No. 592, August 11, 2008

The review

A Great Book

read by Jonas Himmelstrand

Status Syndrome

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Does our social status affect our health and life expectancy? Yes, argues British physician and researcher Sir Michael Marmot in his book Status Syndrome based on many years of international research. Ultimately it is about having control of your life situation within the social context you live in.

Ill health is not only caused by poverty, according to Marmot. There is a health gradient; people are gradually healthier the richer and better educated they are – higher status. Seen as a group the richest and best educated are the healthiest and then health decreases gradually down in the hierarchy. Marmot discovered this relationship doing research at the British public offices in Whitehall in London. In spite of good employment conditions for everyone, health followed hierarchy. Top managers were the healthiest and office workers the least healthy. Of course, individual differences were large, but on group level the relationship was clear.

According to Marmot the differences are due to the fact that high status gives better control over one’s life situation and social contacts. At the same time, everyone regardless of status, has the same cultural expectation of a good life.

Marmot also refers interesting research from other parts of the world supporting his conclusions.

The book is well documented. Marmot looks critically at his conclusions and gives great insight into the nuts and bolts of serious research. Status Syndrome is very well written and comparatively easy to read. It must be recommended to all with an interest in the learning and growing issue of our future society.

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Status Syndrome, by Michael Marmot.
Bloomsbury Publishing 2005. ISBN 0747574081. 320 pages.

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