Some people believe that the government should allocate public resources to promote a healthy lifestyle that contributes to illness prevention, while the treatment of individuals with health problems should not receive the same level of financial support. Personally, I partially disagree with this suggestion for several reasons that I will outline in this essay.
To begin with, prioritizing the enhancement of living conditions to help prevent illness can bring about significant benefits. Firstly, individuals who maintain a balanced diet and engage in regular physical activity can reduce their risk of health problems such as high cholesterol and heart disease, especially in an era dominated by junk food. Additionally, decreasing the number of adults suffering from illnesses can contribute to the country’s development; if the prevalence of diseases rises, the labor force may decline, placing further financial burdens on the economy.
However, this viewpoint does not hold true in several circumstances. Firstly, the high rate of disease can be triggered by genetic and infectious factors. If a parent or family member is diagnosed with certain illnesses, the susceptibility of their children to these diseases may increase. In other words, many health issues cannot be predicted in advance. For instance, the COVID-19 pandemic originated in China, and no one could have foreseen how significantly it would spread. In such cases, promoting a healthy lifestyle as a preventive measure may not be effective or sufficient; therefore, the government must also consider providing equitable healthcare support.