Question

Life expectancy of men and women in the U.S. has greatly increased over the course of the 20th century.  However, there are also currently lifestyle issues that are affecting life expectancy and quality of life today. One that is highly prevalent in the news is childhood obesity; another is vaping and tobacco use overall.

1. What programs have helped prevent disease or injury?
2. What are some other specific examples of lifestyles/behavior issues that are increasing our risk of premature death? How can we combat these issues through public health communication and education

Answer 1

1. CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) created the National Tobacco Control Program (NTCP) in 1999 to encourage coordinated, national efforts to reduce tobacco-related diseases and deaths. The program provides funding and technical support to state and territorial health departments. NTCPfunds.

• All 50 states
• The District of Columbia
• Eight U.S. territories/jurisdictions
• Eight national networks
• Twelve tribal support organizations

NTCP-funded programs are working to achieve the objectives outlined in OSH’s Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs.

1. Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity Prevention Strategies provides guidance for program managers, policy makers, and others on how to select strategies to increase physical activity. CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity (DNPAO) protects the health of Americans at every stage of life by encouraging regular physical activity, good nutrition, and preventing adult and childhood obesity

Life styles and premature deaths

Excessive alcohol consumption

Excessive long-term drinking increases the risk of cancers of the mouth, pharynx, oesophagus and liver. Smoking andexcessive alcohol makes things even worse. Tobacco smoking amplifies the cancer-causing effects of alcohol on the upper digestive tract and respiratory tract. Alcohol is also linked to violence and an increased risk of accidental injury.

Healthy lifestyle suggestions include:

• Avoid binge drinking – that is, drinking a large amount of alcohol in a single session.
• Make a conscious effort to reduce your drinking – for example, before you attend a restaurant dinner, decide on a set number of drinks (such as two) and stick to it.
• Reduce your access to alcohol – for example, don’t store bulk amounts at home.
• Swap between alcoholic drinks and non-alcoholic beverages – water is ideal – when you are drinking.
• Switch to drinks with a reduced alcohol content if you can – for example, drink light beer instead of full-strength beer.
• Drink wine instead of spirits such as whiskey – spirits are distilled rather than fermented and have a much higher alcohol content.
• Aim for at least two alcohol-free days every week.

Physical inactivity

If you are not active, your risk of cardiovascular disease is increased, especially coronary heart disease. Overweight and obese people are also likely to be sedentary.

Healthy lifestyle suggestions include:

• Do a reasonable amount of exercise at least three times each week (‘reasonable’ means hard enough to make you puff and sweat).
• Choose a sport or activity you enjoy, because the ‘fun factor’ dramatically increases your motivation to exercise.
• Start off slowly if you are not used to regular exercise – increase the frequency and intensity as your fitness improves.
• Make sure to check with your doctor before you start any new exercise program – individual factors such as your age or a pre-existing medical condition could make some forms of exercise inappropriate or even harmful

• Minimizing the transmission of infectious diseases is a core function of public health law. The
  appropriate exercise of legal powers will vary according to the seriousness of the disease, the
  means of transmission, and how easily the disease is transmitted.
  · Law can contribute to the prevention of infectious diseases by improving access to
  vaccinations and contraceptives, and by facilitating screening, counselling and education of those
  at risk of infection. Law also has a reactive role: supporting access to treatment, and authorizing
  public health authorities to limit contact with infectious individuals and to exercise emergency
  powers in response to disease outbreaks.
  · Where public health laws authorize interferences with freedom of movement, the right to
  control one’s health and body, privacy, and property rights, they should balance these private
  rights with the public health interest in an ethical and transparent way. Public health powers
  should be based on the principles of public health necessity, reasonable and effective means,
  proportionality, distributive justice, and transparency.
  · Immunization is a successful and cost-effective public health strategy that saves millions of
  lives each year. Governments can support vaccination coverage by ensuring that vaccination is
  free or affordable, by ensuring that all children are vaccinated (with limited exceptions for medical
  or religious reasons), and that vaccinations are documented.
  · Screening individuals to determine if they have been infected with or exposed to an infectious
  disease is a core public health strategy. Early treatment has important public health benefits; for
  example, people receiving treatment for tuberculosis and HIV infection are less likely to transmit
  the infection to others. Routine, voluntary HIV testing benefits both affected individuals and their
  intimate partners by facilitating early access to prevention, care and treatment services.
  · Health laws can improve the success of voluntary screening programmes by including
  counselling requirements, ensuring the confidentiality of test results, and protecting individuals
  diagnosed with particular diseases from discrimination. Public health laws should protect the
  confidentiality of a person’s HIV status, authorizing disclosure to third parties only in limited
  circumstances where a third party is at significant risk of HIV transmission and where other
  statutory preconditions are met.
  · Governments should carefully consider the appropriate role of criminal law when amending
  laws to prevent the transmission of infectious and communicable diseases. For example, criminal
  penalties for transmission of HIV may create disincentives to individuals to come forward for HIV
  testing and treatment, or may provide the pretext for harassment and violence against vulnerable
  groups. Encouraging personal responsibility and self-protection is critical, especially in countries
  where rates of HIV infection are high.
  · Public health laws should authorize compulsory treatment only in circumstances where an
  individual is unable or unwilling to consent to treatment, and where their behaviour creates a
  significant risk of transmission of a serious disease. Compulsory treatment orders should restrict
  individual liberty only to the extent necessary to most effectively reduce risks to public health.

  Communication and eductionmethods can be used to create and increase public awareness of a disease; educate the public about a disease, its causes, and treatment; change a person's or group's attitudes about a disease; change individual behavior to prevent or control a disease; advocate for policy changes in favor of disease prevention and control; and create social norms that favor healthful living.