“The death rate in class 5 is about twice that of class 1. A person born into social class 1 lives, on average, about 7 years longer than someone in social class 5, and men and women in class 5 are twice as likely to die before reaching retirement age as people in class 1.”
This quotation shows us that although we are supposed to receive the same healthcare, more working classed people are dying than middle classed people. More working classed people are absent from work than middle classed people. The middle classed people tend to live longer than people who are out of work for a long time.
If you were to go to your GP or the hospital, provided that it is not a private organisation it would not matter how much money you earnt because you would get the same service as the person to the exact opposite financial position to yourself.
We are taught that the ageing process and our genetic make up determine how long we live. However, there is also the matter of education towards health. Where we live can determine how much greens we eat, how much smoking we do, how much alcohol we drink, how much exercise we do and how much organic food we eat.
For most of the working classed people and the under working classed people eating healthily and exercising regularly without smoking or doing drug can be very difficult. Especially when the nearest supermarket where all the quality food is sold is miles away without any good transport facilities. Therefore, they have to eat food which is from the local shops which is of poor quality. There is also the matter of cost as fresh fruits and vegetables cost far more than less healthier food. Some could say that if one had money for drugs, he/she would then have sufficient money for organic food. However, there is no doubt over whether it is more possible for someone from a middle classed background to stay healthy and eat the right diet as they have got money, transport and time.
Peer pressure plays an enormous part in people’s childhood. It is a mixture of good and bad times for teenagers. It is a time to do ridiculously stupid things like start smoking, doing drugs and being cool! However, some people have no control over it as it is in their neighbourhood. Some people are forced to do drugs so that they get addicted and then buy the drug off local dealers with little or no money they have. Therefore, they start to commit crimes to fund their habits. This is why parent opt for their children to stay home, watch television and stay unhealthy. Children of middle classed parent of course have no worries on that score as they live in an area where little crime occurs and it is peaceful. Therefore, parents do not worry about drugs or cigarettes, though it does occur in the richest of areas as well.
