health Care
Sexism & Racism in medicine
• Female patients taken less seriously than
males
• Forced hysterectomies not uncommon for
Mexican women
• Less hospitals in black neighborhoods, and of
poorer quality
Euthanasia
• Lot of money spent on last year of life quality-
of-life care
• Legal in WA & OR
14
15. Blacks have higher rates of HIV/AIDS, accidents,
cancer, diabetes, sickle cell anemia
Causes of these rates:
– Genetic differences (accounts for little)
– Physical exertion (manual labor)
– Psychological distress (discrimination)
– Dietary consumption
– Poorer medical care
15
16. Women have higher rates of depression, anxiety, &
autoimmune diseases; lower rates of alcohol & drug
dependency; longer life expectancy
Causes for Gender differences:
– Biological risks
– Differing social factors (occupation, unpaid
labor, risk-taking)
– Psychosocial symptoms/care
– Health reporting (men less likely to report)
16
17. The US spends more money on HC than any other
country (but govt pays smallest portion):
Germany – 11%
Japan – 8%
Great Britain – 8%
-VS-
US 1960s – 5%
US Clinton Era – 14%
US 2008 – 16%
_______________________________________
Inflation 2006 2007
Average Inflation: $100 $103.50
Inflation of HC: $100 $116.00
17
19. In US:
-$2 trillion spent on HC/yr
-Up to 24% of HC costs are spent on administration
-Only 10% of drug companies’ expenditures spent on
Research & Development
>50% of all bankruptcies due to unpaid medical bills
-WHO ranked HC systems worldwide: #1 France, #2
Italy… #30 Canada, #34 US
-45 million people don’t have health insurance
(largest group are college-aged)
• This is changing with implementation of Affordable Care
Act
19
