Health Promotion in the US via Health Programs and Campaigns - Essay Example

 The popular health campaign, ‘Healthy People 2010’ is a challenge to all Americans, individuals, professionals, and communities, motivating them to take steps towards good and long life. There are many connected programs to make people understand and improve health, prevent the disease, promote health, and reduce the risk of disease and early death. The country is inundated with information about nutrition and dietary guidelines urging the citizens towards ‘finding your way to a healthier you.’ There are national health information centers and unlimited information and guidance about reducing overweight and controlling obesity. There are other connected programs like Healthy Border 2010 with their priority task of distributing health promotion cards. Americans are facing drinking, drugs, and many other connected problems. Media coverage of the drug problems has created sufficient public opinion about drug abuse and the aftermath, substance abuse and high-risk youth problems. “Because of the mass media’s endless appetite for new subjects to report, and because of the increasing public interest in health and fitness topics, the media are not just a passive vehicle for health promotion,” (Backer, 1992, p.6). Along with the interest generated by mass media, sociologists developed various models of health belief, sometimes, with the help of psychology. Of all the models, Becker’s model had been accepted as perhaps the most viable one. Health belief model: (Becker 1974), “The model suggests that the likelihood of an individual engaging in a particular action is a function of their perceptions of the relationship between a behaviour and illness, their susceptibility to that illness, the seriousness of the illness, and the particular costs and benefits involved in engaging in the particular action,” (Bunton, 1992, p.27). On the other hand, Tannahill’s model of health promotion relies on the ‘health education plus’ account. He sees three elements in health promotion: health education, preventive medicine and health protection. There had been many surveys and studies over the years targeting the best health plan for Americans. Survey conductors were appalled by the still unsafe practice of sex, sometimes, sex frenzy, alcoholism and extreme drug use. On the whole, surveys and sampling had been very useful, especially in the areas of diverse cultures and beliefs. “They can also help the health professional dealing with patients on a one-to-one basis to be more sensitive to their beliefs and personal circumstances, and tailor counseling for a healthier lifestyle in a more effective way,” (Badura, 1991, p. 189). With other alternative schools of medicines becoming known in the recent years, Americans now have a choice of choosing any of them, without depending exclusively on allopathic medicines. People had resented the side effects of allopathic medicines for a long time and it is not possible to ignore them any more. Sometimes the side effects are stronger than the sickness itself. People, seeking a lifespan of health, are on the verge of using alternative medicines and are more interested in further information and research. National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine is providing funding for research. These alternatives comprise of herbal medicines, homeopathy, unani, Siddha, Chinese traditional medicines including Acupuncture, Indian Herbal medicinal system called Ayurveda, physical therapies and massages of various disciplines, etc. Yoga, an Indian way of relaxing exercises, has already been popular in America for sometime now, and people who have undergone yoga therapy, are surprisingly attracted to it. It is known as an alternative lifespan remedy and therapy for many health ailments, even though it is not a medicinal system. Talking about medicines, these are unconventional, untried and unorthodox medicines in the West, unproven, and not similar to the conventional allopathic medicinal practice. A lot of stress had been laid on the herbal medicines these days. Perhaps a word of caution is necessary here. All herbal medicines and green labels are not harmless. It depends on the right herb and the correct quantity to make a good medicine. Perhaps it is better to be cautious about the source of these remedies. One wrong medicine can ruin the entire market for manufacturers, practitioners and patients. “Herbal medicines are not without the potential for abuse, the potential to harm, and in some cases, the potential to addict or intoxicate. Perhaps similar legislation should be passed to require consumers wishing to purchase certain herbal agents to provide some kind of identification before such a purchase can be made,” (Fetrow, 1999, p.10). Some of the alternative medical practitioners are criticized for their undying optimism about their remedies. Indian medicine school, Ayurveda proclaims that by right living, therapies, massages, yoga and right thinking, man can go through life without health problems and live a longer, serene life as well. “Contemporary therapists believe that by living in as healthy a way as possible, by taking exercise, eating sensibly, not smoking or drinking, and by getting to grips with negative emotions, every one can achieve harmony and total health, (Rowlands, 1997, pp. 38-39). This is negated by allopathy, which believes that it is natural for a man to fall sick and however he tries to avoid it, it is inescapable. The mindset to adapt a medicinal system and the belief placed on that particular style of medicine too are important. It is impossible to get cured, when the patient’s mind is