With word of healthcare reform on the table, many groups have gone on the attack, creating commercials and giving speeches that compare Obama’s health reform to “socialized medicine”.
According to Tuesday’s New York Times article, the new website, Health Insurance Reform Reality Check, will serve as an informational tool to give Americans the facts they need to know, while also fighting back against opposition, including some members of the Republican party.

Throughout the web page, videos are available explaining what Obama’s health plan entails and how this will or will not affect our health care.  In one of President Obama’s quotes listed on the website he mentions:

Whether or not you have health insurance right now, the reforms we seek will bring stability and security that you don’t have today.  This isn’t about politics. This is about people’s lives. This is about people’s businesses.  This is about people’s futures.

In addition to the website, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Representative Steny Hoyer wrote an opinion article in USA today on Monday countering attacks by conservative protesters.

As President Obama’s health plan slowly unravels, the fight between supporters and opposition will continue.  Therefore it is important that we know the facts– not just from one sides point of view, but from both.

With word of healthcare reform on the table, many groups have gone on the attack, creating commercials and giving speeches that compare Obama’s health reform to “socialized medicine”.
According to Tuesday’s New York Times article, the new website, Health Insurance Reform Reality Check, will serve as an informational tool to give Americans the facts they need to know, while also fighting back against opposition, including some members of the Republican party.

Throughout the web page, videos are available explaining what Obama’s health plan entails and how this will or will not affect our health care.  In one of President Obama’s quotes listed on the website he mentions:

Whether or not you have health insurance right now, the reforms we seek will bring stability and security that you don’t have today.  This isn’t about politics. This is about people’s lives. This is about people’s businesses.  This is about people’s futures.

In addition to the website, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Representative Steny Hoyer wrote an opinion article in USA today on Monday countering attacks by conservative protesters.

As President Obama’s health plan slowly unravels, the fight between supporters and opposition will continue.  Therefore it is important that we know the facts– not just from one sides point of view, but from both.

If you’re a New Yorker, the answer might very well be the Hunts Point Terminal Market.  Located in the South Bronx, the market receives produce daily, which is then sold to grocery stores and bodega owners.  In fact, the terminal is responsible for feeding approximately 9% of the U.S. population.

Trucks pay $11.00 to enter the terminal, and can then load up with whatever produce they need.  Each item is sold by the box, varying from apples to potatoes to pure sugar cane.  Depending on a store owners neighborhood, community preference and cost, each store owner purchases whatever suits their store best.  According to the Hunts Point Terminal website, the market caters to the largest ethnically diverse region in the world.

However, with the terminal located in the heart of the South Bronx, it is interesting to see that many of the local bodegas lack fresh fruits and vegetables.  Instead, bodegas are laden with chips, whole milk and sugary snacks.  Not surprisingly, the incidence of obesity and diabetes in the South Bronx is significantly higher than that of other New York neighborhoods.

For some, it’s hard to imagine that the neighborhood with one of the biggest food terminal markets in the world has the least amount of fresh produce.  How could this be?  One reason may be that local store owners do not have permits for the terminal. Getting a permit requires a certificate of occupancy, proof of business with two merchants, banking information, social security numbers, license plate information and proof of insurance, which may not be easy for some of the smaller stores.

Another reason may be the demands of neighborhood populations.  For some store owners, knowing the affordability and preference of their community may impact the food selection they have in their store.  For example, if a store owner attempted to bring in a larger variety of fresh vegetables and no one purchases them, is it in their best interest to continue bringing that produce in?  Probably not.  But then again, is a communities demand really based on their choice, or the food options they are given?

 According to the show, some of New York’s hospitals, including Montefiore, New York Presbysterian and Mount Sinai are accused of discrimination based on patient health insurance status, creating a separate but equal form of treatment, where people without health insurance are sent to outpatient clinics while the insured are treated by different providers.  The findings also show that the uninsured as well as Black and Latino’s are less likely to have continuity in care than their White counterparts.

The issue came to light when the Bronx Health Reach organization filed a civil rights complaint with the Attorney General of New York State in June 2008.  

Throughout the piece, Dr. Sanjay Gupta discusses the issue and interviewed patients, among them Rev. Gary Spears of the South Bronx.  During his interview, he explained how a cut on his finger went unnoticed by doctors, even after becoming infected and causing side effects including nausea, frequent urination, loss of appetite and weight loss.  It wasn’t until he met Dr. Calman, that he was diagnosed with diabetes.

