Greater Equality: the Hidden Key to Better Health and Higher Scores - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages These problems include obesity, mental illness, children’s educational performance, teenage births, homicides, imprisonment rates, and social mobility. The purpose of choosing this topic is to inform readers that income inequality in a society creates many social problems. This article provides valuable insights on the problems society faces today and this is why I was attracted towards this topic. The authors are both Professors teaching in reputable universities. Kate Pickett is also a scientist with UKs National Institute for Health Research.
Inequality breeds many problems in a society because the majority of people are not satisfied with the distribution of wealth. Authors have made this point quite convincingly in their article. The paper is an eye opener for policy makers as it sheds light on the dark side of inequality. Unequal distribution of wealth does not affect the poor rather it affects the majority of population. It is generally assumed that only poor get affected as a result of an unequal society however in reality majority affected, reason being the concentration of wealth in the hands of few.
Authors have also showed through research that wealth does not play a role in lower mortality rates and high health standards. Wealthy nations have lower mortality rates and lower infant mortality rates only if they have income equality.
This is explained through the example of United States and Greece. United States of America has a much higher GDP than Greece but mortality rates in Greece are lower than United States. Authors have used studies and research to make their point against income inequality. Health standards can deteriorate if income is not justly distributed in a society therefore equality has that much more importance.
Apart from health authors found out that there are host of other problems associated with income inequality. Prison expenditure increased greatly with increasing ...Download file to see next pagesRead More