Public Health in St. George

Amanda Nelson

Public Health Trends

St. George, Utah

  The first health trend that I want to discuss is obesity. The obesity rate is growing everywhere it seems like, and St. George does not escape this. With new restaurants and fast food joints going up it does not look like people are really noticing this as a problem. It is a huge problem! People everywhere need to be exercising, eating properly balanced meals, and pretty much just following the commandments and the word of wisdom.

  Immunizations, just like in Provo, are a growing problem with people in St. George. The problem is immunization awareness and parents not thinking that there kid needs to be immunized for such and such when they will never get it. This is a huge and growing concern that can have a great impact if parents take this seriously.

  Skin cancer is popping up all over the charts, and is especially prevalent in the older generation. Most of what happens in St. George can be prevented with making smart decisions. Skin cancer can be prevented by putting on sun screen when you go outside and covering up when you know that you will be outside for long periods of time.

  Amytotrophic lateral sclerosis, or commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a common trend in St. George. With the high volume of old people getting outside of Salt Lake and Utah County and finding their home in quiet St. George, this disease is running rampant. Lou Gehrig’s Disease that affects the neurons in the brain. The brain can no longer send messages to the brain and leads to the inability to move the arms, legs, and the body.

  Influenza, or the common flu, is a big threat to the oldies in St. George. While it just hits most people and then they are fine, old people do not have the immune system they need to fight it off. A big thing they are doing is getting more recognition for the flu shot that can save lives. By doing one small simple thing they can have a huge impact.