Action towards healthy living--for all

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Abstract
Worldwide biomedical and social research has been establishing knowledge on key essentials of health and well-being.1,2 In general, this knowledge is inadequately applied in public policies, resulting in avoidable health deficits, waste of human potential and costs to society. Remedial measures plainly are required to improve living and working conditions and create social protection policy supportive of all. Formulation of the evidence into practicable ways of living and the minimal costing of these to society and to the individual is relatively straightforward, and we have so far assembled data on healthy living for two UK population groups: adults of working age and older people. We have then ascertained the minimal personal costs these currently would entail, allowing for certain social provisions. This yielded our evidence-based minimum personal income adequate for healthy living (MIHL), which may now be accepted as a definable social determinant of health and, when deficient, poses risks to health and well-being.3