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How healthy you are is dependent on where you live. Americans suffer more cancers, heart disease, mental illness, and other chronic diseases than those who live in other wealthy nations, despite having the most expensive healthcare system in the world. Why? Embark on a journey to unravel the profound impact of public policies on American health from before birth in Born Sick in the USA: Improving the Health of a Nation. Delve into the intricate web where economic inequality weaves a tapestry of sickness stemming from a highly stressed society. This compelling read illuminates the need for transformative change in social safety nets and public policies to uplift national health and well-being. Through vivid storytelling, the book unveils the symptoms, diagnosis, and 'medicine' required to steer the nation toward a healthier future. Join the movement for a healthier America by embracing the insightful revelations and empowering calls to action presented within the pages of this eye-opening book.
List of contents
Foreword; Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. Our health in the United States; 2. How medical care Impacts your health; 3. What makes you healthy? 4. Early life lasts a lifetime; 5. Economic inequality is bad for our health; 6. How biology matters; 7. Is America driving you crazy?; 8. The politics of being healthy; 9. Ineffective health production efforts; 10. How to make America healthy again; Epilogue; About the author; References; Index.
About the author
Stephen Bezruchka is Associate Teaching Professor Emeritus in the Department of Health Systems and Population Health at the University of Washington. He is the author of Nepali for Trekkers (1991), The Pocket Doctor: A Passport to Healthy Travel (1999), Altitude Illness: Prevention and Treatment (2005), Trekking in Nepal: A Traveler's Guide (2011), and Inequality Kills Us All: COVID-19's Health Lessons for the World (2022), and contributed to Far From the Road: A Community Health Project in the Himalayas (2025), among other titles. He also set up a remote district hospital in the western part of Nepal and supervised Nepali doctor training there.
Report
'A hopeful, pragmatic, data-informed guide to building a healthier future.' Sandro Galea, author of Within Reason: A Liberal Public Health for an Illiberal Time
