How many Americans today lead healthier lifestyles? Statistics indicate that some 75% of Americans now believe they’re eating healthy. Unfortunately, they’ve wrongly estimated their well-being! Experts state that not even 3% of our fellow citizens today are healthy. Americans suffer from different ailments that endanger their well-being. Over 30 million people have diabetes, while more than 80 million have cardiovascular complications. So, how do Americans retain their health? The solution involves what we’ll call “public health planning,” in which experts achieve long-term public health results. Now, we’ll discuss how public health planning creates a lifestyle for our citizens to improve their collective well-being.
Promoting a healthier lifestyle in society
The American healthcare institution faces many challenges that undermine its efficacy. So, people suffer from medical mistakes, a lack of transparency, a shortage of physicians, and unaffordable health-related expenditures among these problems. So how can we improve a community’s well-being in the presence of all these issues? Here come public health experts who protect/improve people’s health and cater to the needs of a community both locally and globally. It’s made them important for communal well-being.
These experts attain a master’s degree in public health (MPH) to become capable of helping folks adopt the right habits. For example, what Is Public Health Planning? It’s described as a process involving many steps. It begins with the definition of health-related problems and concludes with a plan to improve well-being. So, public health experts promote healthy behaviors with society, combat different diseases, and effectively manage chronic ailments (such as diabetes). Here’s how they encourage a healthy lifestyle in society:
- Eating veggies:
People have become accustomed to consuming “junk food” that doesn’t have any nutritional value. Don’t waste your time eating something that merely tastes delicious but doesn’t contribute to your well-being. Instead, people should consume more fruits & vegetables to stay healthy. Public health experts can spread awareness about why parents should put more fruits & veggies on the table.
- Eating slowly:
It’s believed that eating quickly leads to chronic ailments such as obesity. Thus, public health experts can encourage people to consume their meals slowly, thereby feeling satisfied after dinner. As you’re eating your food, your brain releases “fullness hormones” within twenty minutes. Therefore, eating speedily leads to people receiving this signal much later, causing the “post-dinner bloat.”
- Check your posture:
Is your posture healthy? You shouldn’t sit, stand, or sleep in a manner that harms your skeleton. So, learn about the ergonomics of your workstation to avoid back pain. And back pain is one of the most posture-related problems in the country. So, reposition the monitor and adjust the lumbar support to make yourself more comfortable. Hence, you avoid causing yourself any more pain.
- Sleeping comfortably:
Adults must spend 7-9 hours sleeping daily to refurbish themselves. Interestingly, some researchers have discovered that people who sleep for fewer than 6 hours each day are 12% more likely to die prematurely. So, public health experts can propagate the value of a good night’s rest among people. They can also show folks how it’s smarter to avoid screen time before they decide to sleep.
- Drinking water:
You may have heard how the human body is made up of water. But do you drink it frequently? Well, people should drink around eight glasses of water daily. Drinking water properly helps you regulate your calorie intake, keep your kidneys functioning, and provide the required energy to your muscles. But stay away from drinking sodas/coffees excessively since these things aren’t healthy for you.
- Exercise regularly:
Many Americans have acquired a sedentary lifestyle in which they spend their time sitting around in a chair. Experts believe that adults require 150 minutes of regular exercise daily to maintain their physical and mental well-being. Exercise stimulates the release of endorphins, making you happy, relaxed, and self-confident. Dedicate some time to a proper workout schedule.
- Engaging yourself:
People should engage themselves in mind-sharpening activities, e.g., solving quizzes, playing Sudoku, or doing crossword puzzles. These activities stimulate your brain to function properly, saving you from diseases like Alzheimer’s. That’s why games like chess are well-liked among people who try to maintain their mental health. So, adopting these pastimes is good for the well-being of society.
- Stop smoking:
In 2019, around 14% of adults aged 18+ smoked, making cigarettes a common threat to this nation’s well-being. Public health experts can explain why smoking is harmful to health and how they can quit this addiction via experts-suggested means. It seems challenging to overcome an addiction. But we have therapy/counseling to help addicts in society recover from their cravings.
- Reducing stress:
Stress haunts the mental health of many Americans right now. So, you can engage in stress-reducing exercises to overpower your inner demons. Public health experts can organize for therapists to stay available for the public so people suffering from stress/anxiety can get immediate help. So, people can find professional assistance before they start spiraling and get out of control due to anxiety.
Conclusion
The collective well-being of Americans remains damaged by mental/physical health problems. Thus, it’s estimated that 51.8% of Americans have at least one chronic ailment. We require some public health services from professionals. Public health planning involves identifying problems affecting people’s well-being and evaluating activities to mitigate threats to the health of society. So, what do our public health officials do? Well, they’re tasked with promoting healthy habits among Americans now.
Public health planners can encourage people to sleep properly, consume nutritiously, and adopt healthy pastimes. They can popularize exercises that help people relax and overcome stress/anxiety. Moreover, public health experts can warn people about the demerits of drinking/smoking. A sedentary lifestyle has damaged public health today, so they propagate the advantages of improving your posture. That’s how professionals can bolster the well-being of society and protect citizens from several chronic ailments.
