Democratizing Wellness

Healthy is the new wealthy, but the two are far from mutually exclusive. From clothing to food to hobby trends– wellness is something to aspire to and is correlated to status. Whether it is sporting the newest athleisure brand, trying the new diet fad that is organic, vegan, free of toxins, and packed with micro and macro nutrients, or paying upwards of $30 per workout class–being healthy is elite. According to the Global Wellness Institute, wellness expenditures ($4.2 trillion) are now more than half as large as total global health expenditures ($7.3 trillion), and businesses are catching on. They have capitalized off of early trends, and the wellness industry has grown about 13% in a short two years from 2015-2017.

If you are familiar with basic economic principles and the rules of supply and demand, the increased popularity surrounding healthy foods sent prices flying high for everyone involved, thus making them more exclusive. The issue with this is that access to healthy food should be a basic right. Instead, it is cheaper to get a full meal from a fast food stop than to have fresh vegetables at dinner. There is no shortage of food in the United States. 50% of produce is thrown away each year–that’s about 60 million tons (or $160 billion) (The Atlantic). Yet 13% of the country’s population lives in a food insecure household, meaning that they do not have full access or ability to purchase healthy foods. This leads to a large population experiencing malnutrition–whether that means hunger or obesity, it impacts more than just those directly involved.

Art by Sadie Paczosa

Although the obesity epidemic in the United States falls across all socioeconomic statuses, there is a concentration of food insecurity in lower socioeconomic status. According to Michelle Obama’s campaign, “More than 23 million Americans, including 6.5 million children, live in low-income urban and rural neighborhoods that are more than a mile from a supermarket. These communities are known as “food deserts” since they lack access to affordable, nutritious food. Lack of access is one reason why many children are not eating recommended levels of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.” Low-income neighborhoods are offered greater access to food sources that promote unhealthy eating. The distribution of fast-food outlets and convenience stores differ by the racial/ethnic characteristics of the neighborhood (NCBI). Rather than presenting these communities with nutritious and energizing food, they are presented with options that have the adverse effect.

Food can fuel one with energy to perform at full potential, but fast food does the opposite. It causes health issues–primarily obesity. Obesity is related to some of the leading causes of death, including heart disease, some cancers, strokes, and Type II diabetes. These health issues naturally lead to higher health care costs, and creates a trap where people are stuck in a cycle of poor eating because of the food they can access.

Introducing poor eating habits from a young age instills these patterns in children for the rest of their life. The cycle of poor eating habits and bad health is bad for them as well as communities at large. The lower quality of health is not only an additional expense (such as health care), but it leads to a lower quality of life. Proper health can lead to the ability to have a focused mind and perform well in school and sports. If there is a struggle to break the cycle it impacts society as a whole: reduced economic productivity.

Obesity is a grave public health threat, more serious even than the opioid epidemic. (Commonwealth). Obesity accounts for 18 percent of deaths among Americans ages 40 to 85, according to a 2013 study. This means obesity is comparable to cigarette smoking as a public health hazard; smoking kills one of five Americans and is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.

Despite the thriving U.S. weight-loss market (worth $66 billion in 2017) (Commonwealth), we need a long term sustainable option. The diet industry commodifies and glamorizes health and wellness, when in reality it should simply be accessible to all. Health is not something that should be a fleeting trend, but the exclusivity factor in conjunction with our environmental concerns, our country is headed into a serious health crisis.

In order to have a successful next generation, it is important to invest in the health of all communities for a better future together. Until we are all healthy, our country is not truly healthy. The future of a nation largely depends on the health of its people.

Resources on Campus

Trojan Food Pantry

• Once a week, students without meal swipes can get a bag of groceries at PKS #135. For questions: uscfoodpantry@usc.edu

• Location: Parkside Apartments. (PKS) #135, 3730 S. McClintock Ave.

• Hours of Operation: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays: 3:00pm – 6:00 p.m, Fridays: 12:00pm – 3:00pm

Calfresh Program

• Students who meet eligibility guidelines can receive up to $192 a month to spend at locations such as Trader Joe’s and Ralphs. For questions: calfreshusc@gmail.com

• How to apply:

• Book an appointment with a USC social worker who will guide you through the application: http://bit.ly/ uscappointment

• Apply on your own: https://www.getcalfresh.org/en/apply

By Anushka Joshi