BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Black Americans are more likely than whites to die from a host of illnesses, from diabetes to heart disease and cancer, a new report says.

And where you live may be an even bigger factor than race, wealth or education in determining life expectancy, disease outcomes and other health issues, says the report, released Thursday by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

“Where you live can account for a two-decade difference in life expectancy,” said Dr. Mark McClellan, director of the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform at the Brookings Institution

That’s true from the poorest black communities to the wealthiest white enclaves, the report said.

The foundation’s Commission to Build a Healthier America strives to find answers to the troubling health care questions raised in the report.

The commission will look at everything except the existing U.S. health care system, McClellan said, in an effort to find politically neutral, practical solutions to improving health in America’s diverse neighborhoods and cities.

“This commission is going to reach out to communities and conduct regional field hearings because we want to know what is being done in communities now that is making Americans healthier,” said David Williams, the commission’s staff director. “All Americans can do better.”

Commission members didn’t endorse specific programs, but noted “healthy-homes” programs similar to one launched by Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Joshua Sharfstein.

As part of the program, city inspectors, partnering with health specialists, check homes for lead hazards and look for asthma triggers such as dust and vermin.

“I think the economic aspect is very important. Poor health can really pull down the economy in lots of ways,” Sharfstein said. “Certainly poor health undermines education.”

Baltimore is also looking at access to healthy food in the city’s neighborhoods, Sharfstein said.

A lack of healthy foods, fitness programs, and safe, clean parks for exercise were also identified in the foundation report as hurdles to better health nationwide.

khille@baltimoreexaminer.com

Comments from Examiner Readers

2:43 PM MST on Sun., Aug. 12, 2007 re: "US Slipping in Life Expectancy Rankings"

Examiner Reader said:
Hold on folks! Obesity is not a sin--it's both a medical disease and a social disease, as are Diabetes Mellitis and Asthma. What makes me think so? Because I was given steroids during a hospitalization due to Asthma. I did not have Diabetes when I entered the hospital; within 2 days of receiving the steroids I was on insulin. I did not have diabetes prior to the steroids. I was informed by my physician that the treatment caused the diabetes. We all need exercise. City life, streets, and locked schoools are not exercise friendly. Crime and congestion kill. Fast food is a must for a work-a-day Mom. O Heart disease is caused mostly by high pollution, infections, hydrogenated (spun until microscopic spikes develop on surface of food item treated) such as butter and milk. These spikes cannot be broken down (digest ) sufficiently to prevent them from tearing the walls of your vascular system; the torn walls attract body cells and chemicals to try to repair the damage.

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7:06 PM MST on Sat., Aug. 11, 2007 re: "U.S. Life Span Shorter"

Examiner Reader said:
Convenient, processed foods are not saving us time. In the long run, convenient processed foods are robbing us of years. Throwing money at healthcare and prescription medication is not the answer to longevity either. Eating portion controlled amounts of minimally processed and minimally salted foods, along with physical and spiritual exercise amounts to a lifestyle that lends itself to longevity.

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6:58 PM MST on Sat., Aug. 11, 2007 re: "U.S. Life Span Shorter"

Examiner Reader said:
Have the authors of this story ever bothered to consider that the approximately 20 MILLION illegal aliens in this country, who bring disease, tendencies towards unsanitary practices, and in many cases a culture of VIOLENCE, might be the reason for this downward trend? What happens when we factor out all the illegals - people who don't belong here, were never invited, and bring a third-world mindset with them?

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