The Importance Of Health Promotions In Public Health

Due to the corporate competition between large pharmaceutical companies and their purpose as a business to “make money,” modern medicine is often characterized by the overuse of chemical drugs. Under current US law, it is perfectly legal to pay doctors to promote drugs. Big Pharma, the collective group of big pharmaceutical companies, continues to pay billions of dollars to doctors promoting and prescribing their drugs. The common assumption when one goes to the doctor is that he or she is going to get the best medication to cure his or her illness or disease. Sometimes, the medicine fixes the problem in the short term, but it does not target the underlying cause. On top of this, the drugs may aim to fix one problem but can cause unwanted side effects in the process. This creates the never-ending cycle of dependency on chemical drugs as patients are often prescribed more drugs to deal with the new problems that are created.

Commercialized on TV as the only solution to our numerous problems, Big Pharma preys on people who struggle through life. Although seemingly meant to heal, pharmaceutical drugs have destroyed countless American lives instead because gullible patients rush to their doctor demanding prescriptions. Want to lose weight? Give me a pill. Want more intense sexual encounters? I need a pill. Want to grow longer, shinier hair? Hey, I’ll just pop a pill. Although some medical conditions do require medication, not every case of discomfort should be treated with highly addictive prescription meds nor should those drugs be trafficked via commercials that target a hypochondriacal nation of couch potatoes too lazy to put forth the time and effort to prevent disease. Instead, far too many Americans simply find a quick fix at their local pharmacy. These prescriptions lead to addiction and in the end death. Therefore, if I could take away any one invention from mankind it would be the crass commercialization of pharmaceuticals.

Persuasive marketing has contributed to drug overprescription among healthcare providers, which is a main factor of the fifth leading cause of death in the United States: adverse drug reactions. An adverse drug reaction is defined as "an appreciably harmful or unpleasant reaction, resulting from an intervention related to the use of a medicinal product, which predicts hazard from future administration and warrants prevention or specific treatment ... or withdrawal of the product" (Edwards & Aronson). Each year, they cause an estimated 100,000 deaths and 1.5 million hospitalizations. Many doctors prescribe medication that their patients have requested whether or not the drug is the most beneficial option for the individual. Without thorough examination of a patient's medical history, he or she is more likely to experience unpleasant side effects from the requested drug. The arthritis medication Vioxx, for example, was withdrawn from the market in 2004 after it was discovered to have caused up to 160,000 heart attacks and strokes. Incidentally, the company had

With the weight loss industry, media, and health professionals bullying individuals by attaching harmful stigmas to individuals of certain size and weights, numerous Americans are fed the lie they must partake in the various dieting plans and drugs provided by the money-thirsty companies in order to become accepted by society. However, the truth lies not in the media’s falsities that take far too many people ransom: instead, the truth is uncloaked when the adverse outcome of what the reality of dieting and consuming weight loss drugs is examined. Not only prevaricating their ads and commercials, the weight loss industry, media, and health professionals cause psychological and physical damage to millions when they partake in their latest drugs, products, or meal plans. For this reason, America must abolish the weight loss matrix in which it is captured. Although this will be no easy task, the falsity of the obesity epidemic, dieting drugs and programs, and acceptable standards of size and shape as presented by the media can be revamped. Parents and health care providers alike must take responsibility and have discussions with today’s youth about the misconceptions portrayed by the media and the value of what true nutrition looks like. Planning family meals together to ensure

Health promotion utilises theories and models to guide practice. A theory is the general principles of a framework of ideas in regards to a particular topic. (Merriam-webster.com, 2016) A model is a set plan of action based on theoretical ideas to achieve a set goal. (Merriam-webster.com, 2016)

Following the guidelines by policymakers and the CDC to limit prescription of opioid medications, there have been numerous instances that highlight the pharmaceutical industry’s role in propagating initiatives that are contrary to these guidelines hence thwarting the fight against opioid abuse (Bement et al., 2014). The opioid pharmaceutical market is worth about $ 10 billion in sales annually which explains why the pharmaceutical industry would be reluctant in joining the fight against opioid abuse. The pharmaceutical industry perceives the fight against opioid use as a setback. As a result, the industry is constantly looking for measures to earn more profits by aggressively expanding the market for more drugs that are related to opioid use such that the answer to opioid addiction is to use more pills. The pharmaceutical industry is aggressively manufacturing alternative drugs to treat the side-effects of opioid use like constipation. Historically, the pharmaceutical industry has been accused of providing misleading information concerning the addictive features of some opioid medications which further frustrates the initiatives to stop opioid abuse since the addiction levels will be high for

that can worsen a person’s health. If the patient takes the prescribed drug correctly, than the drug

