Open for Questions

In addition to the community health care discussions the Obama-Biden transition team is conducting to get more input on community health needs, the campaign has started a feature on their web site called "Open for Questions" which allows anyone to ask questions to be answered by the transition team.

Questions are ranked by users, so questions that people want answers to most will be answered. You can vote or ask questions by going to their Open for Questions web page.

Many of the questions regard health care. Here are some of the most popular health care questions--

"In all other 1st world countries, there's a minimal level of universal healthcare for all citizens. What will your adminstration do to provide truly universal, affordable healthcare for all US citizens, regardless of employment status?"

"We all recognize the insurance industry is the problem, not lack of insurance--what are you going to do about getting single payer (government) health care, as other progressive countries throughout the industrialized world have done?"

"What will you do to encourage education for disease prevention ? I am talking about environmental, nutritional and exercise education. It seems a waste resources to be detecting disease when you can prevent it."

Many questions deal with frustrations over insurance and pharmaceutical companies. Other people simply want to know how and when will we have affordable health care for everyone in our country.

New Year's Resolutions

New Year's is the time of year where people look a little more closely at their personal health and set goals for themselves for the new year. A few of the most popular New Year's resolutions--

Quit smoking
Exercise more
Spend more time with family and friends
Reduce stress
Volunteer to help others
Eat healthier
Take a trip
Maintain a healthy weight

To a healthy and happy New Year,
Your Sarasota Health Blogger

Music Therapy

Brian Johnson, of the band AC/DC, was in Sarasota last week to dedicate a music room at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. You can read the article, here.

Music therapy can help patients relax and has been found to reduce stress and make treatment and recovery easier. Not only that, it's fun.

Drugs, Drugs, Drugs

Another question that was asked by the transition team during the community health discussion was "How can public policy promote healthier lifestyles?"

A lot of the comments to this question dealt with our reliance on prescription drugs. Some people told stories about how attractive drugs have become when they are advertised on TV and magazines. Drug advertisements have made prescription drugs a more appealing solution for medical care. People are able to walk into the doctor's office and immediately tell the doctor, "this is my problem, I'd like to try _____." It is obvious that more people in our society are turning to drugs to resolve many of their health issues, thinking that prescription drugs are an easy solution to their medical problems.

Drug advertisements can exaggerate health problems that are really not that major to begin with. For example, restless leg syndrome was a health issue that few people reported having prior to massive advertisements by drug companies.

The numbers speak clearly: Pharmaceutical sales have risen in the US to over $735 billion a year. Sociological researcher, Simon Williams, wrote an article discussing the major reasons why pharmaceuticals drugs have become so common in our nation. One central factor regards how the role of some drug companies has shifted from treating medical diseases to manufacturing and emphasizing diseases. In collaboration with doctors, medical groups, and the media, drug companies have a strong ability to create attention to certain diseases. Drug companies are not just marketing treatment, but also diseases. Williams refers to this as "pharmaceuticalization" of medicine -- the process in which drug companies are able to turn some things into medical matters. Pharmaceutical companies have gotten to the point where they have gained some medical authority and are viewed as contributors to medical knowledge in our society. They now advise us about what diseases we might have and that we should ask our doctor about possible prescriptions. Furthermore, drug companies are able to target and advertise to specific groups to make in-roads and personalize the medicine for them. Overall, pharmaceutical companies have gained more medical power in our society as well as becoming more effective at selling their product.

Another researcher, Nick Fox, talked about the domestication of pharmaceutical consumption in our society. He notes that drug products are now much more available and easier to purchases because of the internet. Direct-to-consumer marketing has benefited drug companies since they are able to give consumers a one-stop shopping experience for consumers. Consumers are able to get all of their information about diseases and drugs online, while also being able to fills prescriptions, get discounts, and have medicine shipped to their front door. Purchasing prescriptions has become a shipping experience that the drug companies have control over. This is why many drug companies use "lifestyle marketing" to promote their products.

It has now become part of our lifestyle to use drugs for all sorts of health problems--to help our sex lives, control our diet, alleviate daily allergies, and help us sleep. Drugs have become the solution to our annoying lifestyle factors, such as lack of sleep. As drug companies infuse their product into our daily lives, people's attitudes towards drugs have changed as more people are viewing drugs as simple solutions to health and lifestyle issues. Many believe that this is a result of skillful marketing.

Interestingly, historians of medicine are able to show how diseases appear and disappear based on social processes and treatments available in a given society. Drug companies keep lobbying for new disease categories to help sell their treatments. More lifestyle ailments that were once considered non-health related are now in the medical domain as a result of some of the efforts by pharmaceutical companies. Now there are more drugs that are found for a variety of lifestyle issues, which has led to a domestication of pharmaceutical consumption.

Drug companies have been criticized for seeking to market pills towards diseases that will give them the most profit, rather than focusing on developing treatments for major illnesses. Our reliance on prescription drugs can cause people to ignore healthier solutions to some of their health issues.

Our Major Problems

The Newtown CHAT participated in a community health care discussion to give feedback to President-elect Obama's transition team regarding health care issues facing many people in Sarasota. The Obama administration wants a collective effort to reform health care and asked participants to fill out a survey and give discussion feedback on a variety of health concerns. By the beginning of next month, the Health Policy Transition Team will use the feedback they received to prepare a report for the President-elect. Senator Daschle, the nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, has also been participating in the community discussions occurring across the nation.

