Tinio, Hanna Trexie V.

IV- BA (Sociology-Psychology)
Phenomena of the diseases of affluence and diseases of poverty
In simple terms, diseases of affluence and diseases of poverty are easily understood as the
diseases suffered by the rich and diseases suffered by the poor. In the readings it was explained that
diseases of affluence mostly consists of noncommunicable diseases and other health conditions. Diseases
like type 2 diabetes, asthma, coronary heart disease, obesity, hypertension, cancers, addictions,
Alzheimer’s, other cerebrovascular diseases, and other mental health conditions like depression are said
to be some of the affluent diseases.
When we look at those diseases, we can see that most of them are results of the people’s lifestyle
choices. This choices can range from their choice of diet, which is mostly meat consumption especially in
the United States, intake of alcoholic beverages, and poor physical inactivity. As an example we can think
of the situation in developed countries such as Japan. Japan is a country known for its technological
advances. Most technologies they develop is manufactured to bring convenience to the public such as the
invention of mop robots, wireless lint removers, and wireless vacuum cleaners. Because of the
convenience it brings, homeowners doesn’t need to exert much effort in cleaning thus, lessening their
physical activities when they are at home. The use of cars, which is convenient when they go to work, also
prevents them from physical activity that walking could have provided. Additionally, because they are
busy from work and most of them lives alone, they prefer to eat fast food instead of cooking. Thus,
because of this increased access to low cost, high-calorie processed foods that are high in fat, sugar, salt,
and physical inactivity, they are more prone to noncommunicable diseases that includes cardiovascular
diseases, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.
On the other hand, in contrast to diseases of affluence, diseases of poverty results from suffering
low living standards that prevents people, most especially the ones from developing countries, from
having sufficient access to quality healthcare. Diseases of poverty, according to the reading, includes
communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, diarrhea, cholera, malaria, typhoid fever, pneumonia, and
meningitis. I remembered back in 2019 before the pandemic started, there were news of a concerning
high rate of tuberculosis incidence here in the Philippines.
Because of the fact that these diseases were found out to be most prevalent in poor developing
countries, poverty is traced to be the main cause of having these diseases as these people are deprived
of shelter, safe drinking water, nutritious food, sanitation, and access to health services. At the same time,
it can be said that these diseases act as a barrier for economic growth to affected people and to the
families caring for them which, in turn, results into increased poverty in the country.