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The findings underscore public health research showing that healthy habits matter. The JAMA paper found that several measures of access to medical care had no c

The findings underscore public health research showing that healthy habits matter. The JAMA paper found that several measures of access to medical care had no clear relationship with longevity among the poor. But there were correlations with smoking, exercise and obesity. ... The city also imposed novel regulations on restaurants and food, banning trans fats that are associated with heart disease, and requiring chain restaurants to post calorie counts on menus. Efforts to tax or limit soda sales were unsuccessful, but public campaigns to discourage unhealthy eating were widespread. The implication is that the nanny state has to step in because the poor don't exercise personal responsibility as diligently as the non-poor. Sad.

elthran 11y ago
Or are these people poor /because/ they don't exercise personal responsibility as diligently? I can easily see the arguments for the causation going either way
- lr4444lr 11y ago
  Yes, that's part of the implication the findings appear to make. I don't see what you're saying differently.
loudin 11y ago
Which is completely absurd because not only were many of these laws recently enacted, but their the efficacy of some rules is also questionable (most notably the calorie count law). I wouldn't be surprised if most of the difference cited by this study was due to walking. I know that I've had to exert extra effort living in SF to be more active than I had to when I lived in NYC. I wonder if there will be a follow-up study looking into the actual reasons why life expectancy is higher in NYC.
- wutbrodo 11y ago
  > I wouldn't be surprised if most of the difference cited by this study was due to walking. I know that I've had to exert extra effort living in SF to be more active than I had to when I lived in NYC. Wow I find this kinda surprising. I walk more or less as much in sf as in NY, if only because roughly 100% of the time, the weather is comfortable enough to enjoy walking in (as opposed to Manhattan in the summer.... Or the winter). Then again, I think my house is unusually well connected to transit, so maybe where you live transit+walking isn't as feasible an option.
locopati 11y ago
Easy to judge when you're doing well, eh?
kaonashi 11y ago
Yea, has nothing to do with the relative costs of each type of food. I've also heard people bitch about seeing SNAP-card holders shop at Whole Foods, so I guess both choices are wrong.
- cylinder 11y ago
  Literally just saw this an hour ago. When SNAP carders are spending freely on Whole Foods prepared meals I'd never touch, and I'm walking around the city for 30min trying to find a decent lunch under $8, I find my anger to be reasonable.

elthran 11y ago

Or are these people poor /because/ they don't exercise personal responsibility as diligently? I can easily see the arguments for the causation going either way

lr4444lr 11y ago
Yes, that's part of the implication the findings appear to make. I don't see what you're saying differently.

loudin 11y ago

Which is completely absurd because not only were many of these laws recently enacted, but their the efficacy of some rules is also questionable (most notably the calorie count law). I wouldn't be surprised if most of the difference cited by this study was due to walking. I know that I've had to exert extra effort living in SF to be more active than I had to when I lived in NYC. I wonder if there will be a follow-up study looking into the actual reasons why life expectancy is higher in NYC.

wutbrodo 11y ago
> I wouldn't be surprised if most of the difference cited by this study was due to walking. I know that I've had to exert extra effort living in SF to be more active than I had to when I lived in NYC. Wow I find this kinda surprising. I walk more or less as much in sf as in NY, if only because roughly 100% of the time, the weather is comfortable enough to enjoy walking in (as opposed to Manhattan in the summer.... Or the winter). Then again, I think my house is unusually well connected to transit, so maybe where you live transit+walking isn't as feasible an option.

locopati 11y ago

Easy to judge when you're doing well, eh?

kaonashi 11y ago

Yea, has nothing to do with the relative costs of each type of food. I've also heard people bitch about seeing SNAP-card holders shop at Whole Foods, so I guess both choices are wrong.

cylinder 11y ago
Literally just saw this an hour ago. When SNAP carders are spending freely on Whole Foods prepared meals I'd never touch, and I'm walking around the city for 30min trying to find a decent lunch under $8, I find my anger to be reasonable.