All of the participants were eager and excited to talk about health care issues. Everyone provided thoughtful responses to the seven discussion questions the Obama administration wanted to get feedback on. A copy of the discussion guide can be found on the transition project's web site, here.

Over the next week, I'm going to cover the exciting discussion participants had during the meeting. This week's topic comes from the first question asked by the transition team: What do you perceive is the biggest problem in the health system?"

Based on the comments, there are several major problems with our health care system that participants wanted addressed. First, access to quality health care is often difficult, especially since the health care system in our country can be complex. Many of the participants said that it can be very hard to navigate our health care system. They said that insurance companies make it more difficult to get the type of care patients want, oftentimes requiring referrals and limiting access to certain doctors or medical procedures. Insurance companies often limit care by limiting coverage. There was a large amount of frustration over the role insurance companies have in our health care system. It seemed apparent that insurance companies often dictated patient care, which is frustrating for both doctors and patients.

Another major issue is that health care services differ across socioeconomic levels. Due to affordability issues, people in lower socioeconomic levels have many more challenges getting decent health care. Minor health care issues can become major financial issues for people with limited health care coverage and income.

Research on health disparities greatly support the comments participants made on our greatest problems with our health care system. According to policy research by the Obama transition team, "large medical bills have contributed to half of bankruptcies and foreclosures." Additionally, one previous blog post talked about some of the health problems associated with living in a poorer community. Furthermore, "being uninsured leads to delayed care" and expensive treatment. But, "even people with coverage are increasingly finding that it is insufficient or simply not there when needed."

How Would You Fix Health Care?

President-elect Obama is making health care one of his top priorities and him and his transition team is looking for ideas and input on the challenges and possible solutions facing our health care system.

The Sarasota Health Department will be holding a community health care discussion to give feedback to the transition team. This discussion will occur Tuesday, December 16th at the Selby Goodwill at 6pm. The event is hosted by the Newtown CHAT.

Google Health

One of the loudest complaints about our health care system is the lack of electronic coordination between doctors. Each specialist you go to, each hospital visit you have, each doctor you have an appointment with -- there are forms. Lots of forms. Usually they ask for the same information you put on a previous form at a previous doctor's office.

We live in an age of technology so it seems it should be easier for a doctor to access your medical history. Well, Google has taken the steps to produce such a system.

Earlier in the year Google unveiled Google Health. According to Google, "Google Health aims to solve an urgent need that dovetails our overall mission of organizing patient information and making it accessible and useful. Through our health offering, our users will be empowered to college, store, and manage their own medical records online."

With Google Health, you can track your medical history, research your conditions, import your medical records, see how your medications might interact, and search for doctors and hospitals.

To create such a system, Google put together a Health Advisory Council made up of medical doctors, health specialists, and policy experts.

Google Health is a free service and its major criticism is over privacy, since Google Health is not considered a covered entity under HIPA.

In Our Town

About a year ago, one resident of Sarasota created a community herb garden in their front lawn to share freshly grown herbs with their neighbors. Anybody could walk up and sample the available herbs.


There are plenty of benefits to community gardens. Community gardening is a way for people to share fresh food with each other which can help strengthen a sense of community and increase personal ties between community members. The gardens provide an easy opportunity to meet neighbors.

Interestingly, without any neighborhood meetings, two other residents built community gardens on the same street as the resident with the herb garden. These are pictures of a vegetable garden and a salsa garden on Wisteria Street in Sarasota.

Calculate Your Carbon Footprint

The health of our environment affects the health of humans and human actions affect the environment. Measuring your carbon footprint is a useful way to measure your impact on the environment.

Scientists at The Nature Conservancy developed a calculator for individuals and households to measure their carbon footprint.

To learn more about carbon footprints and to calculate your impact on the environment, visit the Carbon Footprint Calculator web page here.

Click the image below to see a map of per capita greenhouse gas emissions--

Men and Sleep

Sleep is essential and we need sleep to function. According to the National Institutes of Health, inadequate sleep can cause slower reaction times, weaker concentration, mood fluctuations, behavior problems, memory lapses, and accidents and injuries. Sleep is critically important, and best of all, free. So why do so many people have problems with sleeping?

There are a variety of answers to that question, but one researcher looked at how sleeping attitudes might affect sleep, specifically in men. Robert Meadows researched the type of attitudes men have about sleeping and found that men's masculine roles can lead to poor sleeping habits. Meadows interviewed men to investigate their sleep behaviors and attitudes. Many of the men bragged about how little sleep they're able to get to function. Others talked about sleep as a "bodily need", saying that their body needs sleep rather than 'I want' sleep. Some talked about sleep only as a necessity to function for a job. Many said that sleep "is a waste of time" and that sleep should never get in the way of "having a life." A lot of the men talked about sleep as if it were a "wimpy" activity that conflicted with more important necessities, whether it be work or social activities.

The author argues that there are social meanings attached to sleep which could conflict with social gender roles men have as being "hard-working," self-sufficient individuals. The author states, "men are demonstrating dominant norms of masculinity when they refuse to take sick leave from work, when they insist they need little sleep..." There seems to be a balancing act where sleep is important for some activities but not as important for others.

Overall, it seems that men's attitudes regarding sleep are based, in some part, on masculine attitudes found in our culture.

