Sir Michael Marmot je popredný epidemiológ a expert na verejné zdravie, ktorý sa viac ako 35 rokov venuje výskumu zdravotných nerovností. Jeho práca sa zameriava na pochopenie sociálnych determinantov zdravia a na spôsoby, ako znižovať rozdiely v zdravotnom stave medzi rôznymi skupinami obyvateľstva. Marmotova rozsiahla výskumná činnosť, vrátane vedenia kľúčových medzinárodných štúdií a poradenstva Svetovej zdravotníckej organizácii, významne prispela k prehlbovaniu nášho porozumenia faktorom ovplyvňujúcim ľudské zdravie. Jeho cieľom je nielen analyzovať problémy, ale predovšetkým navrhovať a presadzovať praktické riešenia pre spravodlivejšiu zdravotnú starostlivosť.
Differences in health care are not a simple matter of rich and poor. In every country, health is linked to degrees of social advantage. Compared with people at the top, those in the middle of the social hierarchy are at a higher risk of suicide, heart disease, lung disease, obesity and diabetes. The Health Gap presents compelling evidence for a radical change in the way we think about health, and indeed society.
"Bold, important and masterful . . . Marmot's message is not just timely, it's urgent."-The Washington Post Book WorldYou probably didn't realize that when you graduate from college you increase your lifespan, or that your co-worker who has a slightly better job is more likely to live a healthier life. In this groundbreaking book, epidemiologist Michael Marmot marshals evidence from nearly thirty years of research to demonstrate that status is not a footnote to the causes of ill health-it is the cause. He calls this effect the status syndrome.The status syndrome is pervasive. It determines the chances that you will succumb to heart disease, stroke, cancers, infectious diseases, even suicide and homicide. And the issue, as Marmot shows, is not simply one of income or lifestyle. It is the psychological experience of inequality-how much control you have over your life and the opportunities you have for full social participation-that has a profound effect on your health.The Status Syndrome will utterly change the way we think about health, society, and how we live our lives.