Public health is a vital part of a smoothly functioning society. Public health’s primary goal is the promotion of the health of our overall population, as well as the prevention of diseases. One such disease, obesity, has become an epidemic in the US, and public health agencies at all tiers of government are addressing the pervasive problem.
Before the obesity epidemic can be addressed, one needs to understand the difference between public health and individual health. According to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (2016), the focus of public health is mainly on preventive measures on a community level, whereas individual health focuses on one person at a time. Moreover, the public health care system deploys an arsenal of weapons to improve the public’s well-being, such as targeting direct medical care, environmental concerns, as well as people’s lifestyle and behavior (Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health, 2016).
However, the obesity epidemic is falling through the cracks, in terms of its effects on public health. According to Griffin (2016), obesity has become so widespread because the media sends mixed messages about food, and any campaign to educate the people about proper nutrition is fraught with debate about what exactly constitutes a healthy diet.
There are a number of public health strategies currently being recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in order to combat the obesity epidemic (CDC, 2016). This key intervention begins in early life, and comprises educational efforts to teach children how to eat, and exercise regularly – from daycare facilities to schools (CDC, 2016). Another important public health strategy – also an informational effort – is to provide hospitals, and other patient care facilities with guidelines about proper nutrition and lifestyle habits, such as regular exercise (CDC, 2016). Thus, the will on the part of the government is slowly gaining momentum, but it remains a matter of time before the public absorbs and applies the information to their daily lives.
In itself, obesity is a challenging public health concern. But, obesity is now considered to be an epidemic by most health care experts because of its high correlation with other serious illnesses, such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease (Griffin, 2016). Thus, the snowball effect created by the obesity epidemic could greatly burden the already-overtaxed health care system in the near future (Griffin, 2016). Doubtless, the long-term public health consequences of the obesity epidemic could be more serious than previously thought.
Nonetheless, local, state, and federal agencies are taking steps to prevent such a scenario from playing out. At the local level, efforts are directed towards the community, with programs that encourage healthy lunches for school children (CDC, 2016). States also help out by providing funds for nutritional programs in the workplace, school budgets, and the dissemination of information about obesity prevention – including guidelines about proper nutrition and regular exercise (CDC, 2016). At the federal level, agencies such as the CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity have been set up to provide information to the public, and influence policy makers at all levels of government (CDC, 2016). All tiers of government must quickly work together in order to prevent further damage to the public’s health.
Indeed, the American obesity epidemic presents itself with a number of challenges. The solutions are largely information-based, will take a long time to implement, and an even longer time to help reverse the epidemic. Due to the widespread nature of the obesity epidemic, governments at the local, state, and federal levels are quickly stepping in to help ward off the possibility of a public health care disaster down the road. With an adequate investment of time and other resources, public health enemy number one can be eliminated.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity. Retrieved on 10 Apr, 2016 from http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/index.html
Griffin, R.M. (2016). Obesity epidemic “astronomical”. WebMD. Retrieved on 10 Apr, 2016 from http://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/obesity-epidemic-astronomical?page=1
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (2016). Public health and medicine. Retrieved on 10 Apr, 2016 from http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/about/public-health-medicine/
