There are a number of health issues in Louisiana. Many of them derive from the environment and the lifestyle of Louisiana citizens. There are not as many hereditary health issues that Louisiana citizens believe to be present in Louisiana. Studies show that the main health issues in Louisiana are obesity, diabetes, cancer, and heart problems. While many claim that these health issues run in their families, that is not the case. The true factors that heavily affect these health issues are the lifestyle and geographical environment that are located and taken place in Louisiana. Living by “let the good times roll,” carries a heavy consequence. Louisiana is known for its festivals, and excessive food and alcohol consumption.Unfortunately, these
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For example, significant increases in cancer risk are associated with workers that have been exposed to high concentrations of ionizing radiation, certain chemicals, metals, and other substances (Hunt 4). There are many Louisiana workers who work in petrochemical refineries, and have been heavily affected by this field of work. In “A strong voice in Louisiana’s Cancer Alley,” by Julie Cart, a woman states that there is a clear difference between workers affected by the pollution and average students. She states that “the old-looking ones work in oil and gas or the chemical plants. You can clearly see the difference — the pallor of their skin, how shriveled” (Cart 4). Not only are the workers being affected, but the poor communities that reside near the petrochemical plants. There is a region where there have been so many cases of cancer, so much inexplicable illness and death, that the corridor has become known as Cancer Alley, an 85-mile stretch of over 200 petrochemical facilities between Baton Rouge and New Orleans (Trymaine 3). This region runs along the Mississippi river and has displayed higher levels of poverty where the oil plants are located. The woman being interviewed for “Cancer Alley: Big Industry, Big Problems,” is Brunetta Sims who resides in Louisiana. Sims would notice sores on her feet and there were similar sores on her brother’s feet before he died of …show more content…
The sickness-saturated Mossville, Louisiana is becoming abandoned over time. In “How Pollution Killed a Louisiana Town,” by Heather Rogers, the main man she interviews is a seventy-one year old man named Allen Leblanc who is on disability and for the last decade he has refused to leave his house. He has experienced seizures, liver problems, and stroke, tremors, insomnia, fatigue, and depression (Rogers 1). Leblanc blames his health issues on the toxic emissions from the industrial plants from the neighboring town of Westlake. These facilities emit millions of pounds of toxins into the air, water, and soil each year, and Leblanc said that living in the area has “messed him up” (Rogers 1). The average dioxin level among the Mossville citizens was triple that of the general U.S. population, and the median exceeded the country’s 95th percentile. The Mossville rates were among the highest ever recorded in the country (Rogers 2). The health effects of dioxins in humans can include cancer, damage to the reproductive system, impairment of the immune system, and disruption of normal hormone functions, which can lead to diseases such as diabetes (Rogers
For example, significant increases in cancer risk are associated with workers that have been exposed to high concentrations of ionizing radiation, certain chemicals, metals, and other substances (Hunt 4). There are many Louisiana workers who work in petrochemical refineries, and have been heavily affected by this field of work. In “A strong voice in Louisiana’s Cancer Alley,” by Julie Cart, a woman states that there is a clear difference between workers affected by the pollution and average students. She states that “the old-looking ones work in oil and gas or the chemical plants. You can clearly see the difference — the pallor of their skin, how shriveled” (Cart 4). Not only are the workers being affected, but the poor communities that reside near the petrochemical plants. There is a region where there have been so many cases of cancer, so much inexplicable illness and death, that the corridor has become known as Cancer Alley, an 85-mile stretch of over 200 petrochemical facilities between Baton Rouge and New Orleans (Trymaine 3). This region runs along the Mississippi river and has displayed higher levels of poverty where the oil plants are located. The woman being interviewed for “Cancer Alley: Big Industry, Big Problems,” is Brunetta Sims who resides in Louisiana. Sims would notice sores on her feet and there were similar sores on her brother’s feet before he died of …show more content…
The sickness-saturated Mossville, Louisiana is becoming abandoned over time. In “How Pollution Killed a Louisiana Town,” by Heather Rogers, the main man she interviews is a seventy-one year old man named Allen Leblanc who is on disability and for the last decade he has refused to leave his house. He has experienced seizures, liver problems, and stroke, tremors, insomnia, fatigue, and depression (Rogers 1). Leblanc blames his health issues on the toxic emissions from the industrial plants from the neighboring town of Westlake. These facilities emit millions of pounds of toxins into the air, water, and soil each year, and Leblanc said that living in the area has “messed him up” (Rogers 1). The average dioxin level among the Mossville citizens was triple that of the general U.S. population, and the median exceeded the country’s 95th percentile. The Mossville rates were among the highest ever recorded in the country (Rogers 2). The health effects of dioxins in humans can include cancer, damage to the reproductive system, impairment of the immune system, and disruption of normal hormone functions, which can lead to diseases such as diabetes (Rogers