5 ms·

Poor on average take worse care of their health and fitness I think it can be primarily attributed to the low income jobs being more physically and emotionall

Poor on average take worse care of their health and fitness I think it can be primarily attributed to the low income jobs being more physically and emotionally draining which result in them being sapped by the time they reach home. This can also be witnessed in the amount of nurture they can provide to their offspring. An interesting argument in one of the Quora thread about being rich was that financial freedom let's them have the flexibility to spend more time with their kids.

jqm 11y ago
It could be that, but it could also be a general approach towards life. Certainly people are born into poor circumstances and have many misfortunes. At the same time some people (for whatever reason) are just lazy, sloppy and don't take care of their lives. This approach likely produces both poverty and poor health and almost certainly entails lack of exercise. We can't excuse every bad thing that happens as an event out of people's personal control. There is too much of that going on lately and it doesn't help anyone imop.
- Retra 11y ago
  Who's making excuses? Poor people often come from poor cultures -- ones that don't place value on things like jogging in the morning. That's just a fact, it isn't an excuse or a statement about personal control. And we, as a society, have the ability to influence both individual behavior and culture, so it doesn't even matter which one you want to assign blame to.
  - jqm 11y ago
    While not necessarily "excuse making", the original poster gives a reason he thinks poor people don't exercise (because they are working too hard). I believe, in general, the reasons poor people don't exercise are not that at all, but results from the same types of behaviors and attitudes that encourage poverty. I'm not assigning cause necessarily... I agree when you say the problem is likely often cultural. People from different cultures or with different metabolisms certainly have an easier/harder time dealing with certain things in life. But until attitudes and behaviors change (by whatever means), the facts on the ground stay the same. Very rarely is outcome 100% happenstance.
    - nwienert 11y ago
      Woah, I think you're way off here. All class systems are a result of how you're raised. Raise a "poor" person in a rich family and they will be smarter, more healthy, etc. Likewise take a rich baby and put it in a poor family and watch it's environment mold it. Humans in general are striking similar physically. We are all homo-sapiens. It's almost entirely nurture, it was sad to read your comment because to deny that being raised by parents who are often tired, overworked, underfed, undereducated, etc, etc, doesn't continue a cycle.
      - biomcgary 11y ago
        What published studies with adequate controls and replication show that "It's almost entirely nurture"? Do you think genetic variance between individuals is irrelevant for life outcomes? If genetics is not entirely irrelevant, do you think it might cumulatively affect individuals through a gene-by-environment interaction?
      - rizzom5000 11y ago
        > It's almost entirely nurture It might depend on what variables you're referring to, but according to some famous studies done on identical twins separated at birth; intelligence and personality are about 70% genetic and 30% environment. While these studies conclusively suggest that it's actually 'almost entirely nature', I agree that the potential 30% disadvantage is something that can and should be fixed.
      - jqm 11y ago
        I don't know how much nature/nurture is involved. I assume some percentage of each in most cases. And, I'm not blaming victims nor suggesting people pull themselves up by their bootstraps in the face of massive adversity (which is what people often appear to assume when "responsibility" is mentioned). Very simply, I don't think being overworked is the leading cause of the negative correlation between poverty and exercise (if one even exists). Instead, a confounding variable (a behavior or attitude) common to both poverty and lack of exercise exists and results in a manifestation of both (in most, but certainly not all cases).
    - 11y ago
fnordfnordfnord 11y ago
I think you're right, and furthermore note that low income jobs in the US rarely come with health insurance (until very recently), and also were lacking in paid sick leave. Some of these jobs will even fire you for taking unpaid sick leave. On top of all of that, although health clinics do exist which operate outside of normal working hours, the quality of care appears to be worse.
jahewson 11y ago
I think that's wildly speculative. A physically draining job should keep one somewhat fit and healthy, after all. That's to say nothing of the fact that the poorest people I've seen in the U.S. don't even have jobs. Their children too, are obese - which really suggests that it's more of a culture issue.
- myth_buster 11y ago
  A physically draining job should keep one somewhat fit and healthy, after all. Not necessarily, ex a waiter or a sales person would be drained by the end of the day but that doesn't make them fit and healthy. Their children too, are obese - which really suggests that it's more of a culture issue. There is a premium on healthy food while inexpensive food are fatty. "Organic produce" is multi-billion dollar industry. The not so expensive meat that is available are frozen and/or have hormones & preservatives. If you live off of "Dollar menu" you can't expect to be healthy. Most of the homeless are obese. If I'm perpetually hungry the chances are that I'll eat food that will take longer to digest and in turn make me hungry lesser times during the day.
mtdewcmu 11y ago
There's a simple economic explanation for why poor people might do less jogging. Jogging is a luxury activity: it takes time and energy, without producing any income; it doesn't get you a job or take care of the kids. If you are struggling just to get by, it wouldn't necessarily be a wise expenditure of energy. Poor people also tend to live in dangerous neighborhoods, which can make jogging a bad idea.

jqm 11y ago

It could be that, but it could also be a general approach towards life. Certainly people are born into poor circumstances and have many misfortunes. At the same time some people (for whatever reason) are just lazy, sloppy and don't take care of their lives. This approach likely produces both poverty and poor health and almost certainly entails lack of exercise. We can't excuse every bad thing that happens as an event out of people's personal control. There is too much of that going on lately and it doesn't help anyone imop.

