Word: bezruchka
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...review of such studies published on Monday, Aug. 31, in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, Stephen Bezruchka of The University of Washington School of Public Health suggests the results could be explained by declines in smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and overeating during recessions as people look for ways to save money. What's more, he writes, people have more time for friends and family during times of higher unemployment. (See pictures of TIME's Wall Street covers...
...idea that hard work never killed anyone is one of those maxims that turns out not to be true," Bezruchka tells TIME. "One of the characteristics of a rapidly expanding economy is that people try to garner as much income as they can, working long hours and even multiple jobs. Spending time with friends and family is good for your health...
...Reacting to Bezruchka's analysis, economists note several important caveats. First, mortality rates are a broad-brush health measurement and do not take into account nonfatal illnesses or fatal illnesses that take several years to develop, such as cancer. Furthermore, a study published in recent months contradicts the findings Bezruchka focuses on, suggesting that recessions are at best neutral in their impact on mortality. Writing in the Lancet in July, a team of American and British researchers said it found that the decrease in traffic deaths during recessions in Europe between 1970 and 2007 was offset by increases in suicides...
...University of Washington's Bezruchka, a medical doctor and scholar in public health, says the link between economic contraction and mortality rates is part of "a wide range of research studies of rich countries that have revealed that greater national wealth, by nearly any measure, does not lead to better human welfare." He believes that governments in wealthy countries should take steps to rein in excessive wealth among individuals and redistribute resources through social spending. While he acknowledges the political difficulties of wealth redistribution, he says, "As a doctor, I recognize that an unequal society is the biggest contributor...
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