Psychology and Health

Psychology and medicine seem to be two separate fields -- one concerning the study of human behavior and the other on medical science. However, there has been an increase in health research by psychologists. One psychological study focused on ways for doctors to improve communication with patients. Good doctor-patient communication can lead to better health outcomes, less stress on a patient, more medical disclosure from a patient, and a greater chance that the patient will follow their treatment and return to the doctor’s office for any additional medical issues.

The article found that there are two different types of doctor-patient communication. The first type is doctor-centered consultation. This style of communication is where the doctor controls the conversation by asking questions and then forming a treatment plan. On the other side of the communication spectrum there is patient-centered consultations. This type of communication is where the patient says all they need to say regarding their medical issue and then discusses possible treatment choices with the doctor.

The study went on to investigate which type of consultation do patients (and their friends and relatives) prefer. All were most satisfied with the patient-centered consultation. Patients feel more engaged and involved with the medical process, and as a result, are more satisfied with their visit and treatment plan.

Since patients prefer patient-centered consultations and there are evident benefits for this style of communication, doctors should consider using the patient-centered consultation model for their practice.

Research Article-
Boyer, M.J. (2000). Communication styles in the cancer consultation: preferences for a patient-centered approach. Psycho-oncology, 9, 2, 147.

20th Anniversary of World AIDS Day

Progress and challenges mark World AIDS Day--

"One of the most important initiatives of my administration has been the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, known as PEPFAR. It's the largest international health initiative dedicated to a single disease. When we launched PEPFAR, our goal was to support treatment for two million people in five years. Today, I'm pleased to announce that we have exceeded that goal -- early." President Bush discusses AIDS relief program on World AIDS Day (Click here for more information on PEPFAR)

"On this twentieth anniversary of World AIDS Day, I think it's appropriate to look back for a moment to when this day was first observed. In 1988, when ministers of health from around the world first had the notion to set aside a day to highlight the threat of HIV/AIDS, they faced widespread ignorance and fear. Back then, many refused to even acknowledge the existence of this disease, let alone the devastating impact it was having on families and communities around the world.

"Today, because of the work of people like you, women in Kenya who were widowed by the disease, and once shunned by society, have banded together to support and empower each other. Scientists around the world are discovering and engineering new medicines to give people with HIV/AIDS another chance at life. NGOs and faith-based institutions are marshaling the best of the human spirit to help those affected. And world governments are coming together to address the humanitarian crisis the pandemic has left in its wake. I salute President Bush for his leadership in crafting a plan for AIDS relief in Africa and backing it up with funding dedicated to saving lives and preventing the spread of the disease. And my administration will continue this critical work to address the crisis around the world." Excerpt from President-elect Barack Obama's video remarks to the Saddleback Civil Forum on Global Health to honor World AIDS Day.

"The leaders of government across the globe have pledged to strengthen efforts to combat and prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS on the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day Monday." World AIDS Day Focuses on Prevention

"The international commemoration has perennially been accompanied by new, bleak reports, and bureaucratic hand-wringing over the invariable failure of supply – in the form of drugs, management and financing – to keep up with the needs of the desperately ill around the world. However, there’s actually some rather interesting news on this World AIDS Day...for the first time since the advent of anti-retroviral therapy and vaccine trials, hope for a cure has emerged. Through a bone marrow transplant, a German scientist has perhaps cleared the first AIDS patient of the virus – quite possibly the first time in human history that a person with AIDS has been effectively freed of the virus." Health expert, Josh Ruxin, at the NY Times

"Much has been accomplished in the fight against HIV/AIDS from scientific, medical and public health standpoints. However, now is no time to rest on our accomplishments or our laurels. The statistics of the HIV/AIDS pandemic tell us that much more needs to be done." Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, CNN

"The number of people living with HIV is continuing to rise in every part of the world...There are now 33 million people living with HIV worldwide..." HIV Facts

The Hidden Challenges of Dieting

Bad eating habits and poor diets are major health concerns in our society. Some of the most common diseases in our culture relate to how and what we eat -- coronary heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. As a result, many people try, often times unsuccessfully, to change their diet. There are a variety of diet guides to help people make the transition from an unhealthy diet to a healthy one. The themes are pretty consistent in these guides--the major goal to successfully dieting is willpower. A Google search on "how to diet successfully" will yield results for a popular web site that suggests boredom "is one of the main reasons that people give up their diets." Many people state self-control and willpower are the keys to a successful diet.

However, recent research has found that there are external factors that influence eating behavior which people are unaware of. The research, conducted by health psychologists, found that environmental factors can influence people's food intake. For instance, there is a strong relationship between the "presence and behavior" of other people and an individual's eating habits. A person is more likely to increase their food intake when there are more people eating with them, especially if those people are also eating large portions of their meal. Additionally, the portion of food people get influences how much they eat. If a person is served a smaller amount of food on a smaller plate, they are just as likely to feel full and satisfied as someone served with a larger plate with more food. This studied verified these claims, but went further by giving participants a survey to assess how much they were aware of the external influences of their eating habits. Nearly every participant said they ate how much they ate because they were hungry or that the food tasted good, even though the external factors had a significant influence on their eating habits. Overall, people were unaware of these external factors, even as it clearly led to certain eating habits.

