Treating Laura

Abstract This chapter looks at how one’s health today is a product of one’s past, and the conditions of one’s upbringing. For example, a 42-year-old woman named Laura is treated for her asthma, osteoarthritis, and for being overweight. The doctor prescribes inhaled steroids for her asthma, anti-inflammatories for her arthritis, and recommends weight loss through better diet and exercise. Later, he guides Laura through the process of getting a knee replacement. There is nothing wrong with this course of treatment. However, it overlooks one key question: why did Laura get sick in the first place? The answers lie in the circumstances of Laura’s life. So, while Laura needs treatment in the present, her medical conditions are a product of her past, of the world in which she grew up. Not everyone is born to high-income, well-educated parents who live in good neighborhoods, with access to all the resources that create health. As such, people should make a collective choice to build a world that generates health. Instead of spending more and more money on health care, people should invest in a world that produces, promotes, and supports health.