Although many of the symptoms were there, it took some time for Rev. Spears to be diagnosed.  Unfortunately, delays in treatment are not uncommon.  According to Dr. Calman:

It’s been absolutely proven through studies that a black man and a white man going to the hospital with exactly the same complaint will be treated different.

This goes hand in hand with what Rev. Spears believes– that he was treated differently and denied adequate treatment because he is black.

So where do we go from here?  In many areas, such as the Bronx, minorities account for a large portion of the population.  If racism does indeed exist in our health care system, what does that mean for these neighborhoods, and how do we move in a positive direction?

Obesity is determined by looking at your body mass index (BMI).  This is a measure of your body fat calculated by looking at your height to weight ratio.  For adults, a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese.  To figure out your BMI, click here.  

For public health officials, obesity issues are raising a lot of concern because of the link that obesity can have to health issues such as diabetes and heart disease, among others.  Diabetes rates have been climbing in the United States as well, and we are starting to see more and more children getting Type 2 diabetes.

Furthermore, along with increased health risks comes increased health costs.  By continuing to eat unhealthy foods and limit exercise, both adults and children are increasing their likelihood of negative health outcomes.  

According to the  Wall Street Journal, 12 states have established rules on what types of foods can be sold in schools in an attempt to address the issue. And while the idea been debated before, beverage makers are starting to support the notion of healthier foods and drinks in schools.  One reason may be that many companies have started to produce healthier options.  For example, Coca-Cola, rather than pushing sales for soda in school, can now push healthier alternatives such as Dasani or Vitamin Water, still allowing them to make a profit.

As we continue to watch obesity rates increase in America, we have to think of the issues that cause it.  Who’s at fault, the individual, society or both?  We have to remember that there are many different factors that cause obesity.  Some examples are one’s neighborhood, income, social networks and advertising.  Therefore when addressing obesity, we need to consider a holistic approach for solving the issue.

Photo courtesy of Lisa at Sociological Images

In today’s society, we are surrounded by sex– in music, on TV, magazines and in advertising. So it is no surprise that advertisers are using sex appeal to sell their products.  But as consumers, what we fail to see is how advertisements like these portray women, and the effect that these ads have on our health.

When looking at advertisements, it appears that “working your sexy” is the way to be successful. Wear less clothes, get some attention. This is the message that our youth are getting in todays society.

Not surprisingly, kids are starting todress sexier at younger ages in an attempt to follow music icons and movie stars.  But for many young adults, what these ads and portrayals of women fail to tell them is that what working your sexy also comes with risks, like sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancies.  

Going back for centuries, women have been portrayed as the weaker sex.  We are paid less, considered submissive and are portrayed by advertisers as either sexual objects or clueless females.  And while women have fought to gain equality, these advertisements serve as examples that we still have a long way to go.

Photo courtesy of Made You Look

So where do we draw the line, and how do we get a working health care system in America?  This week, four different health care plans will be proposed by Congress, one of which will be a tax-payer financed public plan.  In this scenario, the hope is that the plan will drive down the costs of care by competing with private insurers. 

While this plan may show promise, we have to remember that change won’t come easily.  After all, health care is a “for profit” business in this country, and change that would affect the profits of health insurance companies will not happen without a fight.  In the meantime, for every American living without health insurance, they’ll have to rely on hope– that they don’t get sick, racking up thousands of dollars in medical debt.

A clip taken from the online video game, where players get points for shooting Mexicans

You would think that in the 21st century racism would be a thing of the past—if only we lived in a perfect world.

In the picture above, you can see an excerpt from an online video game, Border Patrol, where the goal is to shoot as many Mexicans trying to cross over the border into the United States as you can.  As mentioned in a blog from Sociological Images, your main targets are drug dealers, Mexican nationals and pregnant women, referred to as “breeders.”  The game insinuates that pregnant Mexicans cross the border and run to the welfare office as depicted in the sign.  Every person that you miss gives you negative points, and at the end of the game, you are given a tally of how many “wetbacks” you shot.

It is unbelievable that in the 21^st century we are seeing video games portraying this type of violence and racism.  What type of message are we sending to the youth of America?

Even worse is that there are people who actually enjoy playing, including government officials like former Georgia Councilman John Dowdy.  According to Kotaku, after playing the game and passing a racist email around his office, Dowdy was forced to resign.

Looking at the racist comments that players have made and the fact that someone would even create a game like this indicates that we are a long way from equality in the United States.

This blog can also be viewed here