We need to address this privileged thought that “it’s your own fault if you’re not healthy/most people suffering from COVID have underlying health conditions”. Plain and simple, it is garbage. Firstly, you shouldn’t disregard the roles that our government and our society play in creating an unhealthy population. Secondly, regardless of whether or not someone has underlying health conditions, they are still worthy of compassion should they contract a deadly virus.

6 in 10 adults in America suffer from a chronic disease; 4 in 10 suffer from 2 or more. These 155 million people (& 103 million, respectively) do not deserve to be shamed. They need to be cared for.

These diseases include: diabetes, cancer, stroke, heart disease, chronic lung disease, Alzheimer’s, and chronic kidney disease.
The key lifestyle risks for these chronic diseases are: poor nutrition, excessive alcohol consumption, tobacco use, and lack of physical activity.

The factors that LEAD to these lifestyle choices are so vast and varied that I wouldn’t ever be able to include them all.
-lack of mental health service availability, leading to unhealthy coping mechanisms with drugs, alcohol, and eating disorders
-wealth inequality, leading to working 2 to 3 jobs/50-60 hour work weeks, which negatively affects the body’s homeostasis and cortisol levels, which exacerbates stress related weight gain
-lack of access to green spaces and/or active commute routes that don’t involve cars, buses, or railways, leading to sedentary commutes of 1-2 hours a day
-a shift from physical labor jobs to office jobs where someone sits at a desk for 5 to 8 hours a day, leading to more physical inactivity and overall fatigue
-the costs related to gym memberships range from $20-$50/month, which is not feasible for the nearly 40 million people living in poverty in the U.S. and is still difficult for the 50% of Americans who live paycheck to paycheck
-the government subsidizing meat, dairy, corn (hello high fructose corn syrup additives), and other products that are directly related to increased risks of cardiovascular disease, making them more affordable and accessible than the ingredients for an organic salad or locally produced fruits
-the list goes on…

806,335 Americans have died from COVID related complications as of December 21st, 2021.

COVID is not just a respiratory virus that can destroy the lungs of its host, it can also affect the heart, the brain, the stomach & intestines, the kidneys, the liver, and the immune system. Even if a person is considered “healthy” when infected with this virus, it can absolutely destroy the human body. Millions are suffering from long COVID symptoms post-infection, including those deemed previously “healthy”.

You cannot shame people out of suffering from chronic health conditions, but it’s especially wrong to do so when many of the factors that CAUSE these conditions are socioeconomic in nature: Environmental racism means low income communities, mainly BIPOC communities, are living next to industrialized facilities that emit cancer-causing air pollution that increases their risk factor and incidence of cancer to as severe as 1 in 43 people living in the area that are exposed long term. The EPA’s threshold for an acceptable level of cancer risk is 1 in 10,000. It means they are also living by the large industrialized farming operations that produce lagoons of toxic animal waste, utilize intense pesticides, and contaminate drinking water. It means they are living in cities without access to safe drinking water FOR YEARS, exposing themselves and their children to toxic lead. It means they don’t have green spaces or recreational parks that are safe and maintained by the city. It means they live in food deserts, “areas that lack suppliers of fresh foods, such as meats, fruits, and vegetables. Instead, the available foods are often processed and high in sugar and fats, which are known contributors to the proliferation of obesity in the U.S.“ There is also a higher prevalence of liquor stores placed within these BIPOC communities, paired with increased promotion of alcohol sales through targeted marketing. It also means they are subjected to subpar standards of healthcare, limiting access to quality preventative treatment that would stem the prevalence of diseases caused by all of these factors.

These trends of exploitation of clean air and water also exist within poor, white communities, though not at the same frequency. Additionally, their incidence rates of illness & death can be 2-3x lower than their black and brown counterparts.

The country continues to put profit margins over people and then turns around and blames its own population for its health issues. Corporations churn out plastics and endocrine disrupting chemicals every single day and integrate them into the daily lives of Americans – then we wonder why incidences of cancer are on the rise, along with miscarriages and infertility among men & women. Big agriculture brands market meat and dairy products as if they are the lifeblood of Americans, without ever including the disclaimer that our current consumption practices are maiming both people and the planet (while also mistreating millions of animals in CAFOs). We push this idea of “health” being obtainable by all by just sleeping a bit more, sitting in the sunshine, meditating, and/or buying courses from Instagram life coaches, without acknowledging that millions are already set up for failure in our current society – it’s also probably hard to sleep knowing every system works against your health and safety in this country.

We need to overhaul these systems in order to elevate the health and well-being of ALL of our communities. We need investment in green spaces, in public health initiatives, in AFFORDABLE, NUTRITIOUS food and community gardens, in increased access to quality healthcare services, and beyond. We need to reassess big agriculture subsidies and the type of toxicity we allow within that field. We need to address the inequalities in the health and wealth of Americans and we need to stop behaving like those suffering at the feet of our capitalistic society deserve shame on top of their pain.

Love thy neighbor. And advocate for them.