Study spotlights bleak effects of poverty

[AlphaCentauri]

Source: SFG

A black child in West Oakland is much more likely to be born prematurely and into poverty than a white child in the Oakland hills. In school, he's less likely to read at grade level and more likely to drop out.

As an adult, he's more prone to diabetes, heart disease, cancer or stroke. And he can expect to die nearly 15 years earlier.

Illustrating the profound societal impact of chronic poverty, a new report released Thursday by the Alameda County Public Health Department documents health disparities by neighborhood, income and race. It highlights a widening social, economic and health gap in the county - as poverty goes up, life expectancy goes down.

"The data are overwhelming," said Dr. Tony Iton, the county's public health director. "It is shocking. It is not unique to West Oakland. You see it in Bayview-Hunters Point, in Richmond, in Cleveland and Detroit."

A variety of factors, he said, affect whether a person thrives or doesn't - education, income, transportation, housing, criminal justice, air quality, exercise, access to nutritious food or health care. Toxic stressors such as poverty, racism and discrimination cause a cumulative physical impact "that affects the body over time and leads to fewer years of life," he said.



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/18/MN8K107HDN.DTL&feed=rss.business

[Warpy]

1. Poverty is a WMD

that is used very effectively by the few against the many.

Understand this and you understand a lot about the world we're living in.

[Cant trust em]

2. and according to GWB we can't find them here or in Iraq

The man is a shameful blight on our country.

[AlphaCentauri]

4. Voters some times lost their priorities

electing GWB for a second term was amazingly shocking, I hope this election year turn into a campaign about issues not character crap

[Cant trust em]

6. So says you, me and nearly everyone but Gibson/Stephanapoulos. NT

[flashl]

3. K&R

[ToughLuck]

5. The legacy of Bush, and Pelosi for not stopping this maniac..very sad.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.