Another study assessed the perception of eaters who ate from larger soup bowls. Participants were given large soup bowls that measured how much a person ate in comparison with participants with smaller soup bowls. The participants with larger soup bowls ate substantially more soup, 73% more, which was equivalent to 113 additional calories. However, those participants, on average, stated that they ate only around 4 calories more than the participants with smaller bowls. Obviously, the portions of food people get will influence how much they eat without them noticing exactly how much they are eating.

People will overeat without realizing they are doing it. Most importantly, they are unaware of the factors influencing higher food intake. "Willpower" cannot overcome factors that people are completely unaware of while they are eating. The researchers concluded "if external environmental factors influence people's food intake without their awareness or acknowledgement, then maintaing a healthy diet can be a challenge." There are hidden challenges to dieting that go beyond internal food desires.

Tom Daschle's Health Care Views

Former Senator Tom Daschle will be President-Elect Obama's Secretary of Health and Human Services. The Wall Street Journal looked through Daschle's book, Critical: What We Can Do About the Health Care Crisis, and reported on Daschle's health care views.



Tom Daschle's book can be found here.

Manasota World AIDS Day

Manatee and Sarasota counties participated in World AIDS Day 2008 today. The goal of this world-wide campaign is to bring attention to the AIDS epidemic. In keeping with the spirit of the event, I would like to bring up some important information regarding the global epidemic of HIV/AIDS.

In 2001, a United Nations and World Health Organization survey found that 40 million people are infected with HIV/AIDS. It is estimated that 60 million people have been infected with the virus since the start of the epidemic. The researchers wrote, "Twenty years after the first clinical evidence of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome was reported, AIDS has become the most devastating disease humankind has ever faced."

Advances in the treatment of HIV/AIDS have not been matched with "enough progress on the prevention front," according to the UN and WHO survey. The survey calls for prompt, focused prevention efforts, especially in developing countries where over 50 percent of young people (those between the ages of 15-24) "have never heard of AIDS or harbor serious misconceptions about how HIV is transmitted." These countries include the Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Ukraine, and Vietnam.

In the year 2000, approximately 3 million people died from HIV/AIDS. An estimated twenty thousand lived in North America.


According to the CDC, in 2003, an estimated 1,185,000 people in the United States were living with HIV/AIDS. Most shockingly, 24-27% of those living with HIV were undiagnosed and unaware of their infection.

In 2006, the most amount of AIDS cases were found in adults between the ages of 40 and 44 in the United States, with an estimated 7,298 cases. Adults between the ages of 35 and 39 had the second most number of cases, followed by adults between the ages of 45 and 49.

New York had the highest number of AIDS cases in 2006, with 5,495 being reported. Florida had the second highest reported number of AIDS cases in 2006, with 4,932 cases being reported.

It is estimated that 448,871 people are living with AIDS in the United States.

A reported 59,139 people have died from AIDS in the state of Florida.

For more information, please visit worldaidscampaign.org or any of the links found above.

To get more involved with the AIDS campaign, visit this web site.

History of Public Health

Community life has been at the center of public health throughout its history. Many major health concerns deal with community characteristics and conditions. For instance, the control of disease, the conditions of the physical environment, the quality and supply of water and food, medical care, disaster relief, and support for disabled or less wealthy citizens are all factors dealing with community health. Interestingly, these community health factors were addressed in civilizations dating as far back as 2100 BC. Community cleanliness and hygiene were important to Egyptians as early as 4500 years ago. Egyptian neighborhoods would “purify” the city by cleaning buildings inside and out, disposing of waste, and carrying out health ceremonies to rid the community of diseases.

The major health problems that we face today are very similar to the health problems humans encountered thousands of years ago, such as sanitation, spread of disease, and disaster relief. Although humans have experienced health problems all across the world and for thousands of years, some communities are affected differently by health problems. Throughout human history, societies that have focused on community health have been more successful at creating living conditions that protect the health and well being of its citizens. Researchers have found that these communities are usually more capable of controlling diseases, preserving water quality, and withstanding natural disasters. Longer life expectancy and lower infant mortality are usually the outcome.

Greek literature discussed the importance of healthy communities and environments as early as 400 BC. Hippocrates wrote that “ill-health developed when there was an imbalance between man and his environment." In his later book, Airs, Waters and Places, Hippocrates discussed the relationship between environmental factors and disease. He talked about how water and air quality, diet, and weather can affect the spread of disease.

Over 2000 years later, public health is still rooted in the community. However, there have been major advances in modern public health. Between 1880 and 1900, scientific investigators discovered a variety of pathogenic diseases, from typhoid and malaria to the plague using laboratory technology, such as light microscopes. The physical discovery of these diseases led to experiments that tested the behavior of these species and the possible treatments for fighting deadly pathogens. Our understanding of contagious diseases was based on the incredible amount of research conducted during the late 19th century and early 20th century. Researchers soon found that mosquitoes, ticks, and rats could quickly and easily spread diseases and used this knowledge to help prevent the spread of diseases, especially in urban environments. The development of vaccines during this time period went far to protect large populations from some of the most deadly diseases.

In the late 20th century, public health policy started to focus on the social factors that increase the risk of negative health conditions in certain populations. Health inequalities, education, and poverty received more focus from health specialists as researchers investigated the significant health differences found across communities. In the United Kingdom, approximately 20% of its health services budget goes to dealing with social and environmental conditions, such as unemployment, poverty, housing, and pollution.