Retra 11y ago
Who's making excuses? Poor people often come from poor cultures -- ones that don't place value on things like jogging in the morning. That's just a fact, it isn't an excuse or a statement about personal control. And we, as a society, have the ability to influence both individual behavior and culture, so it doesn't even matter which one you want to assign blame to.
- jqm 11y ago
  While not necessarily "excuse making", the original poster gives a reason he thinks poor people don't exercise (because they are working too hard). I believe, in general, the reasons poor people don't exercise are not that at all, but results from the same types of behaviors and attitudes that encourage poverty. I'm not assigning cause necessarily... I agree when you say the problem is likely often cultural. People from different cultures or with different metabolisms certainly have an easier/harder time dealing with certain things in life. But until attitudes and behaviors change (by whatever means), the facts on the ground stay the same. Very rarely is outcome 100% happenstance.
  - nwienert 11y ago
    Woah, I think you're way off here. All class systems are a result of how you're raised. Raise a "poor" person in a rich family and they will be smarter, more healthy, etc. Likewise take a rich baby and put it in a poor family and watch it's environment mold it. Humans in general are striking similar physically. We are all homo-sapiens. It's almost entirely nurture, it was sad to read your comment because to deny that being raised by parents who are often tired, overworked, underfed, undereducated, etc, etc, doesn't continue a cycle.
    - biomcgary 11y ago
      What published studies with adequate controls and replication show that "It's almost entirely nurture"? Do you think genetic variance between individuals is irrelevant for life outcomes? If genetics is not entirely irrelevant, do you think it might cumulatively affect individuals through a gene-by-environment interaction?
    - rizzom5000 11y ago
      > It's almost entirely nurture It might depend on what variables you're referring to, but according to some famous studies done on identical twins separated at birth; intelligence and personality are about 70% genetic and 30% environment. While these studies conclusively suggest that it's actually 'almost entirely nature', I agree that the potential 30% disadvantage is something that can and should be fixed.
    - jqm 11y ago
      I don't know how much nature/nurture is involved. I assume some percentage of each in most cases. And, I'm not blaming victims nor suggesting people pull themselves up by their bootstraps in the face of massive adversity (which is what people often appear to assume when "responsibility" is mentioned). Very simply, I don't think being overworked is the leading cause of the negative correlation between poverty and exercise (if one even exists). Instead, a confounding variable (a behavior or attitude) common to both poverty and lack of exercise exists and results in a manifestation of both (in most, but certainly not all cases).
  - 11y ago

fnordfnordfnord 11y ago

I think you're right, and furthermore note that low income jobs in the US rarely come with health insurance (until very recently), and also were lacking in paid sick leave. Some of these jobs will even fire you for taking unpaid sick leave. On top of all of that, although health clinics do exist which operate outside of normal working hours, the quality of care appears to be worse.

jahewson 11y ago

I think that's wildly speculative. A physically draining job should keep one somewhat fit and healthy, after all. That's to say nothing of the fact that the poorest people I've seen in the U.S. don't even have jobs. Their children too, are obese - which really suggests that it's more of a culture issue.

myth_buster 11y ago
A physically draining job should keep one somewhat fit and healthy, after all. Not necessarily, ex a waiter or a sales person would be drained by the end of the day but that doesn't make them fit and healthy. Their children too, are obese - which really suggests that it's more of a culture issue. There is a premium on healthy food while inexpensive food are fatty. "Organic produce" is multi-billion dollar industry. The not so expensive meat that is available are frozen and/or have hormones & preservatives. If you live off of "Dollar menu" you can't expect to be healthy. Most of the homeless are obese. If I'm perpetually hungry the chances are that I'll eat food that will take longer to digest and in turn make me hungry lesser times during the day.

mtdewcmu 11y ago

There's a simple economic explanation for why poor people might do less jogging. Jogging is a luxury activity: it takes time and energy, without producing any income; it doesn't get you a job or take care of the kids. If you are struggling just to get by, it wouldn't necessarily be a wise expenditure of energy. Poor people also tend to live in dangerous neighborhoods, which can make jogging a bad idea.