While we all have a personal responsibility for our healthcare, so many external factors impact our health out of one’s control.  Yes, we have choices, but often those choices are limited or constrained by the available options.  

We are all told to eat healthy, i.e., vegetables, etc.  But what if there is no place in your neighborhood to access vegetables at reasonable prices?  What if there is no grocery store?  There is a name for this —“food deserts,” and they exist even in large, metropolitan, and rural areas.  And what if there is no public transportation to those stores?  The truth is that many, in particular, people of color, start behind and, due to circumstances out of their control, stay behind simply due to where they live or the available jobs and, even worse, how society and the medical profession view them.  

Doesn’t everyone deserve a fair shot at living the healthiest life possible?  Sadly, that’s not the case in America and around the world.  Most people don’t even realize that they are at a disadvantage.  Further, your zip code may be the most critical determinant of your health and access to health services.  Yes, you heard that right—your zip code!  How fair is that?  Add also that implicit bias permeates our society and the healthcare system.  

We need change, but before there can be change, however, the public needs to be aware of and understand health equity and the lack thereof.