Last Modified: Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 7:13 a.m.
I’m told that one of the reasons redwood trees are found in such large families (groves, that is) is that it’s critical for their development. When a redwood grows alone, it’s prone to mature too quickly — and break in a storm. It has something to do with the heartwood, that inner column of the tree. In isolation, it doesn’t develop the outer layers it needs to give it support and strength.
If that’s true, I think we can learn a thing or two from redwood trees.
This was driven home when I attended the recent Latino Health Forum at the Flamingo Hotel in Santa Rosa. A chief topic of conversation that day was the “Latino Paradox.”
It goes something like this: Studies continually show that the less money you earn and the less education you have the greater your chances of getting sick and the shorter your life expectancy. It’s that simple — except in the case of Latinos.
Latinos fall below American averages in terms of education, income and health insurance coverage. But they are healthier than even the wealthiest segments of our population.
Numbers from National Vital Statistics Reports show that the national mortality rate for Latinos is about 25 percent less than whites’ and 43 percent less than blacks.
According to a report published in the Harvard Health Letter, based on 1999 figures, Latinos had lower death rates for stroke (20 percent less), heat disease (32 percent less) and cancer (39 percent less) than average white Americans.
What’s disturbing, however, is that the longer Latinos stay in America, the worse their health gets.
One speaker at the Latino Health Forum was the former head of the Alameda County Public Health Department, Anthony Iton, who conducted extensive research into the health of county residents. They found “immigrant Latinos had the best health of anybody in the county, by far,” Iton said. But the good health that immigrants come to America with “has an expiration date.”
After just five years in the United States, Latino immigrants are 1˝ times more likely to have high blood pressure than when they first arrived. They are also more likely to be obese. Rates of heart disease and diabetes also go up after just five years. So do levels of depression.
These alarming numbers were featured in a 2008 PBS documentary, rebroadcast last month, titled “Unnatural Causes .
.
. Is Inequality Making Us Sick?” (To learn more, go to www.unnaturalcauses.org.)
Iton, who was interviewed in the documentary, noted that when immigrants come to America, “they are a very hopeful people.” They often come from tight family units and community social networks that “form a shield around them” which helps them withstand the hardships of life. But the longer they stay, the more they become acclimated to unhealthy aspects of American lifestyles and the more that shield starts to deteriorate.
Children who were once used to having at least one parent at home often come home from school to an empty house. Parents work more and longer hours. Time with extended family, especially for important celebrations such as holidays and birthdays, goes by the way side.
Strong family networks are sometimes replaced with more stressful environments that frequently includes isolation, with severe consequences on one’s health.
With Americans commuting longer, working longer and often living with fewer people or by themselves, social isolation is on the rise. As hard as it may be to believe, one in four Americans now say there is no one in their lives with whom they can discuss important matters.
“Overall, people who are really isolated are at increased risk not only for cardiovascular disease, but for infectious diseases, for diabetes, for strokes, for cancer,” said Lisa Berkman, an epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health, in the documentary. “They were at increased risk from almost every cause of death. Social isolation kind of metaphorically accelerates the rate of aging.”
In short, isolation is a killer.
Given all of these trends and changes, — the Latino Paradox, social isolation and the impact of such things as hopelessness and stress on health —researchers “have the potential to learn a great deal from immigrants,” Iton concludes.
The problem is we aren’t.
“All of these things are kind of ignored in the health policy discussion,” Iton told the Santa Rosa audience. Little research time and money are invested in these areas. “Yet they have a much stronger impact on our health than anything you can do with a pill or an MRI,” Iton said. “And I think that’s the real paradox.”
In other words, it’s not enough just to fix health care. We need to reform our understanding of what’s breaking down inside, with our own heartwood.