Presently, public health encompasses a variety of different programs. Medical doctors, disaster relief workers, environmental groups, health educators, transportation planners, and public works experts all contribute to the field of public health. The goals of health programs are to protect citizens from health problems and to promote positive health behavior, whether it is through vaccinations or focusing on providing health services to at-risk groups. Most importantly, public health is, and always has been, about the community.

Transportation and Health Part III

One way to reduce the health consequences of traffic is to walk or cycle. Walking and cycling is a form of exercise and studies have shown that there are tremendous health benefits from participating in these activities. Health benefits include—

• a 50% reduction in the risk of developing coronary heart disease
  
• a 50% reduction in the risk of developing adult diabetes
  
• a 50% reduction in the risk of becoming obese
  
• a 30% reduction in the risk of developing hypertension
  
• reduced osteoporosis
  
• decline in blood pressure in people with hypertension
  
• relief of symptoms of depression and anxiety
  
• prevention of falls in the elderly

However, walking may not be something that is convenient or enjoyable. It depends greatly on location. Community planners use the term “walkability” to measure walking conditions in an area. There are a variety of factors that affect the walkability of a specific area. Perception of safety, population density, street connectivity, amount of retail, size of sidewalks, aesthetics of the route are just some of the factors. People want to feel that walking is worth it, so they seek safe and enjoyable routes. The most walkable routes focus on pedestrian traffic rather than vehicle traffic. For instance, larger sidewalks will make people feel safe from vehicle traffic and also increase the flow of pedestrian traffic.

Just like the traffic engineers who use Level-of-Service (LOS) measurements to assess the quality of roadways, community planners use Level-of-Service measurements to assess the quality of pedestrian routes. These measurements are often based on whether routes are convenient by looking at how routes connect with each other. Planners look at how easy it is for people to get from one destination to another. Planners also look at how dense pedestrian traffic is and whether sidewalks are providing ample amount of space for a good flow of traffic.

One popular walkability measurement looks at how far someone would have to walk to retail areas, schools, parks, libraries, and other sites. The website, walkscore.com, uses this measurement to assess how walkable an area is on a scale of 1-100. Downtown Sarasota is considered a “Walker’s Paradise,” with a score of 95 (depending on which area of downtown). However, the score drops significantly in the neighborhoods surrounding downtown. On Fruitville and Tuttle, the walkability score drops to “Somewhat Walkable” with a score of 52. This is a neighborhood that is just 1 mile away from downtown. Most dense suburban neighborhoods have a walkability score in the 40s and 50s, especially if retail plazas are nearby. Some areas of the county have a "Car Dependent" rating in the low 30s. Desoto Road and 301 received a 31. So, while many areas of downtown are highly walkable, the vast majority of residents are not in a highly walkable location.


View Larger Map

Walking and cycling make you active and provide numerous health benefits. However, for walking and cycling to be a major form of transportation, people need to have an environment that is walkable. This includes higher quality sidewalks, more convenient bike and walking trails, and community planning that focuses on the pedestrian.

More information:
Pedestrian LOS

Transportation and Health Part II

Transportation deals with environmental health in many ways. One of the most obvious ways is that traffic creates noise. Noise also creates problems. Noise pollution can easily cause stress and frustration for individuals. One of the major consequences to traffic noise is disturbed sleep. Not only can it be more difficult for an individual to fall asleep with a lot of traffic noise, but quality of sleep also decreases. Lack of sleep can cause fatigue, depression, and decreased performance. Traffic noise can interfere with memory, attention, and focus. Studies have shown that an increase in background noise decreases the ability for a person to solve analytical problems. Other studies show that aggression increases as noise increases. Aggression and stress can lead to heart disease and hypertension. Some noise pollution can cause hearing impairment. Overall, traffic noise is annoying and people go to great lengths to reduce their exposure to it.

A major environmental health issue dealing with traffic is air quality. According to a major study, traffic increases the amount of “particulate matter” in the air, which leads to “increased mortality, increased admissions to hospital for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, increased frequency of respiratory symptoms and use of medication by people with asthma, and reduced lung function.” Vehicle exhaust also has health consequences. Studies have found carcinogens in diesel engine exhaust and have found higher rates of cancer among people who work around exhaust fumes. Vehicle exhaust also has a detrimental affect on our atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a well-known air pollutant that is reported to be one of the major causes of climate change on Earth.

Hundreds and thousands of deaths across the world are attributed to air pollution. Respiratory disease has increased as more and more people are suffering from asthma and bronchitis. The World Health Organization wants stricter standards on vehicles to reduce the amount of air pollution caused by traffic each day.

Our psychological and social health are also tied to transportation in a variety of ways. Traffic can cause stress, aggression, and nervousness. An interesting quote from a study on aggressive driving behavior states, “the car has been described as an instrument of dominance, with the road as an arena for competition and control. The car also symbolizes power and provides some protection, which makes drivers less restrained.” Furthermore, accident victims experience long-term physical injuries, but also psychological problems. Long-term stress from motor vehicle accidents is common, even when there are no injuries from the accident. Some people experience trauma after a major accident, oftentimes having flashbacks or nightmares. A social consequence to driving is reduced social life. Researchers have noted that “close-knit communities have given way to neighborhoods that do not encourage social interaction, and this has resulted in increased social isolation.”

Overall, traffic has serious health concerns – from direct environmental effects to lower quality of life due to traffic noise and stress.

