“I have this vision of ‘the healthy human’—creating a system, a society where we strive to have the healthy human.”
Kristy Kerr, Executive Director, BCCDC Foundation for Public Health, on the Small Conversations Podcast
Early this year, our Executive Director, Kristy Kerr, was invited to be a guest on the Small Conversations for a Better World Podcast—a podcast focused on the question “What is health?” led by co-hosts Gillian McCormick and Susannah Steers.
The topic of conversation was on the social determinants of health, because you can’t talk about public health and the health and well-being of our population without addressing them—the factors that connect a person to the societal structures surrounding them, influencing all aspects of a person’s life like where they live, work, and play.
In this podcast episode, Kristy delves deeper into this public health concept, and not without some intriguing follow-up questions from Gillian and Susannah like:
- How are social determinants determined?
- Do physicians pay attention to social determinants of health?
- Is there anything we can do as individuals if we’re not sitting in the luxury of privilege?
- Do you think we as individuals need to consider the group at large?
- What are the things that are most impactful about changing the story of our health outcomes?
- What does prevention look like?
If you’re interested in both your personal health, as well as the health of those around you—your family, friends, neighbours, community, and population, listen to this episode.
Near the end, Gillian and Susannah ask Kristy the question they ask every guest, “What is health?” You must hear Kristy’s answer to this.
At the same time, we also encourage you to ponder that same question, “What is health?” How do you think about this question? And how might that have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Grab a cup of your favourite beverage and take a listen to this stimulating conversation, and then be sure to share it with those you know. Let’s get everybody thinking about the social determinants of health and what positive health really means, and striving toward creating ‘the healthy human.’