<p>I’m told that one of the reasons redwood trees are found in such large families (groves, that is) is that it’s critical for their development. When a redwood grows alone, it’s prone to mature too quickly — and break in a storm. It has something to do with the heartwood, that inner column of the tree. In isolation, it doesn’t develop the outer layers it needs to give it support and strength.</p><p>If that’s true, I think we can learn a thing or two from redwood trees.</p><p>This was driven home when I attended the recent Latino Health Forum at the Flamingo Hotel in Santa Rosa. A chief topic of conversation that day was the “Latino Paradox.” </p><p>It goes something like this: Studies continually show that the less money you earn and the less education you have the greater your chances of getting sick and the shorter your life expectancy. It’s that simple — except in the case of Latinos.</p><p><CW-22>Latinos fall below American averages in terms of education, income and health insurance coverage. But they are healthier than even the wealthiest segments of our population.</CW></p><p><CW-14>Numbers from National Vital Statistics Reports show that the national mortality rate for Latinos is about 25 percent less than whites’ and 43 percent less than blacks.</CW></p><p>According to a report published in the Harvard Health Letter, based on 1999 figures, Latinos had lower death rates for stroke (20 percent less), heat disease (32 percent less) and cancer (39 percent less) than average white Americans.</p><p>What’s disturbing, however, is that the longer Latinos stay in America, the worse their health gets.</p><p><CW-12>One speaker at the Latino Health Forum was the former head of the Alameda County Public Health Department, Anthony Iton, who conducted extensive research into the health of county residents. They found “immigrant Latinos had the best health of anybody in the county, by far,” Iton said. But the good health that immigrants come to America with “has an expiration date.”</CW></p><p>After just five years in the United States, Latino immigrants are 1˝ times more likely to have high blood pressure than when they first arrived. They are also more likely to be obese. Rates of heart disease and diabetes also go up after just five years. So do levels of depression.</p><p>These alarming numbers were featured in a 2008 PBS documentary, rebroadcast last month, titled “Unnatural Causes .<TH>.<TH>. Is Inequality Making Us Sick?” (To learn more, go to www.unnaturalcauses.org.)</p><p>Iton, who was interviewed in the documentary, noted that when immigrants come to America, “they are a very hopeful people.” They often come from tight family units and community social networks that “form a shield around them” which helps them withstand the hardships of life. But the longer they stay, the more they become acclimated to unhealthy aspects of American lifestyles and the more that shield starts to deteriorate.</p><p>Children who were once used to having at least one parent at home often come home from school to an empty house. Parents work more and longer hours. Time with extended family, especially for important celebrations such as holidays and birthdays, goes by the way side.</p><p>Strong family networks are sometimes replaced with more stressful environments that frequently includes isolation, with severe consequences on one’s health.</p><p>With Americans commuting longer, working longer and often living with fewer people or by themselves, social isolation is on the rise. As hard as it may be to believe, one in four Americans now say there is no one in their lives with whom they can discuss important matters.</p><p>“Overall, people who are really isolated are at increased risk not only for cardiovascular disease, but for infectious diseases, for diabetes, for strokes, for cancer,” said Lisa Berkman, an epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health, in the documentary. “They were at increased risk from almost every cause of death. Social isolation kind of metaphorically accelerates the rate of aging.”</p><p><NO1>In short, isolation is a killer. </p><p><NO>Given all of these trends and changes, <NO1>— the Latino P<NO><NO1>aradox<NO><NO1>, social isolation and the impact of such things as <NO><NO1>hopelessness and stress on health —<NO>researchers “have the potential to learn a great deal from immigrants,” Iton concludes. </p><p>The problem is we aren’t.</p><p>“All of these things are kind of ignored in the health policy discussion,” Iton told the Santa Rosa audience. Little research time and money are invested in these areas. “Yet they have a much stronger impact on our health than anything you can do with a pill or an MRI,” Iton said. “And I think that’s the real paradox.”</p><p>In other words, it’s not enough just to fix health care. We need to reform our understanding of what’s breaking down inside, with our own heartwood.</p>