Marxism And Health

Doctors can be portrayed as agents of capitalism. It can be seen that they tend to hide the real causes of illness (poverty and class inequality) and portray illness through the patient’s physical symptoms rather than their economic status. For example, doctors can prescribe their patient with medication (which they may need to be pay for) that isn't effective making them have to buy more.

Marxist theory believes that there is a relationship between health and illness and capitalist social organisation. The main focus is on how the definition and treatment of health and illness are influenced by the nature of economic activity in a capitalist society. Marxist believe that the health service exists for two reasons, they believe it has a genuine role in that it persuades a large number of the population that capitalism ‘cares’ for them (Moore, 2008 p.263).

The Marxist approach looks at the two reasons they believe the health service exists, firstly it persuades society that our capitalist society cares, it legitimises capitalism by limiting social unrest and class conflict. The second reason, is that is enables the workers to carry on working for the bosses, as when they are ill the health service makes them better and allows them to carry on being a productive member of the workforce. This theory would explain why certain members of society such as the elderly and those with mental health problems receive less funding and care, they are not productive members of society therefore receive less expenditure.

Take a gander around your local mega-mart today, and what do you see? An epidemic of food like substances taking over the supermarket shelves; an epidemic that has substituted real food for fake, shown links to obesity, and has altered our eating habits. There is, however, a solution that allows you to stick to the healthy foods you want to eat and avoid the foods you don’t.

With having true genuine intentions in eating healthy people fall into the ideas advertised by cooperation’s that their products are healthy. Food corporations protect themselves through ingredient secrecy and even through the FDA because they are not required by law to disclose their ingredients; however, the chemicals used need to be considered by the FDA to be Generally Regarded As Safe (Schlosser 25). People should take responsibility in the research of the food products they consume; therefore, allowing an individual to be wise and informed of what their really consuming. Maybe, instead of cutting corners in trying to eat healthy with false idealistic advertisement consumers should consider eating fresh fruits, vegetables, and cooking ingredients. Consumers should like the author Pollan suggested in his rules of thumb: avoid food products unfamiliar, unpronounceable ingredients, and products containing more than five ingredients (Pollan

Journalist and novelist Michael Pollan writes about the trials and tribulations surrounding food in North America and raises questions regarding Western diet, which is mostly comprised of refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup and corn in general. He reiterates that chemically generated food is creating disease in North Americans; If we eliminate these factors and adopt the eating habits of less industrialized places in the world will we in our lifetime see rates of heart disease, type two diabetes and obesity decline dramatically? The western diet has evolved drastically in the last sixty years, so much so that people have become codependent on the government, dietitians and food agencies regarding their health and what to consume. The land is suffering from pesticides and singular plant farming, the alternative to this is to buy organic but at a higher price. Media has influenced the consumer to read the label and accept and trust the daily vitamin percentages on the box, as this is what is best for them. Money is the key factor in all of this and the government, scientific research and media know that, therefor the public is in for a shock when they realize that the very labels that are supposed to save them have fooled them.

David Zinczenko's article "Don't Blame the Eater" discuses with regard to a series of health-related topics involving food that most people and, particularly, young individuals eat today. The article is meant to raise public awareness concerning the risks associated with consuming particular foods. These respective risks are generally ignored because companies selling the products refrain from emphasizing the exact effects that consuming their food can have on someone's health. The reality is that cheap foods are an appealing alternative for young people who are more concerned about the quantity than the quality of the foods they eat.

In the article “How Junk Food Can End Obesity,” the author David H. Freeman demonstrates how so many people are very poorly informed on the facts of processed foods and how bad it is for one’s health, he goes on to explain how wholesome foods are supposed to be primarily better for the health of an individual, but that is not necessarily true. In our society, we loudly blame processed food companies mainly directed at fast food companies, for the sole contribution to the increasing rate of obesity. Freedman argues how it is not just fast food companies that are playing such a huge factor, but also the “all-natural organic” stores, like Whole Foods, that we love so much. Its clear most American’s see “all-natural, processed free” products and there is a huge chance that we purchase that product, simply because the advertising draws us in. Another thing he does is gives great examples of how more healthy stores may actually have products that are more harmful than not. He also mentions many different articles that he has read throughout his essay to show the

More and more health-conscious individuals are scrutinizing the source of the food their family consumes. However, even the most conscientious consumer is not fully aware of the exhaustive efforts and struggle to get a juicy, ripe strawberry or that plump tomato in the middle of winter, even in Florida. These foods are harvested and picked mostly by seasonal and migrant farm workers. Migrant workers hail, in large part, from Mexico and the Caribbean, and their families often travel with them. Migrant farm workers must endure challenging conditions so that Americans can have the beautiful selection of berries, tomatoes, and other fresh foods often found at places like a farmer’s market or a traditional super market. Seasonal and

These powerful alliances requires the consumer to navigate through the confusing food environment and to pay close attention to nutritional facts, labels, and to carefully and consciously be mindful of advertisement of all sorts of media. For farmers, its a crippling business system that destroys their profession. For consumers, who do not make a conscious effort where they shop and what they eat subjects themselves to a lifestyle that can progressively lead to obesity and many other life threatening diseases. The politics of obesity and disease within the food industry is a public health concern.

