We talked with:

• Dr. Arline T. Geronimus, author of "Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society," is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine. She is a Professor at the University of Michigan with appointments in the School of Public Health and the Institute for Social Research and is affiliated with the Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture and Health. Dr. Geronimus originated the biopsychosocial theory of “weathering.”
• Sumedha G. Penheiter, Ph.D., has a doctoral degree in biochemistry and genetics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her postdoctoral work at Mayo Clinic was focused on cancer biology, where she researched signaling pathways in carcinogenesis.  Subsequently she worked as a program manager within research administration at Mayo Clinic, with a focus on health disparities research.

We talked about:

In this episode, Dr. Millstine and her guests discuss:

• The toll of weathering. The term, coined by Dr. Geronimus, posits that it’s chronically stressful to be part of an oppressed group, and this has consequences for your physical, emotional and mental health. The term is also meant to convey the strength of those that have been weathered and persevere.
• The blame game. Many times, people are blamed for their health conditions, whether its high blood pressure, diabetes or weight. It's assumed they’re “not taking care of themselves.” Weathering argues against this individualistic perspective. Health issues often stem from greater societal issues — including how society treats certain people, not how those people treat themselves.
• Hope on the horizon. Recognizing the physical toll of chronic oppression is an important first step, but it’s not enough. Policy-wide changes are needed, often requiring legislative changes. And health care systems can explore some direct ways to improve health care access — like providing childcare and reimbursing travel costs for treatment.

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• Want to read more on the topic? Check out our blog:
  • Racism, accelerated aging and the biases of health care
  • Talking to kids about racism
  • What are barriers to cancer screening and what can you do about them?

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The podcast is for informational purposes only and is not designed to replace the physician’s medical assessment and judgment. Information presented is not intended as medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional medical assistance with specific questions pertaining to your own health if needed.