What is biological weathering primarily a result of?

Biological weathering is primarily the result of chronic exposure to racism and trauma. This concept connects deeply with how persistent psychological and social stressors can affect an individual's health over time. Chronic exposure to adverse experiences, such as discrimination and systemic inequities, can lead to significant mental and physical health issues. The ongoing nature of these stressors can cause physiological changes in the body, contributing to what is understood as biological weathering. This term refers to the accelerated physical deterioration that can occur due to prolonged exposure to stressors, ultimately impacting overall health and well-being.

Other aspects like nutritional deficiencies, genetic predisposition, and age-related health decline, while they may influence a person’s health, do not encapsulate the specific link between sustained social pressures and physical health deterioration in the same way that exposure to racism and trauma does. They may contribute to health outcomes, but they lack the direct correlation to the biological weathering phenomenon observed in those subjected to chronic systemic stresses.