This week's assignment focused on the achievements our country has made on the public health front, specifically within the past decade. The article was very informative. It provided statistics to show improvement in several areas. I found the article a little boring because it was basically just a list, but it presented the achievements in a clear, concise manner. Most public health articles are concerned with what still needs to be fixed, so it was refreshing to see a paper that reflected on the positive outcomes of what we have already accomplished. The world is a
lot safer and healthier now, not because of health care, but because health
advocates have changed the structures of the world to make it a healthier and
safer place.
Two of the achievements from the list that particularly resonate with me are tobacco control and motor vehicle safety. Tobacco use has been very prevalent in my home town in Kentucky in the past. I have witnessed first-hand the effects of smoke-free laws and tax increases on tobacco products. As an asthmatic, second-hand smoke can make me feel incredibly uncomfortable and even spark an attack. Smoke-free laws in restaurants have made it easier for me to go out without worrying about having my inhaler by my side. Also, many of my friends in high school used tobacco products. However, when prices began to increase, less and less people continued to smoke. Not only do I see this as an achievement for tobacco control, but tax like these are also preventing young people like my friends from developing health problems, like lung or mouth cancer, later in life. Tobacco-use is still an issue in towns like mine across the country, however, the obvious improvements point toward a positive direction.
Achievements in motor vehicle safety also resonates with me personally. The development of the seat belt and other safety features make the roadways safer and have saved thousands of lives. Unfortunately, I've already seen some of my own friends die or become seriously injured in accident related deaths, usually as a result of not wearing seat belts. While motor vehicles themselves have become much safer, enforcement of these safety features must be more strongly emphasized. Newer cars use negative reinforcement by making an obnoxious beeping sound until the driver and passenger put on their seat belts.
One public health problem that is not stressed enough currently is the issue of obesity. Obesity is a major public health issue because it leads to costly health complications--like diabetes or high blood pressure--that are usually otherwise preventable. Small improvements have begun, but I think it must be treated more aggressively in upcoming years to be considered an achievement by 2020. For instance, by the time I graduated high school, soda was no longer available in vending machines. Because our only options were water or other juices, students drank less soda. Also, some fast food restaurants like Chipotle have added calorie counts to their menus, so that customers are aware how much they are consuming. I think an effective way to combat obesity is to focus on the younger generations. If we encourage kids to exercise on a regular basis, they will be more likely to make the choice to stay fit later in life.
I also find obesity is a growing problem in America. However I disagree with aspects of the approach you are taking. Certainly it is important to disclose information about calories in food being sold. However, restricting access to food seems autocratic and paternalistic. There is a tendency to blame food for causing obesity but people neglect exercise since exercise is more difficult to induce than limiting food consumption. However, eating is driven by the fat stores present in the body and exercise causes the body to adjust its target fat levels lower. Thus I feel encouraging exercise should be the key focus rather than diet.
ReplyDeleteTobacco control has definitely been one of the greatest achievements of the decade. In my family there used to be a lot of smokers, and I have seen how they have progressively left the habit because of how the society's perception on smoking has changed. It is now uncomfortable for the smoker to light a cigarette if he has to walk out of a restaurant to do so, or face a scary picture while opening the package.
ReplyDeleteYou are right when you point out that obesity is a growing problem in America, and I think that the way to tackle this problem can be very similar to that used for tobacco control: cultural change on the perception on fast foods, using advocacy and policy to change the fast food culture and make people want to eat healthy by giving them easier access to better foods and promoting healthy dietary habits.
It's great how public health focuses on the masses, but individual people like yourself can see the effects of good public health efforts in a personal way.
ReplyDeleteI am really appreciative of the steps towards cardiovascular disease prevention, mainly because it has highlighted how important our activity levels and diet are in our overall mortality, and it has led scientists and physicians to be greater advocates for research in dietary behaviors. And now, the evidence I showing that much of the dietary behaviors that are assumed to be personal, can be very controlled by the environment, by socioeconomic status, by knowledge and by access. Our personal dietary habits are often not just personal choices.
I agree with you about the obesity being a big public health issue. So I’m interested to see where we go as a country with regards to access to healthier nutrition for all, and related to that, what advances we will make in changing growing trend towards obesity. I think this affects me the most because I continue to have experiences with patients who are experiencing lifestyle diseases, and more and more I am realizing that efforts to stop the lifestyle disease rates in our country need to be coordinated at many levels, not jsut the individual.