April 4 - 10, 2016 is National Public Health Week in the United States. It is a health awareness week backed by the American Public Health Association (APHA). The annual event strives to highlight public health achievements and issues. The goal is to improve the general health of people by educating the public about health issues as well as lifestyle changes that promote longevity.
It may be shocking to many of us that the state of health in America is not what it seems. Known as one of the wealthiest nations globally, there are some stark realities to confront and to work together to defeat. For example, around 2.5 billion work days are lost due to illness every year, with an estimated fall in productivity of $1 trillion.
By improving the health of the nation, people’s lives will improve and the country will continue to prosper. Through health education and health awareness campaigns, we can reduce the effects and consequences of many health conditions and diseases by preventing their onset or tackling any symptoms or issues early on.
Here are some of the challenges facing the state of national public health:
- Americans live shorter lives and suffer more health problems than peers in other high-income countries.
- Americans rank 34th in life expectancy, when compared to other high-income countries. This is due to poor performance in the areas of infant mortality, obesity and chronic disease.
- America lags behind other high-income countries in several areas of health. We focus less on prevention and education. We have higher rates of poverty, greater income inequality and less economic mobility. Americans eat the most calories, while not consuming enough vegetables.
- Sixteen million American children go to sleep hungry.
- Gun homicides are 20 times higher in America than in peer countries.
- Nearly 50 percent of Americans live in communities with unhealthy levels of air pollution.
- Nearly 50 percent of Americans suffer from preventable, chronic disease, yet only 3 percent of health care spending is on prevention and public health programs.
- The U.S. ranks 21st in high school graduation rate as compared with other high-income countries.
- Two thirds of Americans are overweight or obese.
- About 32 percent of U.S. adults eat vegetables less than once a day.
2016 National Public Health Week’s eight solutions for a Healthier Nation
- Build safe, healthy communities. This means healthy housing, parks and playgrounds. Walking and biking must coexist with cars and public transportation. Lower levels of violence and crime to enable people to live, work, learn and play. Support farmers’ markets and local businesses that value health.
- Help young people graduate from high school. Education is the leading indicator of good health, because it leads to access to better jobs, incomes and neighborhoods. Call for policies that start with early school success and lead to higher high school graduation rates.
- Help fix the country’s income inequality and unhealthy stresses it puts on adults and children. Support policies that ensure a living wage and remove barriers that made it harder to advance to higher incomes.
- Give everyone the opportunity to improve their lives and health. Speak out against racism and an unequal criminal justice system. Demand fair allocation of community resources to allow everyone a voice.
- Give everyone a choice of healthy food. Call for policies that help eliminate food deserts and bring healthy food to all neighborhoods and schools. Support measures like menu labeling that help people make healthier choices. Start a community garden or volunteer for a local food bank.
- Support policies that protect the air we breathe indoors and outdoors, as well as the water we drink. Help protect our health from natural and manmade weather events and disasters.
- Provide quality healthcare for everyone. Pursue options for expanded access to quality care at the federal, state and local levels. Emphasize prevention rather than focusing only on treating symptoms and illness.
- Strengthen public health infrastructure and capacity. Support funding for key pubic health agencies, such as the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
As LifePharm IBOs, you can contribute to public health by educating friends, family and prospects on how to take control of their own health by maintaining eating right, exercising regularly and taking Laminine, OMEGA+++, DIGESTIVE+++ and IMMUNE+++ every day—because prevention is far superior to the potentially long road to recovery.
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