Very interesting scientific finding about health and perceived "status"

[Sivodna]

I find this fascinating.


From Alun Anderson (Senior Consultant at New Scientist),
"Interactions between mind and body come out strongly in the surprising links between status and health. Michael Marmot's celebrated studies show that the lower you are in the pecking order, the worse your health is likely to be. You can explain away only a small part of the trend from poorer access to healthcare, or poorer food or living conditions. For Marmot, the answer lies in "the impact over how much control you have over life circumstances". The important message is that state of mind — perceived status — translates into state of body."

This is just a rough summary of it, and perhaps isn't enough to be striking enough or the capture how profound it is.

In my own life, I feel that I lack control over many things - such as my father's alcoholisism, some physical defects I have (not very bad but enough to depress me), and certain other circumstances. I don't feel that I am ME - that my life has begun, that the real me is allowed to flourish, until these circumstances are changed or transcended.

But anyway, just wanted to share this.

[funchy]

That is interesting! And very thought provoking.

do you have a link to the full article?


One assumption though is that how much you earn determines how "low in the pecking order" you are. This is flawed.

For example, look at the Amish. They're a hearty people who work hard. But because they're farmers and not white-collar professionals and because they have large number of kids, they can fall below the government's poverty line.

It also doesn't take into account geographic differences in income. $40,000 a year might be subsidized-housing level if you're in New York City. $40k a year in rural West Virginia is higher than most of your neighbors, and you can get a nice home with some land with that income.

It also doesn't clearly define what a "pecking order" is. There are doctors earning six-figures a year but who might be really passive, and to some this might come across weak or low-ranking among their peers. There are minimum wage laborers who are firm and command respect everywhere they go. If one of them came up to you in the street and told you firmly to "move your car out of their parking spot!" who would you be more likely to listen to?

"In my own life, I feel that I lack control over many things - such as my father's alcoholisism, some physical defects I have (not very bad but enough to depress me), and certain other circumstances. I don't feel that I am ME - that my life has begun, that the real me is allowed to flourish, until these circumstances are changed or transcended."

Instead of trying to gain control over all your "life circumstances" wouldn't it be better to just let go of control? You cannot change your father's alcoholism. You cannot change physical issues. You cannot change a lot about the world around you. Recognize what you cannot change, accept it, and move on. Let go. You don't need to control everything. It's ok if you're not perfect; nobody is. And when you let go of this constant un-winnable struggle, you'll feel a huge weight being lifted. Then you can use your energy for doing things you enjoy, your stress level will drop, and perhaps with less stress your health will improve as well.

[Grandiouse]

I was actually talking about this the other day with a friend. Perception (and the mind in general), I bellieve, has a tremedous impact on health. Just think about the people who have been diagnosed with cancer or some other disease. They have two choices - to accept it and fight, or be miserable and complain about life being over.

Those who keep a positive mind and believe that they are going to get over the illness actually recover better. The ones who believe they are doomed, well it usually comes true because they do not have the fight in them anymore.

I read somewhere that the people with the highest longevity are a group of village rural people in Asia. They are a group who are excluded from society, so they do not get affected by the stressors of modern society. They still do their own farming, and their main source of food is from the surrounding area that they are in.

So with their food, they have a balanced healthy diet. Being away from modern society keeps their mind peaceful because they just deal with what's going on in the village and nothing else. These group of people have the longest life expectancy than anyone else in the world.

[MasterD]

Originally Posted by Sivodna

I find this fascinating.


From Alun Anderson (Senior Consultant at New Scientist),
"Interactions between mind and body come out strongly in the surprising links between status and health. Michael Marmot's celebrated studies show that the lower you are in the pecking order, the worse your health is likely to be. You can explain away only a small part of the trend from poorer access to healthcare, or poorer food or living conditions. For Marmot, the answer lies in "the impact over how much control you have over life circumstances". The important message is that state of mind — perceived status — translates into state of body."

This is just a rough summary of it, and perhaps isn't enough to be striking enough or the capture how profound it is.

In my own life, I feel that I lack control over many things - such as my father's alcoholisism, some physical defects I have (not very bad but enough to depress me), and certain other circumstances. I don't feel that I am ME - that my life has begun, that the real me is allowed to flourish, until these circumstances are changed or transcended.

But anyway, just wanted to share this.

Wow, this is indeed fascinating. I always thought this to be the case, that there is a strong link between feeling free/being able to creatively express yourself/social status (which are all interrelated) and health.

Do you have a link to the article?