Transportation and Health Part I

In a previous blog post, I discussed the relationship “place” has with public health. I explained that there are many characteristics of a specific location that affect the health and well being of its citizens. In one example, I talked about the role transportation has for providing citizens with access to quality and affordable health care. Transportation has a large role in the health of a community, much larger than just providing health care access to citizens. I will be focusing on the connection between public health and transportation over the next few blog posts. This post will focus on traffic safety while the following posts will discuss environmental health issues and walkability.

Traffic safety is important. Motor vehicle fatalities are the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 34. The highest rate of driving fatality occurs between the ages of 21 and 24. More experienced drivers are less likely to get into a fatal crash, however, more than 37,000 people each year die from a motor vehicle accident.

A significant proportion of motor vehicle deaths and injuries involve pedestrians and cyclists. Pedestrians and cyclists account for thirty-five percent of motor vehicle deaths and twenty-one percent of motor vehicle injuries.

Many accidents tend to occur in built-up areas where more pedestrians are affected. The highest risk areas for pedestrians and cyclists are on minor roads, especially around intersections. Sadly, schools and neighborhoods are often situated off these arterial roads, putting children at risk.

There are a variety of reasons for why traffic accidents occur. The three major reasons are the road, the car, and the driver. Roadway designs can greatly affect the rate of accidents in a certain area. Some roadways are better designed than others. The space between lanes, the length of merge lanes, whether there is a stop sign or traffic signal at an intersection, placement of traffic signs, posted speed limits, and roadway visibility are just some of the many variables that affect the safety of certain roads. Oftentimes, roadways are engineered exceptionally well, but over time, population growth, nearby development, and changes in traffic behavior put stress on roads and intersections. Interestingly, some transportation planners make roadways more dangerous to decrease risky driving behavior. Two ideas for making Tamiami Trail safer was to decrease the width of each lane or put roadside parking on the Trail in the downtown area. This would slow down traffic and force drivers to be more aware of their surroundings. It is what engineers call “traffic calming.”

Traffic engineers measure the quality of road infrastructures through a Level-of-Service (LOS) assessment that measures traffic flow on an A-F scale, F being the worst rating. Newly designed roads often score an A or B, even during rush hour. However, overtime, LOS ratings tend to drop as roadways reach their capacity. Many of Sarasota’s roadways have a D or F rating during rush hour. Low ranked roads can have serious safety issues, especially to pedestrians and cyclists. Driver stress and road rage increases at lower LOS ratings and many driving maneuvers become riskier.

Cars are often the cause of an accident. Popped tires, breakdowns, weak brake pedals, etc. There are many new car features on the market that have been proven to decrease vehicular accidents. Electronic stability control (ESC) is a newer feature that detects whether a vehicle is exceeding its handling capabilities. If a vehicle were at risk for losing control, the electronic stability control technology would reduce engine power and automatically apply braking power to individual wheels. ESC is only standard on some vehicles and optional in others. Car manufactures are also making vehicles safer for pedestrians in case there is an accident by designing the front-end of a vehicle in a certain way to decrease the force of impact on a pedestrian.

However, drivers are nearly always the primary cause of an accident. Speeding, reckless driving, impaired driving, road rage are all driving risks that the driver can avoid. The most common type of accident in Sarasota County are rear-end collisions. This type of accident is usually caused by a driver who was not paying attention. The most accident-prone intersection in Sarasota County is Center Road at U.S. 41.

Overall, traffic safety is a major concern. Deaths and injuries to drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and cyclists occur too often and can be easily avoided. Traffic engineers and city officials are always working towards improving roadways, car manufacturers are putting a large emphasis on safety features (not only features that protect individuals in case of an accident, but prevent accidents in the first place), and police officers and traffic safety campaigns are being aimed at stopping and preventing bad driving behavior. The life and safety of many residents are tied to transportation safety.

More information:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Pedestrian Safety in Florida

World AIDS Day

Sarasota and Manatee Counties unite for World AIDS Day and AIDS Walk Theme: “Respect and Protect: Together We Can Stop the Spread of HIV and end HIV Prejudice”

To bring renewed awareness to HIV/AIDS and other health issues, Sarasota and Manatee County organizations are sponsoring the 2008 Manasota World AIDS Day Health/Wellness Expo and AIDS Walk. The events will take place on Saturday, Nov. 22 at the Sudakoff Center on the east side of the New College of Florida campus – vicinity of U.S. 41 (N. Tamami Trail), just north of University Parkway. The AIDS Walk begins at 9 a.m. Walkers should register between 8 and 8:45 a.m. that day.


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Following the AIDS Walk, people can receive a variety of free health screenings, HIV testing, and information about community services. The event, which continues through 3 p.m., will include discussions led by local experts to empower parents in talking with their teens about a range of challenging issues. Topics include teen sexuality, rape prevention, HIV prevention, Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) prevention, teen sexuality, substance abuse, tobacco and kids, and depression/suicide.

There will be local entertainment, door prize drawings, the AIDS quilt display, and activities for families with young children. Students from New College of Florida, and area colleges and universities will offer free activities for youth. The creative work of the bi-county poster contest winners will also be on display. All World AIDS Day activities are free and open to the public, with the exception of the food venues.

