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Rank: Administration Groups: Administration
Joined: 3/30/2008 Posts: 110 Location: Seattle, WA (USA)
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Rank: Member Groups: Member
Joined: 4/6/2008 Posts: 16 Location: Sydney, Australia
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Michael Marmot (an expat-Aussie) has shown that the two biggest influences on health are agency and relationship. See his The Status Syndrome.
We need to take this seriously. Just doing things the usual way won't do it.
This means giving people real choices about their lives. Flexibility for employees rather than casualisation at the employers whim. Local access to services and facilities (walking distance). Walking paths and public transport. Local health centres which provide education and exercise and nutrition classes.
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Rank: Guest Groups: Guest
Joined: 3/30/2008 Posts: 3,289
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What about monitoring exactly what is put into our mouths and our childrens mouths (groceries etc.)... and what we inhale each day(pollution levels)... and what electro magnetic fields existent in our imediate environment and whether or not we are sufficiently protected from them...
The people of this Country cannot be sufficiently protected from harmful influences without being told what they are... or how to protect themselves from them.
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Rank: Guest Groups: Guest
Joined: 3/30/2008 Posts: 3,289
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Happy people tend to be healthy. I speak as an experienced GP. It is my impression that Australians are becoming unhappy, dissatisfied and "difficult". This could be due to the economic constraints and uncertainties they are living with these days. The health system cannot make people happy. Only a fulfilled life can do that and I'm afraid that our society is not providing this for many Australians.
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Rank: Guest Groups: Guest
Joined: 3/30/2008 Posts: 3,289
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Health is a varied concept I would much prefer the concept of health and fitness and wellness. I do agree that happy people are healthier. The capacity of the current health model to deliver anything resembling effective management, support or education for people to achieve this is not achievable when the focus is only on the 'medical model'. Delivery of health, fitness and wellness would need to encompass a range of modalities (including but not limited to the medical model). The sense I gain is that people are searching for a place to access to assist with a range of health orientated questions and supports but unlike an acute setting or the local GP's office the Health Dept doens't offer such a high profile setting. Not addressing this big question will not make it go away as the research is showing a scary increase in a range of lifestyle illnesses that are set to swamp the health system if we don't address them.
Whilst this is a massive question it also offers an amazing array of possibilities and that has to be exciting and worth pursuing. I do not intend to denigrate the medical model as I also believe that there are a number of its members who are seeking options by which they can assist their patients and they should not be expected to bear that responsibility alone.
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Rank: Member Groups: Member
Joined: 4/6/2008 Posts: 16 Location: Sydney, Australia
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Perhaps something like a neighbourhood health centre. It would include doctors but also others and could also run classes and perhaps be a meeting point for fitness clubs and so on.
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