When archaeological chemists analyzed medieval skeletons in northern Germany and southern Denmark a few years ago, they found something counterintuitive: the rich had inadvertently poisoned themselves for centuries. Then, as now, the wealthy enjoyed a significantly higher standard of medical care, but they also indulged in toxic luxuries. In particular, their ornamental glazed tableware and beautiful stained glass windows were made with lead oxide, sending their lead poisoning levels through the roof.

Lifestyle choices meant to differentiate elites from commoners — indeed to both represent and constitute a superior quality of life — led to widespread physical and mental degradation, including stunted intelligence in children.

Today in the United States, the rich have access to the finest medical treatments backed up by the most rigorous science, while the poor die of treatable illnesses. Naturally, the poor and working class see consistently worse health outcomes, by a long shot. But in an enduring contradiction, the rich and the upper-middle class continue to gravitate toward unsafe practices in order to differentiate themselves from the ailing masses.