ABSTRACT
Being poor is bad for health. Poverty was invented with the advent of civilizations to subjugate the low ranking. It was not present in Paleolithic societies. Health declined with the “progress” of agriculture. Poverty and inequality are siblings birthed by technological advances. Poverty definitions vary among nations. Poor laws separated the deserving from the undeserving poor. The United States has severe poverty, much more than other rich nations. One can have little and not feel poor. Most poor Americans don't admit this since they hope to achieve wealth before they die. This myth is contradicted by comparing mortality rates with other rich nations across the age spectrum. Societal poverty represents moral decay.
