The healthy Torontonian

Dennis Raphael asks why “the social determinants of health are not the primary understandings held by the public, health workers, and government policy makers when it has been pointed out that the ‘holy trinity of risk’ of tobacco, diet, and physical activity receives the predomi- nant share of attention by public health workers and government policy makers?” (10). [...] It identifies some gaps in knowledge about social determinants of health in the GTA and suggests that a better understanding of Toron- tonians perceptions of health causation may improve our ability to com- municate social determinants of health and build broader support for health-enhancing economic and social policy. [...] This same study looks at media stories cov- ering health and finds that the environment and personal health behav- iours “were the top two health determinants covered by the print media in all of the regions across Canada” during the timeframe of the study (4). [...] Part of this is attributed to the strong sense of individual responsibility and the narrative of equality of right rather than equality of opportunity that permeates American culture. [...] CIHI, who revisited the The Citizen’s Dialogue on the Future of Health In Canada report, indicated that people wanted more focus on preven- tion education and wellness programs to cut down on future health care costs, reinforcing the frame that good health is an individual responsibil- ity and health care is the solution.