Global World Health
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Summary of the episode
The episode on public global health discusses about the crisis that has struck the United States of America of Diabetes. A huge number of the population is either infected with the disease or a potential victim of the same. This is generally caused by the way the cities have been built to inhibit walking or cycling. Many people have been forced to stay behind the wheel for hours due to the long distances between their homes, work and shopping centers. Additionally, fast foods are made readily available than fruits and other healthy foods. Gradually, many people are turning obese, including children. Due to this, many people have had their legs amputated and lose visions. Therefore, immediate action needs to be taken to fight Diabetes in America.
Relating to the info on the Global Public Health (What specific public health disciplines mention in the episode)
Some of the health disciplines mentioned in the episode that relate to what we learnt from ‘Global Public Health’ are health promotion, Epidemiology, and public health nutrition. Diabetes has grown to be an epidemic in the U.S.A. since masses of people have been diagnosed with the disease and are under intense care to improve their quality of life. The video gives suggestions to both the healthy and the sick on the types of meals to avoid so as to avoid the risk of getting infected and to prevent premature death, respectively.
Is the information valid and easy to understand?
The information in the episode is logically arranged to relay a specific message to members of the society and the government too. The episode starts by revealing the deadly epidemic of Diabetes that has struck the citizens of the United States of America. A big portion of the population is suffering from Diabetes and many more are potential victims of the same. Obesity seems to be the primary cause of Diabetes. People are inhibited from taking part in physical activities by lengthening the distance from homes to jobs and shopping centers, forcing people to go behind the wheel every time they need to go somewhere. This information is strategically placed in the video to capture the attention of the audience. Since the content is divided into modules and the modules are placed logically one after another, it becomes easier for the audience to understand the whole concept being relayed. However, there are specific medical terms that may not be so easy for the common man to comprehend. Such phrases include ‘morbid obesity’, ‘suburban sprawl’ and ”. It would not be easy for someone with no educational background to understand these terms.
The information presented in the episode is based on a thorough research that was conducted in the U.S.A. The demographic data in the episode was collected from hospital records. Hospitals record the number of patients that are diagnosed with all kinds of diseases and this makes them a rich source of information. In addition, it was essential to meet the Diabetic patients so as to get direct responses concerning the experiences they have had with the disease. The researchers encountered a man named Raymond Huff, whose leg had been completely infected with diabetes and had to be amputated. Thus the information in the episode is valid. The research was also conducted based on real time data on the disease. The number of people that were involved in the research and their roles in society instills confidence in the audience to believe every bit of information presented. There were medical professionals, architects, patients and local business people involved. The logical flow of ideas and the fact that the data was collected from experienced individuals makes the information in the episode easy to understand and also valid.
Public health problems
Characteristics of public health are clearly stated in the episode. It clearly shows the major public health problem that most Americans face. The major problem presented in the episode is Diabetes, a deadly disease that is primarily caused by obesity. In modern America, it is shocking that type 2 Diabetes is present in children, a condition which was previously known to affect the elderly. It gives details on how public health can be characterized so as to generate trends and recommend solutions. However, the episode does not provide details on how public health can be measured.
Information about the nature of communities
Due to urbanization and industrialization, industries and urban places are completely separated from residential areas to reduce the risk of pollution and epidemics which were experienced in the past. Therefore, people need to travel long distances to go to work and to access social amenities such as shopping centers. Cars are the most common type of transit that are widely used in the United States. Due to this structure of cities, people spend a lot of time driving thus reducing the time they would spend in doing physical exercises or cooking healthy meals. They are forced to depend on fast foods which are readily available and affordable. Moreover, some cities are not built with bicycle and pedestrian pathways. Lack of physical exercise and consumption of fast foods gradually causes the increase in weight in both children and adults. Type two Diabetes, which previously was only diagnosed in aged people, is now a common disease among children. Getting infected with Diabetes while still young reduces one’s life by 15 years and significantly reduces their quality of life too. This means that children will have to live a much shorter life than their parents. The structure of the society inhibits children from taking part in physical exercises thus making their health deteriorate.
The episode clearly describes how the American communities can be restructured to improve the health of citizens. Modern American cities are created for cars not people. The structure of roads makes them pose a safety risk to pedestrians and cyclists. Therefore, the safest mode of transit is either cars or light rail. Residential places and workplaces are miles and miles apart, forcing people to drive on a daily basis. Getting access to social amenities such as shopping centers requires one to drive too. So as to improve the quality of life of people as well as their health, several plans have been drawn to create pathways for walking and cycling. Physical exercise has proven to be the best mode of overcoming Diabetes than any other drug. Converting old abandoned malls into schools and playgrounds is also a strategy that is being implemented to assist young children to reduce their chances of being infected with Diabetes and to help those with it to live a longer happier life. This alteration of the community will greatly improve public health.
What was missing in the episode
The episode was a rich source of information regarding public health and the measures that should be taken to improve it. However, it is missing some critical information. It does not clearly state what measures the government should take to fight Diabetes. In addition, the episode does not offer sufficient information concerning physical exercises and how it helps reduce chances of getting Diabetes. By adding relevant information concerning physical exercise and the steps that the government should take to treat and prevent more people from getting Diabetes, the article would offer complete and reliable content. Future episodes should focus on the measures that should be taken to completely eradicate Diabetes.
