Financial Resources and Public Health Free Essay Example

In the article, “Financial Health is Public Health,” the author Jason Purnell wrote about the difference between physical and financial health and its impact on the population. He elucidates that adults worry about their finance. The connection of financial stress to health is quite explicit in the survey result, with nearly one-third of respondence who says that struggling to get by financially affects their ability to lead a healthy lifestyle and more than twenty percent who says that they have either considered or have skipped medical visits because they lack the financial resources.

Not surprisingly, adults with lower incomes experience high levels of stress related to their finances are more likely to cope with smoking, eating, drinking alcohol, and watching television in excess all of which increase their risk for chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease. Children also experience a particularly severe type of stress called “Toxic stress” are also at increased risk for negative behavioral and health outcomes as adults.

Though commonly thought of as a purely subjective experience of feeling overwhelmed by life’s demands.

Purnell later concludes that in order physical health and financial wellbeing should be a focal point in discussions, because it is essential to the country and its people. I agree with the views of Purnell’s argument in regard to financial health and its implications on physical health. Most of what he said resonates with me, especially when he mentions that children who are exposed to poverty at an early age often show signs of behavioral issues.

This is understandable because they did not get the opportunity to enjoy their childhood, at an early age they had to fend for themselves which most times leads to abuse. I did not agree with Purnell’s views on universal health care. I do not believe in inequality.

Health care is important, it shouldn’t be that people are turned away because they cannot afford the care they need. Or in the case that they did not get the best care because they did not pay as much as the other person. I believe everyone is of equal importance. However, until we develop the core value of compassion this problem will not be resolved. In the article “Liberty vs Security: An old debate renewed in the age of terror” David Haynes, shares his opinion on how the NSA is wasting their time searching and analyzing people that do not pose a threat to the United States. He also shares that Edward Snowden, who formally worked as an employee at the NSA, was the whistleblower responsible for exposing the NSA bulk data collection program. He shares that there is a system that allows the branches to monitor each other. This system known as checks and balances will only be successful if the branches of government are honest with each other. Hayes believes that every country needs a person like Snowden to high light secrets and protect our freedom.

I believe Haynes has a point that the government is split in factoring what they decide to govern as far as sacrificing freedom for security. I think after the ending of the bulk data collection program, Americans felt that they have regained their freedom and the government. I also believe that the program would have been costly. And this cost would be felt by taxpayers. There must be a better way that is not time-consuming and inexpensive to protect the country without invading the privacy citizens which is unlawful according to the fourth amendment. It can be concluded that both health and freedom are an integral function that requires the attention and support of the public to fulfill society’s interest in assuring the conditions in which people can be healthy and free.