full of disbelief and contempt for the medicine. It seems as though the whole plethora of holistic medicines have flooded into American market and there are many to choose from. It had never been easier to find an obscure medicine. The information technology and websites have made enormous changes in the availability of information, online ordering, verification of facts and contents of the medicine. “There was no shortage of holistic alternative therapies to choose from, for the holistic explosion was not just an explosion of interest in the tenets of holism, but an explosion of megaton proportions in the number of therapies set before the public with the label of ‘holistic medicine’ affixed,” (Whorton, 2002, p. 255). Another alternative that is immensely popular today is acupuncture, an alternative way of treating, originating from China. It is not a new system to Europe and had been introduced by Rhyne during the times of Imperialism. “Although earlier reports of a therapy involving the insertion of needles into the body had reached the West, the first substantial discussion of acupuncture to arrive in Europe was written by Wilhelm Ten Rhyne, a physician employed by the Dutch East India Company, and stationed at their trading post in Japan,” (Bewins, 2001, p.9). But this has become a well-known practice today even in some of the hospitals. It is gaining a steady foothold in the Western World, including Europe. There are proven benefits and patients swear by it for reduction of pain in chronic ailments. Taking the correct amount of vitamins as supplements and monitoring their use is considered to be a health building strategy. There are many criticisms targeting this practice, on the basis of a fundamental principle, that the body should get the vitamins in the normal way through food, and not synthetic vitamins. Homoeopathy, a medicinal system originated from Germany, has an indestructible quality. Even though, it had been relegated into the dark background many times, it has come up again and again to the forefront till the opposition almost died down. It is appreciated by a lot of people in America and West today. No health plan is complete without mentioning the polluted environment. Many of the ailments are due to pollution, unhealthy indoor living, addiction to TV and Video games that leave youngsters unhealthy during formative years, a trend that might continue to plague during adult life. Degradation of environment, indiscriminate use of insecticides and pesticides while growing food crops, resultant pollution in water, biosphere by inclusion of these harmful chemicals have proven time and again as one of the causes of the dreaded cancer. “Although environmental and lifestyle strategies are at the core of the current policy emphasis on health promotion, the two differ in their politics and political and social implications,” (Leichter, 1991, p.8). Unless Governments of the entire world take action to control pollution and preserve the natural habitats, no health plan would work. Man, a creation of earth and nature, has alienated himself from that very nature and this shows in the difference of health problems between lives of remote tribals and the lives of people in big cities like New York. Safe sex to prevent AIDS, preservation of environment in its pristine form as far as possible, living a life as close to the nature as possible, not using toxins and chemicals, and eating organic food will go a long way in promoting health. “Eating properly, avoiding hazardous substances and enhancing body resistance to pathogenic agents, as noted above, are important ways of promoting health and preventing disease. However, they all depend ultimately on individual action,” (p.54). In addition to these, there are healing systems, precious stone therapies, Reikhi, magnet therapies, music and dance therapies, instrumental music therapies and certain unbelievable remote healings. Most of the alternative medicines come from Eastern countries and without imbibing Eastern thoughts, it could be difficult to appreciate them. Eastern thought is nearer to nature, finding life in plants and trees, protecting animals with all the compassion and finding comfort in whatever we possess without running after comforts throughout life. Today in western countries an animal is seen either in the deep wilderness or in the zoo. In most of the Eastern countries, animals are part of human life. Compassion for another living being is the core of Eastern philosophy and knowing a little more about these age-old truths, should definitely help. BIBLIOGRAPHY: 1. Abelin, T., Brzzinski, Z. and Carstairs, Vera D.L. (1987), ed., Measurement in health promotion and protection, World Health Organisation. 2. Bunton, R. and Macdonald, G. (1992), Health Promotion, Routledge, London. 3. Backer, T.E., Rogers, E.M. and Sopory, Pradeep, (1992), Designing Health Communication Campaigns: What Works? Sage Publications, London. 4. Badura, B. and Kickbusch, I. (1991), ed., Health Promotion Research towards a new social epidemiology, World Health Organization. 5. Bivins, Roberta E. (2000), Acupuncture, Expertise and Cross-Cultural Medicine, Palgrave, Hampshire. 6. Dines, A. and Cribb, A. (1993), Health Promotion concepts and practice, Blackwell Science Ltd., Oxford. 7. Fetrow, C.W. and Avila, J.R. (1999), Professional’s Handbook of Complementary & Alternative Medicines, Springhouse Corporation, Springhouse. 8. Leichter, H.M. (1991), Free to be foolish, Princeton University Press. 9. Rowlands, Barbara (1997), The Which? Guide to Complementary Medicine, Consumers’ Association, London. 10. Whorton, J.C. (2002), Nature Cures, Oxford University Press. Read More