Alexandra Johnson

I contacted Eric Edwards who is the director of Health Promotion in the Utah County Health Department. He emailed me a lot of information on the current issues and trends of problems that exist in the health of the community currently.

Currently there are many diseases out there that could be prevented. This also goes along with chronic disease. 100 years ago infectious disease was the main cause of death, but today the main cause of death comes from chronic diseases that are caused by unhealthy behaviors and lifestyle choices.

Globally, especially in the US obesity is a huge epidemic that is a big concern. They are increasing in all age groups; Type 2 diabetes is developing in children when it used to be known as “adult onset diabetes”. Now it isn’t even referred to as that by physicians. This type of diabetes is most commonly caused by poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyles; which could be easily prevented.

Injuries that come from accidents are another leading cause of death. Living in a college town where there are many young people driving and doing extreme things makes this a real concern in the environment in which I’m living. I went to high school in Maryland and there was a lot of high school aged kids who were always drinking and driving and so many people I knew, including me, were affected in some way by these fatal accidents. If people were aware of how dangerous driving recklessly was and better understood the importance to wear seatbelts a lot fewer I am sure a lot fewer accidents and deaths would occur.

The DIY health movement is showing increases in the amount of consumers taking advantage of programs that are coming with the advancement of technology. Smart phone apps that help count calories, provide health information, and provide other dietary motivation are increasing public awareness for personal health. Social media is also allowing people to broadcast their personal health goals and to get inspiration of workouts and diet plans. This can positively motivate and inspire people to change their lifestyles for the better. This is a positive change in the world of public health.

As the population of the world continues to increase, more and more concerns with the environment will exist. With a higher population, more food, houses, and transportation methods are needed and that increases the resources that are being used. The carbon emissions from factories and fossil fuels are detrimentally affected the atmosphere. This has caused a very high increase in organizations to help protect the planet and to find alternative methods of energy.