Practice question · Multiple choice
Allostatic load is described as the price of adapting successfully. Why is that phrasing deliberate rather than a paradox?
Hints
- The system is not malfunctioning. Ask what it costs to run a correct emergency response continuously.
- Compare a two-minute cortisol surge with a two-year one. Same mechanism, different bill.
Show the answer
A. Because the stress response works; the cost is running it for years
Why
Nothing is broken, the response is doing its job, for years instead of minutes. Raised cortisol suppresses immunity and strains the cardiovascular system, so the damage comes from sustained success rather than failure. That is the route from low rank to a worse scan.
Practise Social Inequality and Health
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