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The extricable links between health, wealth, and profits

BMJ 2018; 363 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k4418 (Published 22 October 2018) Cite this as: BMJ 2018;363:k4418

Health, wealth, and profits

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Re: The extricable links between health, wealth, and profits

There is no doubt that there is a strong link between wealth and health. The economic policy of the concerned government plays a vital role in determining the well-being of its citizen. The budget allocation for health, policies, and implementation play a great role in fulfilling the required parameters to promote the well being of the citizen. It also depends upon the region, geography and genetic makeup of the individuals who represent the community.

Food habits, culture, and literacy play a role in making to choose the right prescription of good health for himself or herself. That is, science and nutrition education are important to bring up the standards of citizens in understanding the role they play in maintaining a good society or a nation. It starts with the farmer who helps produce the food that suits its citizens or community maintaining its tradition. The promo or advertisement that highlights local habits which bring out the essence of what is good in the food that they consume as well as the society they live in. Visual, as well as mass media, have positive as well as negative impacts on the health of the nation.

The simple equation of how one's body mass index (BMI) varies from regions to region, from population to population and nation to nation. A BMI >30 is considered obese in a western nation and BMI>25 is considered as obese in the Asian population. This variation itself plays an important role in preventing obesity-related disorders affecting the community. Non-communicable diseases are the major concern for developed and developing nations. Health is wealth is the norm not the other way round wealth is health.

Competing interests: No competing interests

24 October 2018
Dhastagir Sultan Sheriff
Professor and independent Research worker
Independent research worker
Faculty of Medicine, Benghazi University