Re-born on the 4th of July

Each July 4 is an opportunity for Americans to remember their many blessings as a country, while also re-committing to improve what needs more work.  

The racial justice protests this year are forcing us to confront racial disparities in many areas. Past racial injustice in society & the economy is reflected in major racial health inequities today. 

K-12 schools’ focus has been aggressively narrowed in recent decades to achievement in reading, writing & math test scores.  To maximize school test prep time, the vast majority of schools, including Title 1 schools with their higher black & brown student populations, decimated physical & health & arts education & recess. We gained little in improved education attainment, but we did worsen health dramatically.  

Now the pandemic has proven yet again, that we pay a very high price when we ignore our underlying health.  The main causes of chronic disease now--inactivity & unhealthy nutrition--can to a large extent be prevented.  Instead, by failing to develop active students with good nutrition habits, we predestine our children for an unhealthy adulthood.  We lock in those racial disparities with a life sentence of unhealthy habits and chronic conditions.

Advocates often focus on access to quality health care.  There has been a lot less emphasis on preventing health problems in the first place.  It is time for health and racial advocates, as well as political & health insurance leaders, to add evidence-based K-12 preventive education solutions to their top priorities. Then we can finally start bending the curve on health costs and achieve sustainably affordable health care for all.