to denote the weight of the wear and tear on a body as it tries to retain equilibrium in a taxing and stressful world. The lower an individual’s allostatic load, the easier it is for that person’s body to stay healthy. The higher it is—because the person lives in a polluted area, has an infection, suffers food insecurity, or lives with a chronic stressor such as systemic racism—the likelier you are to get sick with various diseases.
