High income inequality tied to poor health

By Margot Sanger-Katz, New York Times

This article, reprinted in the Globe and Mail, discusses new evidence from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The study found that inequality at the county level has a considerable impact on health; people in unequal communities were more likely to die before the age of 75 than people in more equal communities, even if the average incomes were the same. The article noted that it is well known that living in a poor community makes you less likely to live a long life, but there is new evidence which suggests that living in a community with high income inequality also seems to be bad for your health.

Link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/high-income-inequality-tied-to-poor-health/article23743705/

Yellen ‘Greatly’ Concerned by Widening Inequality in America – Bloomberg

The Chair of the Federal Reserve of the United States reignited the debate about the widening income gap in the country during a recent speech in Boston.

“The past few decades of widening inequality can be summed up as significant income and wealth gains for those at the very top and stagnant living standards for the majority. It is appropriate to ask whether this trend is compatible with values rooted in our nation’s history.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-17/yellen-greatly-concerned-by-widening-inequality-in-america.html