Michel, I was elated to hear about the 'Unnatural Causes' and hear a voice of a poor white women in my hometown. I grew up on the Black side of the neighborhood in Louisville where that poor white lady who was interviewed on Wednesday's show lived, which I can see just by hearing her food habits, lifestyle and lack of access to healthy food. I was born in the predominately Black West End, yet moved to a middle class white neighborhood in middle school and the difference in produce available in the very same grocery chains was appalling. Poor people pay more for poor food. The wealthy white in the East End earned more and paid less for fresher food. The roads were wider and better maintained. The air was clearer, and presumably cleaner as there were no large polluting factories on the other side of town. Communities there even resisted a cellular tower in the area because it was not aesthetic, at a time when cell phones were a luxury of that class; eventually it was placed around poor people and studies are not clear about the effects of constant exposure to this energy. Overall body stress in heavier in Louisville for the poor. When I lived in the heart of pre-Katrina NOLA, there were few grocers who even had a decent set of vegetables for a simple salad. Fast, fried and processed foods are cheap and easy, while healthier foods are costlier and harder to come by and time consuming to prepare. Actual heath care follows this trend as do addictions to cigarettes, alcohol and elicit drugs now. Race and class matter and this is systematic, period.

Sent by Diepiriye Sungumote Kuku-Siemons | 10:31 AM ET | 04-17-2008

I beleive that people must take responsibilty for themselves much like my Big Mama did at ripe age of 73 she has a very modest budget but avoids harmful foods and stays active by walking and staying active in church and family life all while living in the heart of the inner city. Like Uncle Cosby says "Come on people"; the Doctors who put this film series together might better serve the communities in question by implementing diets or distributing food coupons instead coming up with ridiculous instances of racisim, This is a serious waste of these doctors time,talent and resources.

Sent by Mantan 2000 | 12:16 PM ET | 04-17-2008

I think that it is sad when yu need to have a PhD from harvard to ask these questions. It proves that we are in a tyranny of the majority for how else can you explain Unnatural Health being a new study when these questions should be obvious to any health researched as these answers have been intuitive for me since I was a kid and witnessed many different ways that poverty and racism INFLICTED poor health- and racism is stressful. My aunt back in Louisville came home from her government job everyday is such a stressed state so she would fry a few chicken legs or wings. She was an accountant but the men in the office treated the few women like secretaries and this was the span of her career. Now she has no gall bladder from all of that fried food and stress. Again, this should be obvious to any researcher, but it took a Black doctorate at Harvard to gain this attention. It's sad.

Sent by Diepiriye Sungumote Kuku-Siemons | 2:07 PM ET | 04-17-2008

Ok first let me say that I have not seen the film and may have a hard time doing that since I live in Japan. It might air on Discovery and I can catch it.
Any way I think part is how we dole out health care. I believe we, Americans, look at health care as a cure based method to deal with problems rather than a preventive method.
Start working on your health before you get sick and you should need to visit the MD less often. This of course can't be done everywhere and for everybody but I think it is something to work towards.

Sent by Eric | 6:21 PM ET | 04-17-2008

Hey Michel,

Thanks for yesterday's discussion about health. I was reading some of the comments on the show and it is disheartening for me to see that there are people that still don't see how insidious racism really is. And, it is really insulting to hear people say that the poor and undereducated do not take responsibility for themselves. Of course they do, but exposure is important.

I worked for a brief time in a very busy urban clinic. It was amazing to me how many people of color, especially elderly people, didn't have an advocate (family or friends) to assist them with decoding their doctor's diagnoses or someone that could ask questions for them. Poor people got different treatment just like those with out health insurance or with only minimum health insurance. Care is based on ability to pay. That is the first question you are asked at any health care providers office isn't it?
Also, there are alot of neighborhoods that are under served. Here in the nation's capital Ward 8 has no grocery store and the small places to buy food leave much to be desired. And, it is more than a lot for people with families to try to travel by a couple of buses, a train, transfer, etc. to get to a grocery worth going to and then cart all of the food back to where they live. And taking a cab is of course, very expensive. So, what do they do? They do the best they can with what they have available. That means their health is compromised. Many of these systems have their root in racist policies. To deny that is insulting. We have to do a better job of holding our politicians accountable. We have to find a better way to engage the under served, the poor and under educated in the political process. That is what the film 'Unnatural Causes' is about. I applaud the filmmakers for tackling this side of the health care issue. I'm looking forward to seeing the film.

Sent by Tanya Radford | 10:19 AM ET | 04-18-2008

I love listening to this program, I tune in just about everyday on the way to work. I took issue with your piece on economic class vs. race, I felt it was one-sided, and I felt like it overly simplified some very complex issues. The overall statement of the piece seemed to be "if longevity of a persons life is not determined by economic class or biological factors, then it is determined by racism," the piece said this by skipping over issues of cultural bahaviors, diet, etc. Would you suggest that a certain group of people would have more cases of diabetes because of racism? No, you wouldnt, because diabetes is a result of genetics, weight, and dietary patterns.

Additionally, if minorities die at an earlier age because of racism, why dont women die at an earlier age because of sexism?

Anyhow, thanks for your time and I look forward to continuing to listen in.

Sent by m fichter | 12:03 PM ET | 04-21-2008

I am a Physical Therapist of many years - I think about how health care has changed and the state of health care in this country and do have some opinions but welcome discussion. I am also a mother and my 3 grown kids - my son is Black. I am acutely aware that he has many stresses just getting out and living day to day, that others don't. He is very sharp in many ways but has almost been broken the last 1-2 yrs. Whereas I grew up thinking the police would protect me, I know that he gets tense and on guard when he sees a cop, and he hasn't done anything wrong. There is the sense that he doesn't have to do anything wrong - they sometimes mess w/ him anyway - he has little control. I have been very worried about his health. Since he has moved to Mass. he has struggled - the economy has been bad for anyone trying to get a foothold and didn't have a house before Bush got into office. He hasn't been able to eat right, I know hes not sleeping at all well, his job only has major medical and doesn't cover preventive needs ( lipid panels, B/p, depression, infections) + he has had only intermittent insurance and never got habits of going to Drs etc. and is used to trying to manage s/ Drs. Between the police and limited insurance and his lack of good interaction w/ Health care providers, I worry. What your guests were saying perfectly fit, unfortunately. I think they have a key point that must be added to the health care debate. That it is not only direct discrimination in the delivery of health care, not only genetics, cant just blame folks for not taking responsibility fore their health, but actually the every day stresses of living in this country as a young black male or other minority so greatly effects health.
I would like to add that if I hear one more GOP staffer blame those other lazy people and whine about how hard they work, I would love to facilitate giving them a taste of real hard work coupled w/ poor diet and unsafe shelter - let them go home to mac and cheese and roaches and noise, worry and get to work 6 days a week...work 2 shifts and not fall asleep on the job. etc. Monica Goodling was one such person. She also admitted breaking the law - I didn't see fear in her that she might go to prison and lose her livelihood! I saw pic. in fact of her and finance a few weeks ago. Equal justice for all. What a farce. Thank you - sorry for the divergence, but I feel better. Thank you for giving your guests a forum, they made sense.

Sent by lori a | 12:03 PM ET | 04-21-2008