Statistics gathered over the past three decades show that the death rate is higher among those who do not have jobs than among those with regular employment. Unemployment, just like heart disease and cancer, is a significant health issue. While many healt

This is a very important issue: health is related to the employment. But author failed to support his claim other than citing statistics over last three decades. His comparison of unemployment with heart disease and cancer is silly. Although he has very good point healthy economy vaguely translates in to healthier people. We cannot request to stop the government to fund public health care or medical research. It is so circuitous.

Let us examine the claim people with regular employment are less like to die than those without employment. This is very rudimentary argument. Work related stress increases the unhealthy life style; people don’t have time to eat properly, exercise properly increasing the chance of health related illness like blood pressure and diabetes. Unemployed people will have more time at their disposal for healthy eating and exercise. It seems illogical to think unemployment is like heart disease or cancer.

The second claim “it would be unwise for government to spend on public health and medical research” lacks vigor and firepower to justify. Justification by health care providers may be for reasons which might be favorable to them. But this certainly have public benefit as their motivation to increase the funding. The author failed to provide reasons why health care spending is bad for the economy. Any money coming to the system is always good for the economy, thereby increasing employment opportunities.

A healthy economy may be one of the reasons for healthy citizens. To think that is the only reason and not spend money on the public health and research is foolhardy. A healthy economy may not mean more jobs as we have seen last two economic cycles. More businesses’ are achieving the higher growth by productivity increase. There may be one positive aspect of the healthy economy which may translate into health and well-being of citizens: people are more likely to take vacation there by reducing the stress levels.

In nutshell the argument that healthy economy is the panacea for ill health and death is illogical. Lacks enough support to justify reducing or stopping government spending on public health.