06.30
with Christopher Ervin, MD
In recent weeks, I’ve been asked where the term guerilla health came from. Some have asked, “isn’t that a term from warfare and revolution; what does it have to do with health?” Well, in this day and age, getting and staying healthy can feel like war. Indeed, the term is the diminutive of the Spanish word guerra “war”, or literally “little war. The strategy and tactics of guerrilla warfare involve the use of a small, mobile force competing against a larger, less nimble and, perhaps, a monolithic, more powerful one.
The guerrilla organizes small units of the local population, the people who know the terrain best, who understand the culture and can effectively use the resources available. And then, quite under the radar, he or she can, in partnership with the locals, carry out the mission. My mission? Health.
In the US, there are more than 1 million preventable deaths each year from diseases like breast, lung and colorectal cancer, diabetes, hypertension and coronary heart disease. According to the CDC cigarette smoking alone accounts for an about 443,000 deaths, or nearly 1 of every 5 deaths, each year in the United States. When other preventable deaths are considered, automobile accidents (think seat belts), homicides (think hand guns), vaccine preventable deaths (think shots), HIV/AIDS (think condoms) among others, it doesn’t take much to imagine the mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers who could still be here with their loved ones.
The US is 30th in the world in life expectancy, dead last among developed nations in preventable deaths and we have among the highest chronic disease and obesity rates of any country. So what’s the war? The war is the sorry state of health in our country, perpetuated, in part, by the medical, food, and entertainment industry. This is a war, however, we’ve all participated in creating. We buy fast food, cigarettes, video games and other products that contribute to unhealthy lifestyles. We don’t exercise as we should. And, we look for the miracle pill, device or surgery to “fix” what ever ails us.
We are being sold what we’ve asked for. But now we’re at the point where my children’s generation is on track to have a shorter life expectancy than my generation. It’s time to act. To fight. Who are the guerillas? We are. We know our culture and our communities. We know how to take small opportunities turn them into big changes.
We can all, quietly and without fanfare, press or talk show appearances begin to change our habits. Add more fruits and vegetables (from our local farmer’s markets) to what we consume each day. Forget the Olympic style stuff you see on infomercials. You are not going to burn 800 calories in an hour unless you’re a world class athlete. But you can add one flight of stairs to your routine each day. You can get to know your neighbors and walk around the block. You can get your regular check ups and screenings. Here are common screening guidelines for cancer prevention and detection.
And, you can encourage your family and friends to do the same. The companies that currently sell unhealthy products will sell us whatever we demand. They just need to earn money for their shareholders. Even tobacco companies can sell smoking cessation products. We have the power to change what is available.
So, let’s begin, quietly, like guerilla fighters in the night, to demand healthy products, to eat better, get more exercise, to stop our unhealthy habits. We don’t have to tell anybody what we’re doing. And soon, the US won’t be last in health status among developed countries. And our mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers, children and grandchildren will be around to see that.
04.06
I’m Linda Blount, mother of two and National Vice President of Health Disparities for the American Cancer Society. Health equity is my passion.
We live in a country that spends more on healthcare than any other country. Yet, despite the $2 trillion spent on healthcare last year, there are many thousands of Americans who have cancer and who could die because they face real barriers to getting and paying for health insurance, prevention and treatment services and, life-saving information. For these Americans, there is a health equity gap. My role at the American Cancer Society allows me to focus on identifying these barriers and on what needs to be done to remove them.
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11.24
Someone asked me how the African American and Latino communities have responded to all of the talk about the mammography guidelines changes. My response was, well, those who have no insurance have probably missed the entire episode and those with insurance and looking to avoid mammography are now convinced to do so. We know that researchers and physicians are going to write many, many editorials in response to the USPSTF mammography guidelines change. They’ll be published in CA, Cancer, and other journals and, of course, the NYT, Post and WSJ.
So I propose this, I’ll take what they write and translate it into common-woman language and try to get it published in Essence, Redbook, Ladies Home Journal, Oprah, Latina Style, community newspapers, blogs, Facebook, etc. I’m not aware that the uninsured or average insured woman is reading Cancer or the NYT. It’s time we take the issues to the community, clearly and respectfully. That’s health promotion! Here are the ACS guidelines which have not changed: Starting at age 40, women, of average risk, should have a screening mammogram every year.
05.24
The Office of Health Disparities of the American Cancer Society is pleased to present its third conference on health disparities, Health Equity: Through the Cancer Lens. This year we move beyond description to action. By combining research and practice and the academy and community, we will focus on what we know works from the perspective of advocacy, community intervention and communication. Our keynote speakers will discuss how we use research to effect change and we’ll hear from members of the community who have actually achieved change in cancer incidence, risk behavior and survivorship. Visit the conference web site at www.TheCancerLens.org.
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05.24
Women are truly the Ministers of Health, Chief Medical Officers, Directors of Family Wellness, and Health Attachès of the household. It falls to us to manage urgent care situations, ensure prevention and wellness check-ups take place and to continuously poll the family making sure everyone is doing ok. When it comes to our children it’s easy —we put them in the car or take the train and make our way to the appropriate healthcare provider. With our sisters and mothers, it’s still pretty easy, we encourage and cajole them into seeing a doctor or eating healthy and remind them of just how important they are. But when it comes to us-ourselves, that’s, as they say, a whole other story! We have plenty of reasons: I’m too busy, I feel fine, I’ll go if I need to, my family needs me. Sound familiar? Well, all of that is true
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11.09
My first interview with BlackPolitics.com founder Ed Phelps has been published. It is a concise yet informative look at cancer disparities facing African Americans. Visit www.BlackPolitics.com and check it out.
10.08
What if I told you that if you jumped off a cliff, three hundred feet high on to rocks below, you would have a 1 in 5 chance of dying and a 1 in 3 chance of getting hurt? Would you jump? The odds are in your favor. I’ll bet you wouldn’t (and this is from a woman who got kicked out of Vegas). I’ll bet you would say the odds aren’t good enough. Well, if you smoke more than 10-15 cigarettes per day for a few years, those are your odds.
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10.08
Women are truly the ministers of health, the Chief Medial Officers, the education heads, the health attachès of the household. It falls to us to manage urgent care situations, ensure prevention and wellness check ups takes place and to continuously poll the family making sure everyone is doing ok. When it comes to our children it’s easy —we put them in the car or take the train and make our way to the appropriate facility. With our sisters and mothers, its still pretty easy, we simply accompany them, maybe even join them for a checkup ourselves, make it an outing of sorts. But when it comes to our husbands, boyfriends and brothers, that’s, as they say, a whole other story!
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09.12
Welcome to my Blog. This is where I advocate for health equity for all and deliver my perspective on the state of the population’s health in a country that spends nearly $2 Trillion on healthcare every year and yet ranks 30th in life expectancy. I look forward to your feedback and to lively conversations on health issues.
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