The day’s events incorporate the theme, Respect and Protect: Together We Can Stop the Spread of HIV and end HIV Prejudice. “Everyone has a role to play in reducing the impact of HIV/AIDS in our community. Since HIV/AIDS is on the rise among young people, we are committed to empowering parents to help their teenage children make informed decisions about their health,” said John Acevedo, of Community AIDS Network who also serves as the HIV/AIDS Network of Sarasota (HANS) chair.

This event is sponsored by the HIV/AIDS Network of Sarasota (HANS) in conjunction with the World AIDS Day 2008 Planning Committee, a collaboration, chaired by nationally syndicated Health Beat of America radio host Rochelle Herman, that includes New College of Florida, Community AIDS Network, the Sarasota and Manatee County Health Departments, Manatee County Rural Health Services, Trinity Charities, and Southwest Florida Community AIDS Quilts.

For more information, visit www.manasotaworldaidsday.org or call 941-366-0461, extension 1042. For specific information about the AIDS Walk, call Hope Wulliman at 941-224-4999. For information about New College of Florida, call Aimee Chouinard at 941-487-4152 or visit www.ncf.edu.

More information about HIV/AIDS can be found here.

Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise

There are two life factors that have caused me to have a less-than-healthy diet. One, groceries are expensive. Two, I'm a poor college student.

I recently noticed that my grocery purchases have considerably changed. I used to have a nutritionally rich grocery list that I would use every week to find items to stack my pantry with. It was a great list; it would have made any doctor happy to have me as a patient. Over the past several months I've been crossing off more and more items from my list and just going for sale purchases. It means that my diet has become seasonal. During the 4th of July, I purchased packets of hot dogs that were 2-for-1. For the back-to-school sales, I bought a ton of Goldfish snacks that were marked half-off. And now...unfortunately, it's Halloween season and I have had a lot of Butterfingers.

It's not good. My life expectancy was probably cut in half. I'm a college student that is not just hungry for knowledge, but also hungry for real food. I really miss the weekly allowance I got when I was twelve. I also miss the great dinners my mom made. While Hot Pockets might be delicious, they're not nutritious. But, what's a student to do?

Well, I found that there are ways to buy smart. It does not have to be difficult to eat healthy on a budget. While pizza and Chef Boyardee are convenient for any person, regardless if they are a student, there are simple ways to find grocery items that make the most health sense.

First, the downtown Farmer's Market is wonderful. Local vendors provide healthy food that is cheaper and fresher than at many other places.

Health expert, Sally Wadyka, gave a good list of items that are healthy and cheap. Beans, eggs, bananas, carrots, flank steak, sweet potatoes, tuna, and walnuts are very affordable foods that provide for a well-rounded diet.

As a student, I'm starting to find more ways to save on food that my body appreciates, and these two suggestions are just a start. Going from cafeteria food to Whole Foods is not an easy jump with a small amount of money, but healthy eating is less expensive than I originally felt it to be. Fortunately, my healthier diet is returning without the same expense.

Sick Around the World

The United States spends over two trillion dollars a year on health care, which is over 15% of our GDP. Yet, 74% of Americans believe significant changes are needed to our health care system. Countries like Japan and the United Kingdom spend a lot less money on their health care system and rank higher in terms of overall level of health than the United States. How do they do it? What are the costs and benefits to different types of health care systems found around the world?

PBS Frontline investigated health care systems in five capitalist democracies to see what lessons we might be able to learn as more and more Americans demand changes to our health care system. The investigation looks into the cultural, structural, and financial differences of health care systems around the world.

This is an interesting documentary that makes you question health care from philosophical and practical perspectives. It seems that slightly different health care systems can provide huge benefits in terms of access and affordability.

The graphs below compare how much each nation spends on health care to its average life expectancy. While the United States spends the most on health care, it also has lower life expectancy compared to other developed nations.





While we have some of the best hospitals, doctors, and technology in the world, the cost of health care in America is high and many Americans have little or no health coverage.

Frontline looks at the pros and cons of health care systems found around the world to see how other nations provide adequate health services to all of its citizens at lower costs. The Washington Post correspondent and NPR commentator, T.R. Reid, goes to five countries to report on their health care systems. The full episode can be found online here.

A preview of the documentary--

The Candidates on Health Care

Health care has become one of the most important issues this election, consistently ranking among the top issues American's are concerned about. Many voters will make voting decisions based on the health care policies of the candidates. This blog post will focus on providing information on the health care plans and records of the two major presidential candidates.

First, Senator John McCain's health care plan can be found on his campaign web site here. His Senate record and speeches related to health care issues can be found on his Senate web site here.

Your Candidates-Your Health is a voter guide questionnaire that describes each candidate's views and proposals regarding health issues in our country. Senator McCain's stance on these questions can be found on his profile page here.

Senator Barack Obama's health care plan can be found on his campaign web site here. Senator Obama's stance on health care issues while in the Senate can be found at his Senate web page here. Senator Obama's survey responses to the Your Candidates-Your Health questionnaire can be found at his profile page here.

Finding an objective analysis of each candidate's health care positions can be difficult. However, there are a few good sources that have been cited frequently by health experts. One source was cited by an informative reader of this blog. The source is a policy analysis report by the Commonwealth Fund, which can be found on this web page. The report was recently written and provides detailed information regarding both candidates' plans, including an interactive summary comparison. Another great source was found in The New England Journal of Medicine, by Dr. Jonathan Oberlander. The article discusses some of the major philosophical and practical differences between the health care plans of the two major presidential candidates. The full-text of the article can be found on their Election 2008 perspective page.

