Paige Oliver- Health Trends

Paige Oliver- Community Health Trends in California (San Diego)

I spoke with Joanna (I think her last name was Rodriquez, thought it was rather hard to understand). She works at the California Department of Public Health. I asked her specifically about San Diego (that's where I will be serving my mission) but I think she just gave me the general of California's trends. She related that there are about four trends that have been an issue for the past few years, and more recently a newer issue has arisen. (They disease are not in any specific order).

Obesity: The people of California, and especially San Diego have been buying whatever is cheapest and most of the time, organic food is too expensive for some people. She states that most of those with obesity also lack health insurance. They come to the USA and eat whatever they can afford, mostly cheap fast food. This trend is hard to control and soon their weight becomes out of control.

Asthma: A lot of the lower income workers are continually working all day, and struggle to catch their breath. It is becoming a rampant chronic disease not only for the working adults but for children as well.

Heart Disease: This coincides with the obesity trend as well. It includes all conditions that affect the heart, such as heart attacks, congestive heart failure, coronary heart disease, and congenital heart disease. It is also the leading death of men and world nationwide. 

Skin Cancer: It is very nice and hot in California, especially in San Diego where the sun is seen every day. Melanoma is the most dangerous of skin cancer, and thus even worse that it is on the rise here. People who live there forget that it is something that can happen to anyone and they get into the trend of not wearing sunscreen or protecting their skin.

Sexually Transmitted Disease: This is something that Joanna stated was becoming more of a problem for the people of California. If I quote Joanna she said that "people are thinking with their areas and not with their minds".  People are not thinking of the consequences to their actions and thus are ending up with these STD's that are impacting their life. Whether due to lack of education or just lack of thinking, STD's are becoming quite common.