In a recent speech, work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith said:
Work is good for your health. Work can help keep people healthy as well as help promote recovery if someone falls ill
You could interpret this in many ways. A vindictive move to eliminate support for vulnerable people from a pompous idiot with less compassion than a broken-glass bathmat. A clueless statement by a clueless individual who wouldn’t know what hardship was if he had the definition tattooed onto his alarmingly shiny scalp. A cynical and insincere attempt to justify hurting those most in need from a man with less charm and charisma than a waxwork of himself.
You could say any of these things, and you may already have done. But what if he’s correct? What if, scientifically speaking, work does make you better and cure illness? And surprisingly, there may be scientific evidence that this is the case.
Firstly, what is “work”? In the strictest scientific sense, work has many definitions. It could be described as the application of force/energy which results in movement. The human body is capable of doing a lot of work via the muscular system. With this in mind, it could be argued that people with muscular or movement disorders who manage to keep going despite parts of their own bodies being hindrances or “dead weight” are actually doing more work than your able-bodied person.
However, this sort of work doesn’t count when it comes to making people healthier because of reasons that will be explained later if anyone can be bothered. It probably boils down to the fact that it’s very hard for anyone to profit from this sort of work. It’s fair, given his position, to assume that Iain Duncan Smith is referring to “work” meaning “employment” or “physical labour”. And here’s where it gets interesting.
Despite the fact that people often complain about their jobs or employers, and regardless of the fact that the department of work and pensions and Iain Duncan Smith have a very tenuous relationship with the truth, there is strong evidence that yes, work can be good for you. For numerous reasons.
It depends on the nature of your employment, but whereas an illness (of any sort really) can sap your motivation, having a job you are required to attend compels people to do beneficial things like talk to others, be more active, feel valued and improve wellbeing and so on. If you have a tolerant employer and helpful health practitioner, work can be a very helpful solution to many an illness. Makes you wonder why so many people stay off work at all. What are they, sick or something?
So yes, work is very good for you. Of course, if you were going to force some of the most vulnerable and unwell people in the country into work you’d assume it must be beneficial for all people at all times.
Luckily, this is the case. If you ignore respiratory illness caused by chemical exposure, severe to fatal injuries, hundreds of thousands of musculoskeletal disorders, numerous damaging effects of disrupted sleep due to shift work, many cases of deafness and similar impairments, increased cancer risk and the millions of incidents of work-induced stress leading to heart disease, obesity, alcoholism and numerous mental health problems, then yes: work is only ever beneficial.
It makes sense when you think about it: a potent virus or aggressive tumour that is barely kept in check by our most potent drugs will no doubt stop its encroachment on a person’s vital organs if they have an important financial report due on Mr Johnson’s desk by 2pm. So, obviously, the best place for the chronically ill is not the sick bed or hospital ward, but the office, construction yard, and so on. It stands to reason.
If you know your history, you’ll be aware that when we had workhouses in this country, the population was never healthier. Sickness only started returning when they were closed down by meddling do-gooders, ironically in the name of “health and safety”.
It doesn’t stop there either; surely if work can be an effective treatment for illness and improve health, then logically more work will result in more health. Imagine working 24/7 without breaks, sleep or time off to visit family and friends or just do something else that isn’t your job for 10 minutes. While some people would describe this as the very definition of hell itself, it is actually a guarantee of immortality. This is why politicians like Iain Duncan Smith are only ever found at work: they know the secret to lasting health and success.
Sure, recent figures suggest thousands have died shortly after being declared fit to work, but that’s probably because the DWP didn’t get to them in time. Work is the magic bullet, the fountain of youth, the elixir of health, it’s all you need for a healthy and happy life, no matter your current situation. In fact, are you paid to read ridiculous rambling Guardian posts? No? Then GET BACK TO WORK! Or you’ll soon be riddled with the pox.
Dean Burnett can be found on Twitter, which counts as work, honest. @garwboy
