Poor people aren't living as long...

...as those who are richer.  The life expectancy gap is increasing between those who have, and those who haven't. Apparently GPs need to do more to encourage poorer people to change their lifestyles. There is an assumption that poor people don't know that good diet and an active lifestyle is better for them. It's not their fault that healthy food is so damn expensive.


Or is it?


I grew up in the late 1970s, and I knew as a child that sitting on my backside, smoking and drinking wouldn't do me any good in the long term. I also knew that eating to much food would make me put on weight. Hey, I even knew what foods were healthy and not healthy, not bad for a 5 year old in Leicester City, one of the areas highlighted today as being one of the most deprived and notable for slow increase in life expectancy. So it's not rocket science, is it.  My parents may not have had much, but they ensured that we had a home cooked meal on the table every day, that was an adequate portion, and using fresh ingredients. We weren't the only family who managed to cope in those dim and distant days.


Has any of these people conducting these studies ever stopped to consider that the reason why poorer families live unhealthy lifestyles isn't because they can't get fresh food at affordable prices, or can't afford gym memberships? Hasn't it occurred to them that people want to be lazy? They can't be bothered to cook, not when it's easier to phone for a pizza or a curry. One of my facebook buddies has mentioned on numerous occasions that her dole-scrounging neighour has a takeaway almost every day. She is not the only person to mention this. That's got to be a minimum of £10 a night on food. I don't spend that making food from scratch! So this suggests that it's not the cost of fresh food that's putting people off...


That's not to say that some people do struggle to make ends meet, and find food for their tables. It has been reported that more people are taking advantage of charities such as Fareshare to get their hands on fresh ingredients and advice on healthy eating. Similarly, exercise doesn't have to be expensive. Walking, running or jogging are free, and a great way of keeping fit. If you want to, of course... Just this week, it was reported this week that one dad is so fed up with parents parking their cars illegally outside his daughter's school, he has now set up a facebook group to name and shame the offenders.  Good on him, I say. What happened to walking your kids to school? "I have to go to work....", well leave earlier, you lazy sod!!


It's just typical, to me, that yet again, everybody expects everybody else to sort out their problems for them. The sooner people realise that they are responsible for their own lives, the better.