Danielle Chapman

November 9, 2012

Public Health Community Trends

            For this assignment I called the Toole County Health Department in Shelby, Montana. I spoke to a health promoter named Kristy Aklestad. When I asked her about the public health concerns in their community, she said they were actually in the middle of researching those issues. The top five of concern were: Obesity, Chronic Disease, Immunizations, Unhealthy food/lack of knowledge, and Breastfeeding.

The twenty-first century has brought many advances into this nation. The surge in technology and knowledge is overwhelming. However, it also came with a devastating decline in exercising and an increase in fatty foods. These changes have brought an obesity epidemic across our nation. In Montana 60.3% of adults are overweight and 23% are obese. The health risks for this unhealthy way of life include coronary heart disease, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, cancers, and many other diseases. This epidemic can be reversed with an overall change in diet and physical activity.

Immunizations are essential for containing outbreaks of hundreds of diseases throughout the world. Something as simple as a shot can prevent illnesses for not only your benefit, but also for those around you. If you receive an immunization, you’ll be more immune to that sickness, and therefore cannot spread it to others. Even something as simple as the flu can turn harmful and deadly. Immunizations are cheap, easily accessible, and very very beneficial. The small cost of one shot can in return save your life.

This country has taken it’s intakes of whole foods and swapped them with fast, and convenient foods. The average citizen is so busy with hundreds of responsibilities that the convenient microwave foods or drive ins look more appealing. As previously mentioned, this leads to obesity, and has been increasingly diagnosed in children. The search for good information on healthy diets can be confusing with all the information. The education and practice of nutritious meals and sorting good information from bad is critical in benefiting our children’s lives and generation.

In this day and age, the support for breastfeeding may be hard to find. Many mothers are not breast feeding for the right amount of time which may affects the baby’s growth and health. Though it may not always be convenient, a mother’s milk in the first year of life is the optimum nutrition a baby needs. Many mothers are ignorant of the benefits of the milk or embarrassed and may look for other options. Mothers need to be educated to help insure the finest health for their children.

            The leading number of deaths in America is caused by chronic diseases. According to the Center for Control Disease and Prevention, the four modifiable behaviors are lack of physical activity, poor, tobacco use, and excessive alcohol consumption. Chronic diseases include cancer, arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, and many many more. With small lifestyle changes, American’s can avoid the pitfall of these diseases. With education and practice, the health of American’s can be the best in the world again.