Trust Me. I'm the Doctor.
I heard on the news today that the average life expectancy for women living in rural areas has dropped. This was not good news to me as I am a woman living in a rural area. The report cited lack of education and obesity as determining factors. The study did not specify what is meant by lack of education. But there are two possible ways to interpret this idea. Perhaps the suggestion is that the women who are dying younger are not college graduates and, therefore, have lower incomes and cannot afford good medical care--a truth that I have experienced first hand. Another way to interpret the “lack of education” might be a lack of knowledge about health and nutrition. I don’t challenge the accuracy of the report, but I am offended (maybe appalled is a better word) by the causes. So it is coldly reported that fat and stupid middle-aged women, like myself, are kicking the bucket earlier--and it is because we are fat and stupid and poor....
