Problem
You are a public policy advisor charged with improving the health of everyone across the country: young and old, the impoverished and the wealthy, across all ethnic groups and immigration statuses. Current legislation suggests that there's nothing we can do if people are genetically predisposed to disease. However, you have seen research that leads you to believe otherwise. In one assignment document, please discuss the following:
• Part 1: Compare how each of these current environmental contexts - direct family influences, poverty, affluence and schools - can dysfunctionally increase the genetic risk of cancers and cardiovascular disease via epigenetics.
• Part 2: Discuss the potential future of the country. Explain how each of these environmental contexts - direct family influences, poverty, affluence and schools - can be utilized in the future to reduce the genetic risk of cancers and cardiovascular disease via epigenetics.
Be sure to discuss how age, SES, gender, ethnicity and immigration status affect each context. For example, SES affects nutrition; does that have different effects for children, middle aged and elderly people?