Gateway 7

A Healthy Adult Life

Those who enjoy sound physical and mental health or are able to get adequate treatment when they need it are likely to be more productive, advance faster in their careers, earn higher incomes and enjoy a better quality of life throughout their adult years.

Those who face physical or mental health challenges and do not have access to adequate or effective treatment are likely to miss more days of work, be less successful in their careers, face higher health care expenses and have a diminished quality of life.

Ultimately, some will face debilitating conditions that may threaten their family’s economic security, shorten their careers or even cause premature death.

Indicator 1: The prevalence of adult smokers

Tobacco-related illnesses are Colorado’s leading cause of preventable death.

Indicator 2: Obesity among Colorado adults

If current trends continue, the Centers for Disease Control projects that obesity will overtake smoking as the leading cause of preventable death in the United States.

Indicator 3: Suicide among Colorado adults

Colorado is consistently among the top 10 states for suicide deaths.

Indicator 4: Alcohol abuse among adults

Alcohol abuse is a serious health issue that harms lives and family relationships.

Indicator 5: Health insurance coverage for non-elderly adults

Access to health care is closely related to health insurance coverage.

Indicator 6: Non-elderly adults on Medicaid

One way of compensating for the loss of employer-sponsored health benefits for low-wage workers is to enroll them in the state’s Medicaid program.

Read the whole chapter on Gateway 7: A Healthy Adult Life in
Colorado: The State of Opportunity

2002 report • 2005 report

The Bell Policy Center's Gateways to Opportunity

Opportunity is not generated by a single action. To succeed in life, individuals must pass through a series of gateways:

1. A Healthy Birth

2. A Safe and Stimulating Childhood

3. Building a Solid Base for Literacy

4. Establishing a Healthy Lifestyle in Childhood and Adolescence

5. Leaving High School with a Diploma and the Skills to Succeed

6. Access to Education and Training for Adults

7. A Healthy Adult Life

8. Earning a Decent Living and Building Wealth

9. A Financially Secure and Healthy Retirement

These gateways are like steps on a long staircase. Missing one doesn’t mean you cannot succeed, but it does make the next step much steeper. Miss too many and the climb may become impossible.

Together, these gateways constitute the Cycle of Opportunity — those experiences and events that make it possible to realize one’s economic, social and personal potential.

Read more about the other gateways by clicking on the titles above.