OBSTICALS OF HEALTHY LIVING 1

Running head: OBSTICALS OF HEALTHY LIVING

An evaluation oI obstacles to healthy living in the impoverished liIestyle.
David 'Toby Meyers
Intermediate Swimming
Marcia Maiero
De Anza College
November 2, 2011
OBSTICALS OF HEALTHY LIVING 2

An evaluation oI obstacles to healthy living in the impoverished liIestyle.

Homelessness is a lack oI resources, as deIined by the physical nature oI the
circumstance. Homeless people lack resources that only a small group oI Americans are secure
oI. Only 12 oI Americans are home owning, Iinancially secure and Iully covered by insurance.
82 oI all Americans are two paychecks or less away Irom homelessness. We live in a material
world, obsessed with Social Darwinism. No one is perIect. When people lose their resources to
aIIord housing as well as other resources, such as victims oI drug abuse, domestic violence, loss
oI job/lack oI work, quick onset disability and personal or environmental disaster. We live as
deIined by law in a capitalist democracy. One must pay Ior simple things or it must be provided
out oI public Iunds or by private support. One can see that cheaper Iood, lack oI healthcare,
emotional hardships oI homelessness and its causes as well as exposure to the elements would
dehabilitate anyone. This articles objective is not to discuss homelessness and its causes or argue
about how to Iix it. One must recognize the impact oI poverty on the human and the lack oI
resources to make appropriate changes in diet, behavior and liIestyle. While not insurmountable,
poverty aIIects a majority oI the entire population oI the world. Resources are 'deIined' Ialsely as
scarce and thereIore more valuable. Thus costing more money, meaning more time and eIIort Ior
those who do not have it. BeIore one can Iind a solution, one must evaluate these obstacles to
health and identiIy them.

In the ninth edition oI Fit & Well (Fahey, Insel and Roth, 2011), the Mc Graw Hill
company states inside the Iront cover, that "86 oI Fitness and Wellness instructors say that
promoting behavior change through the use oI behavior change tools is an important goal oI their
OBSTICALS OF HEALTHY LIVING 3

course." This is correct and appropriate Ior publication; in the current subject is beyond the reach
oI the impoverished. Poverty means that you do not get paid enough to pay Ior essential services
like pay Ior Iood, shelter, clothing and healthcare. Much less aIIord the luxury oI paying Ior a
personal trainer to help the impoverished with behavior modiIication services.

In lab 1.1 on page 23 oI Fit & Well is a Wellness proIile, which describes six categories
oI wellness: Physical wellness, Intellectual wellness, Spiritual wellness, Emotional wellness,
Interpersonal wellness and Environmental wellness. It is within these categories that will identiIy
speciIically these obstacles to wellness to the impoverished.

Obstacles to physical wellness oI the impoverished.

1. No choice in Diet.
Homeless and the impoverished have to participate in services like Iood stamps, Iood
banks and Iree meal services. In March 2011 a church group in Virginia on asked people to go
on the poverty diet and only buy Iood that can be bought with Iood stamps evenly distributed
throughout the month at exactly 4.23 a day.

No experience can Iully embrace the reality oI liIe at or below the
poverty line. The Poverty Diet aims to get us out Irom behind the
quantitative analysis oI poverty and into the realm oI liIe
experience to try to comprehend Ior a moment the day-to-day
reality Ior hundreds oI thousands oI our neighbors: the challenge oI
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maintaining a healthy, nutritious and balanced diet on less than $5
a day, (Virginia InterIaith Center, 2011).

This is the amount that people on Iood stamps can buy and still have Iood every day oI
the month. There is a simple soIt spoken Iact, that while the Iederal Iood stamp program costs
billions it does little Ior the health oI the individual who has to sustain on high carbohydrate and
Iat Ioods. That amount gives the poor a complete inability to buy Iresh Iruits and vegetables.
Meals oI hot dogs and Macaroni and Cheese are convenient, easy to prepare and taste good. II
one does not have cooking or storage Iacilities, you can eat three packs oI generic hot dogs and a
soda, but you can only buy one salad (SaIeway, 2011). Food banks rarely carry more than one
Iresh vegetable produce or they supply aged Iruit and vegetables that most people would not
consume due to spoilage. Free Iood kitchens rarely have the Iunding Ior a nutritionist and leave it
entirely up to donated stock and the cooks` discretion oI what to cook. Free Iood kitchens are
supplied by local Iood banks, public Iood programs and by small private donations.

2. Lack oI healthcare and procedures due to provider discretion oI treatment. Doctors can choose
treatments that the patient can aIIord however some treatments are purposeIully not suggested, or
no treatment is given. This by law is malpractice.

