The town is also poor. In the 50s, it had a booming population due to coal mining, but that has long since evaporated. Today, area hospitals are the biggest employers, that and nearby Marshal University. Fortunately, the town has a low unemployment rate, however, it's supplied by the huge number of low paying, low quality restaurants in the area.
It's interesting that area hospitals are the largest employer. With "healthcare" being so prominent in the area, you would think this would be one of the healthiest cities in the US. The fact that it's not reinforces that America's health care is actually sick care. And those working in these hospitals are simply perpetuating sickness inducing ideology and habits inherent to this culture.
Citizen's believe they are too poor to eat healthy foods. However, with the rich supply of restaurants, there must be a market, telling me they have the money to eat outside the home. Something that is always more costly than more nutritious home cooked meals. How many drugs do you think each person takes in this city? How much money do you think that costs each family each month? What if these people traded in their dining out budgets for improved grocery budgets? I'm betting they'll find themselves with more money in the bank at the end of each month.
Good nutrition could have miraculous effects on this population. They'll have more energy, perhaps feeling like participating in a little physical activity. Their brains will function more efficiently, helping them see the error to their ignorant ways and from there the possibilities are endless. It's sad that a situation such as that in Huntington, WV exists in America today, but it's not surprising. This town exemplifies all that is wrong with our society in terms of health, and is exactly what will happen everywhere if people don't begin to take personal responsibility for themselves today.
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