National trends in recent decades reveal an “emerging mortality penalty” for people living outside of metropolitan areas, Mississippi State researchers are reporting in American Journal of Public Health.
For the first time in recent years, university scientists have identified data showing that more than 40,000 more people living in rural counties die annually than those in metropolitan areas. Research also shows the historical metropolitan mortality rate–more people dying in cities than in rural areas–has reversed since the mid-1980s, leading researchers to explore reasons why.
“This is a reversal of a century-long trend that may have long-term ramifications for rural health care policy,” lead researcher Jeralynn Cossman said. “In fact, if this disparity continues on its current trajectory, it will grow larger than our racial disparity in mortality.”
She noted that, while non-metropolitan mortality rates for stroke have been higher than metropolitan rates for years, their study found them to be higher for heart attacks, cancer and overall causes of death for the first time. Mortality rate projections for 2010-15 show the trend continuing, she added.
According to the MSU team, possible causes could be changes:
- In standards of health care that have not been implemented in rural areas,
- In rates of people without insurance coverage,
- In rates of disease occurrences, and
- Changes in health behaviors.
Final Thoughts
For most Americans, the ideal meal is fast, cheap, and tasty. The costs of putting value and convenience over nutrition and environmental impact. Slaughterhouses and factory farms where chickens grow too fast to walk properly, cows eat feed pumped with toxic chemicals, and illegal immigrants risk life and limb to bring these products to market at an affordable cost.
Our nation’s food industry is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the
livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. These corporations are influencing our now compromised government regulatory agencies such as the USDA, FDA, and EPA — the industry basically regulates itself.
Walmart, Fast Food and box stores have replaced Main Street; the hidden cost of low prices are now showing it’s ugly head. Where are the butchers, bakers and sweet shops? Now you only have to walk a few feet to an automatic opened door, scooter carts and isles and isles of products & produce that traveled over 1,000 of miles.
Solutions
- Read the label – get it local (not packaged)
- Join a CSA
- Shop at a farmer’s market
- Start the 100 Mile Diet
- Get educated