Inequality equals bad health?

That's the argument Sam Pizzigati makes at Alternet.  He bases his argument on a study published in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), which found that the United States ranked 27th among 34 industrial nations — despite spending much more on health care than any other nation.  This is quite a change from the '50s when we were considered one of the healthiest nations despite the fact that we smoked heavily, ate a diet that would horrify any 21st-century nutritionist, and hardly ever exercised.

Pizzigati asserts that a significant number of studies have indicated that the real problem is income inequality. The more unequal a society, the studies show, the more unhealthy most everyone in it — and not the poor alone.  The fundamental problem is stress.  The more inequality in a society, the more stress on a daily level. Chronic stress, over time, wears down our immune systems and leaves us more vulnerable to disease. 

This same stress drives people to seek relief in unhealthy habits. They may do drugs or smoke — or eat more “comfort foods” packed with sugar and fat.