We are overlooking the most critical element of public health for Americans: feeling stuck

This op-ed in The Philadelphia Inquirer, written by lab director Dr. Atheendar Venkataramani, examines “stuckness,” a term the Opportunity for Health Lab has used for the past decade to describe how barriers in work, finances, health, relationships, and neighborhood conditions can compound and block people’s path forward. The piece draws on the lab’s recent survey of working-age Americans, which found that more than one in five respondents, representing roughly 40 million adults, reported feeling strongly stuck, and connects these findings to broader trends in declining economic and geographic mobility. Venkataramani argues that stuckness is an underappreciated driver of poor health outcomes, and may help explain why U.S. life expectancy has flatlined despite rising healthcare spending. He closes by outlining potential policy responses, including investments in job training, community infrastructure, and reliable safety-net supports.