The “Sociological Perspective on Health and the Health Care” introduced perspectives about social structure, and social relations. The readers learn the sociological theory and the main misconceptions related to health care, and their policies. It provides an explanation of the production and the distribution of health care services. Firstly, structural functionalism focuses on individuals and groups in society and how it maintains a social role. Furthermore, symbolic interactionism focus on the conflicts in interaction amongst individuals. Moreover, social constructionism focuses on the medical facts and social authority and the reign over all in society. Also, gender and race influence the social conditions, and implications evident in Canadian health. Class conflicts with the control of power and the relationship between the employers and employees. It enhances the inequality evident in workplaces and the social stratification; ranking one by their assets. Materialism portrays that society is a social consensus rather than a conflict. However, this conflicts between the rich and the poor. Therefore, the healthcare impacts the minority, and affects it the most. Since the rich have an advantage of other options, however the minority struggles to afford private health care or buy their way around. Furthermore, the Marxist theory and oppression focuses on the exploitation by capitalism. It emphasizes on

An application of the Marxist approach to health will first identify the role of medical science and it's association with all other parts that create a capitalist economy that are inherently geared to the accumulation of capital and that the healthcare system, and specifically doctors as agents of the state, promotes individual responsibility of illness (Navarro, 1979) that is evocative of the predominant ideology of the state and political system that is geared to a capitalist economy and individualistic world view. Secondly health as a

Many feel that self-esteem is something that only teenagers worry about but self-esteem is something that has to constantly be taken care of. When people feel bad about themselves they just are not happy. Moreover when women become older age begins to take its toll. Although some woman view laugh lines and wrinkles as a rite of passage most view wrinkles has a sign of getting older and weaker. So instead of letting nature run its course woman all over North America run to the doctors for major surgery. A face-lift is the most common plastic surgery among older woman. A face-lift is when a doctor makes an incision along the hairline and pulls back on the skin and make it tighter. Thus making a woman appear twenty years younger. Many older women go to this procedure as a fix to make them feel younger and raise their self-esteem. Plastic surgery is not something that just older women turn to woman of all ages in there twenties and thirties also go to plastic surgery for a self-esteem boost. Younger women turn to surgeries like nose jobs, breast implants, buttox implants, cheek implants, collagen implants and liposuction to help make they feel better. Women want to feel more attractive to men so they try to become the unachievable, the Barbie. The perfect Barbie doll-image that woman of all ages strives for. Most people do not view surgery as a major process; they see

In a society so consumed by the ideology of beauty, it makes sense as to why so many women these days undergo cosmetic surgery. The definition of beauty has long been obstructed and changed. In the past, if you look at the woman, you will see they are curvy, during this era being thin meant you were poor where as a beautiful and wealthy woman would be plump because she could afford fine dining. As society has changed, being slender has become the new trend, creating the idea that in order to be truly beautiful one must be thin. The movie stars in Hollywood, although most people realize the beautifying changes that are made to the pictures, this idea of 'beauty ' and 'desire ' still lingers in the mind of whoever comes across it. Our society is bombarded with several different ideologies of beauty but beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The beauty standards that have been set should not be what are shaping people around the world and influencing them to go through with plastic surgery. The use of plastic surgery has changed from a medical procedure used to reconstruct the wounded or people with birth defects to reconstructing something people do not like about themselves. Plastic surgery was used during WWI in 1910 and after the war, skin grafting grew. The first training program in the United States was in 1924 thanks to Dr. John Davis. In 1950-1959, plastic surgery was used broadly to repair cleft pallet. It wasn’t until about

We live in a society where people worship beauty. As far as recorded history people have gone to extremes to seek beauty. From foot binding in China to wearing strangulating corsets in Victorian era. People from different race and culture have experimented in every way possible way to look beautiful prior to this popular age of plastic surgery. It’s very common to hear people complain about their appearance, whether it’s their crocked nose, thin lips or flat chest. Remarkably, plastic surgery has been the solution for people who complain. Most people tend to think of plastic surgery as only cosmetic surgery and not as reconstructive surgeries. Plastic surgeries seems to be an invention of modern technology; however its roots lie in the ancient history of India. An Indian surgeon contributed towards the establishment of plastic surgery, it was intended to correct physical deformities acquired during birth, accident, disease or war. These surgeries did not gain the popularity it has today until the First World War. It was during the late 60’s, when doctors started realizing the endless possibilities of plastic surgeries. With the help of this surgery a trained surgeon can replace an amputate body part, remove skin cancer, get rid of unattractive scars and visible birthmarks or rescaling a nose or enhance body parts. Today more and more people from different age groups opt for plastic surgeries to obtain dramatic physical changes. These surgeries were envisioned to restore