We in America tend to take medications for almost any problem we have, from headaches to gastrointestinal pain, to more serious chronic disorders such as depression and attention deficit disorder. While many of the uses of such medications may be necessary and legitimate, many are not, and due to this fact, many people become dependent on medications, mentally, and or physically. This problem is not simply the fault of the individual; in fact, the blame can also be placed upon the medical community, and the pharmaceutical companies who produce the drugs. How often can one turn on the television to see advertisements for Claritin, Aspirin, Pepto-Bismol, or even Zoloft or Ritalin? The pharmaceutical industry is motivated by monetary

Did you know that prescription drug abuse is one of the leading causes of death in the United States? “According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, two-hundred and ninety people in the United States are killed by prescription drugs every day. (White)” That number is growing every year due to the lack of knowledge of prescription drugs and the potential harm they can cause. Many people are under the misconception that prescription drugs are safe because they are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and they are prescribed by a doctor. Therefore, the drugs must be safe and could not possibly cause harm or be addicting. However, “the nonmedical use of prescription drugs is the fastest

With access to prescription drugs, people are able to treat a multitude of diseases and illnesses. These drugs help deal with pain, inability to sleep, depression, and much more. Every day we are increasingly living in a world where there is better living through chemicals. However, what most do not seem to see is the rising tide of pain, illness, and ultimately death being caused by the pills people take every day. Most keep drugs in a special place in their minds, where they see them as harmless. Sadly, this is not the case, and in some cases our prescription drugs can be just as harmful as illegal drugs (King 68).

Health promotion and disease prevention is a fairly new trend designed to preserve the health of Americans based on a public-private partnership (Williams & Torrens, 2008). Preventative care must be contemplated ahead of time, even when no symptoms are present (WFR, n.d.). Being educated and actively practicing preventive care is the best way to prevent diseases in the first place.

The health care provider is a vital component in patient decision making and in the success of Metabical. As patients begin to ask their doctors about the drug, CSP needs to ensure that physicians are properly educated about Metabical and its benefits. Additionally, doctors can have significant influence not only over their patients but also over insurance companies and the general public by supporting Metabical and substantiating it’s claims. I would position the drug as a supplement to doctors looking to advocate a healthier lifestyle for their patients. It’s important to use all the different advertising concepts so health care providers are able to understand the different elements of Metabical. It is a clinically proven and FDA approved weight-loss drug that is a safe alternative to dangerous OTC drugs. Doctors now have the ability to empower patients to change unhealthy eating habits and achieve long-term success. The simple once-a-day pill in combination with the comprehensive support program can

I really like your definition of health promotion and I agree that many times people use health promotion and health education interchangeably but are very different. I like how you mentioned that health promotion was a much boarder term which was also mentioned in our textbook. Lastly, I agree with you that Healthy People 2020 is aligned with health promotion. I don’t know if you watched the video that was posted for this week on Healthy People 2020 but it brought out some great points on how it is aligned with health promotion.

A well-known issue, right now, in the USA is that of the legalization of marijuana. This controversial topic is on the minds of our entire country. Whether or not to legalize marijuana has been a nation wide debate for years. In this informative speech I will be discussing only facts and opinions. Opinions and facts will come from organizations such as The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, Marijuana Legalization Organization and the Drug Policy Alliance. Marijuana Legalization is an issue because there are so many individuals using the substance illegally. These individuals feel that Marijuana is not a harmful substance and can serve to profit states that legalize it.

“The major goals of health promotion are to help people of all ages stay healthy, optimize health in cases of chronic disease or disability, and create healthy environments” (Pender et al., 2015). This health promotion project is designed to identify and reduce the risk factors associated with several illnesses and disease processes. This project will focus on changing lifestyle behaviors and providing up to date education for the patient to make the best informed decision regarding her environment, health behaviors, and developing a support system with her primary care physician.