3. Physical stress on the body due to exposure to the elements and continual displacement; Iorced
movement by police and property owners. Impoverished people have little legal recourse to
combat constant harassment, disenIranchisement and an inalienable right to liIe, liberty and the
pursuit oI happiness.
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4. Mental stress due to Irustration oI circumstance and the hardships that accompany it.

5. Incapacity oI poor handicapped individuals to take care oI such needs. (Lack oI responsibility
and oversight by caregivers oI impoverished physically and mentally ill people.)

Since these physical conditions can only be changed with monetary resources its no
wonder only the rich can maintain good health and longevity; the impoverished have to
constantly be in line, in transit and out oI the way oI the rich.

Spiritual corruption oI the poor is apparent through the symbology oI the Jonestown
massacre. A religious entity developed a cult type Iollowing and then poisoned them. The
majority oI them were poor people Irom the San Francisco bay area. Jim Jones came to poor
people promising a socialist model oI social living, but giving a cyanide punch party instead.
Many religious organizations prey on the homeless, inviting to large meals in order to
indoctrinate them and use their membership to gain numbers to use Ior grants Irom Ioundations
to beneIit their organization. Once they have their signature and identity inIormation homeless
are not expected to return oIten trespass them Irom church property.

Emotional wellness is almost impossible when impoverished, disenIranchisement Irom
Iamily, government services and Iriends because oI stereotype associated with homelessness and
impoverishment itselI. As well as, constant judgment and obsessive harassment by individuals
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and neighborhood organizations how might a person Ieel trapped or shut oII Irom the world. This
is oIten associated with anti-social behavior, but harassment is anti-social behavior.

Interpersonal wellness is completely lost Ior those impoverished. Homelessness is hard
on interpersonal relationships. OIten people take Ior granted that their apartment has a stove, a
reIrigerator, a dry pantry Ior storage oI dry goods, a spice rack, a shower, a bed, a toilet, a closet,
a Iront door that locks Ior security, a washer and dryer, a place to sleep that's clean and Iree oI
bacteria and mold. Most people are arrogantly ignorant oI the lack oI these resources and identiIy
them even subconsciously as bad people. This makes socialization impossible when by
circumstance a person`s personal odor is oIIensive. Even impoverished people with reduced
resources will smell like bad water pipes, cheap laundry detergent and mold. Not to mention
lower pay oIten accompanies hard physical labor and dirtier more dangerous jobs.

Environmental wellness amongst the homeless is the worst oI all. The places to sleep
without being harassed are Iew and Iilthy. Shelters harbor illness and disease. San Jose`s 'Little
Orchard shelter the Embarcardo Reception Center or EHC as it is reIerred to uses pine bunk
beds which are cheap but constant steam cleaning is required and special mattresses do not keep
out body lice and bed bugs that are carrying a bacteria called MRSA which leaves an untreatable
sore (Norquist, 2011). Not to mention the undersides oI bridges, unused or Iill land which is
littered with garbage carrying millions oI bacteria and abandoned buildings. The streets are
Ilooded with criminals and drug addicts making poverty also beget insecurity.


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Conclusion
The impoverished and homeless are lacking control over their lives. Lacking control over
Diet, Environment and Social circumstance a person is exposed to all kinds oI health risks and
bodily stress. This is something that would aIIect public health in countless scenarios. First we
must develop healthy circumstances Ior people and have control beIore one can begin
modiIication oI behavior. But we must modiIy the behavior oI government, private institutions,
social services and shelters to provide the environment that can rescue a person Irom such dire
circumstances.
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AIterword
The author would like to note that some inIormation was taken Irom the National
Coalition on Homelessness, SaIe ground Sacramento, The Homeless Coalition, The People`s
Movement, National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, Irom private exchanges on
various occasions with San Francisco`s Homeless Outreach Team, various Police Departments,
San Francisco and San Jose Water Department, Parks and Recreation testimony oI neighborhood
organizations as well as personal experience. Not all oI the reIerences can be cited. Author
continues a campaign oI advocacy through writing, video tapping and civil disobedience through
and in aIIiliation with several non-proIit organizations.


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ReIerences
Fahey, Insel and Roth (2011).
Fit and Well, BrieI Edition: Core Concepts and Labs in Physical Fitness and Wellness.
Retrieved on October 18, 2011 Irom: De Anza Library.
McGraw-Hill: Columbus, Ohio.
NHCHC (2002). Myths and Facts about Homelessness.
Retrieved on October 18, 2011 Irom:
http://www.nhchc.org/Curriculum/module1/module1D/H3MythsandFactsaboutHomeless
ness.pdI.
Norquist (2011). Bed Bugs Carrying MRSA and VER Superbugs
Retrieved on October 18, 2011 Irom:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/225301.php.
SaIeway (2011). Price oI current products without tax.
As received on October 30, 2011 by the author.
Virginia InterIaith Center (2011).The Poverty Diet.
Written Publication.