A minimum income for healthy living

Background-Half a century of research has provided consensual evidence of m ajor personal requisites of adult health in nutrition, physical activity an d psychosocial relations. Their minimal money costs, together with those of a home and other basic necessities, indicate disposable income that is now essential for health. Methods-In a first application we identified such representative minimal co sts for healthy, single, working men aged 18-30, in the UK. Costs were deri ved from ad hoc survey, relevant figures in the national Family Expenditure Survey, and by pragmatic decision for the few minor items where survey dat a were not available. Results-Minimum costs were assessed at pound 131.86 per week (UK April 1999 prices). Component costs, especially those of housing (which represents ar ound 40% of this total), depend on region and on several assumptions. By va rying these a range of totals from pound 106.47 to pound 163.86 per week wa s detailed. These figures compare, 1999, with the new UK national minimum w age, after statutory deductions, of pound 105.84 at 18-21 years and pound 1 21.12 at 22+ years for a 38 hour working week. Corresponding basic social s ecurity rates are pound 40.70-pound 51.40 per week. Interpretation-Accumulating science means that absolute standards of living , "poverty", minimal official incomes and the Like, can now be assessed by objective measurement of the personal capacity to meet the costs of major r equisites of healthy living. A realistic assessment of these costs is prese nted as an impetus to public discussion. It is a historical role of public health as social medicine to lead in public advocacy of such a national age nda.