44 million people living in poverty in Europe, 32 million in the United States: these figures highlight the scale of the problem in our industrialized societies. This report examines the health and social systems put in place to assist this population: local youth centers, the RMI (Minimum Income Allowance), health cards, the nonprofit sector, and more. The health status of RMI recipients is similar to that of other disadvantaged population groups; it is characterized primarily by dental, skin, respiratory, and mental health conditions (source: CREDES 1982–1983). CAREPS (Alpine Center for Epidemiological Research and Health Prevention) reports on the dietary habits of disadvantaged populations.