I encourage readers to comment on this section with links and sources they have on the health care proposals of either candidate. I enjoy reading your comments and I think your posts will create an even better resource of health information for our community.

Below is an Associated Press video of the two candidates talking about health care during the second debate.

Health and Politics

Health and politics are closely tied together in the United States. Our elected officials make major decisions regarding health care in our country. From the creation of Medicare and Medicaid to the administration of Veteran health services, the health of our society is often based on programs and decisions made in our government. Nearly 28% of Americans have health insurance from a government program. However, the government does not just pay attention to health coverage and services. Congress created the Department of Health and Human Services to certify food and drugs through the FDA, prevent disease through the Centers for Disease Prevention, protect our lives from disasters and emergencies, and provide us with information regarding the safety of products we purchase.

Americans are aware of how important government decisions are regarding our health. According to a recent survey, 82% of the public were more likely to vote for a candidate who supported increased funding for health research and 76% were more likely to support a candidate who promised more funding for health care reform. Seventy-four percent of Americans believe that significant changes are needed to make our health care system better with eighty-one percent of Americans believing that our health care system should focus more on preventing illness rather than dealing with illnesses once symptoms are apparent. A large majority of people want increased funding for health care -- from local health departments to federal health service programs.

Framingham Heart Study

The Framingham Heart Study is one of the best studies we have of the major health factors associated with cardiovascular disease. The study started with over 5,000 participants from Framingham, Massachusetts. A substantial amount of health and lifestyle variables were collected about these participants throughout their lifetime. This has provided researchers with a rich collection of data about individuals who developed heart disease.

In addition to factors such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, researchers have also identified psychosocial factors related to heart disease. Stress, tension, and anger were significantly correlated with heart disease. Higher levels of each variable increased the risk of heart disease. Suppressed hostility was also a variable associated with heart disease. Individuals who discussed their anger and emotions in a healthy way (for instance, talking with friends) were at a lower risk for developing heart disease than individuals who bottled up their negative emotions. A more obvious variable, job work load, was also associated with heart disease.

More information about the Framingham Heart Study can be found here.

Blue Zones

Lifestyle and health are tied together. Physical, psychological, and social factors are highly related to our overall well-being. An interesting research project has identified several areas of the world where health expectancy exceeds 90 to 100 years at consistent rates. A few of these areas are the mountainous Barbagia region of Sardinia off the coast of Italy, the Japanese Island of Okinawa, and the Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica.

Researchers have identified several health variables that are consistent across these areas that might be the cause of their high life expectancies. These variables are-

Close family and social networks that are active and integrated in the community
No smoking
Constant moderate physical activity (such as agriculture work)
Plant-based diet

Overall, these close-knit communities have low-stress lifestyles, healthy diets, and positive social relationships.

ABC News wrote an article about Blue Zones earlier this year. The article can be found here.

This is a video of a CNN segment on Blue Zones-

Grrr

From students to employers -- everyone experiences stress (including bloggers). Stress comes in different forms, whether physical, psychological, or social. Psychological researchers, Holmes and Rahe, produced a list of major stressors. Their list represents the most significant sources of stress in an average person's life. The most stressful event is the death of a spouse/significant other. Other stressors include personal injury, financial struggles, retirement, and moving to a new residence. Physical stressors include noise stress, which some people might experience regularly in certain work conditions or living in dense urban neighborhoods.

While stress is common, we can experience significant health consequences to prolonged stress. Studies have shown that stress weakens our immune system leading us more susceptible to diseases. Stress can also increase our heart rate and blood pressure to unhealthy levels. Chronic stress worsens these conditions. Stress has also been correlated with higher rates of coronary heart disease.

Additionally, stress can motivate individuals to engage in behaviors that are unhealthy. One study showed that individuals are more likely to drink alcoholic beverages and smoke in response to increased stress. Trouble sleeping/lack of sleep is another health consequence of stress.

Our physical and mental well-being is affected by stress. Stressful lifestyles can worsen our health and also lead to unhealthy behaviors. Learning to reduce daily stress is important for our health. Some health professionals consider stress to be America's #1 health problem. The American Institute of Stress lists some ways to help you reduce stress in your life.

Flu Vaccinations

Flu season is approaching. According to the White House, influenza "results in approximately 36,000 deaths and more than 200,000 hospitalizations each year." The flu vaccine is developed and administered each year to increase a population's immunity to influenza. According to the CDC, "influenza vaccination is the primary method for preventing influenza and its severe complications."

To make it easier for residents to get vaccinated, Sarasota will have 15 drive thru flu shot clinics with the first one on September 27th at The Tabernacle Community Church. More information can be found here.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also has important information about the seasonal flu vaccine at their web site.

Computers Are Public Health

Computers -- the beautiful things that connect you to the world -- are related to public health in a variety of ways.

Access to computers and the internet can increase the quality of health information and care people receive. Online health resources can improve “the quality of individual health-related decisions” by making health information more accessible, according to researchers. These resources “may lead to better clinical decisions and efficient use of limited health care resources.” Additionally, online health communities provide more ways for health professionals to communicate with the public. Health forums are becoming increasingly popular as a source of public health information. Online resources can also keep the public up-to-date on health events in their communities.

However, computer use can also affect your health. Studies have shown that computer use has increased among children and teenagers. According to one study, children spend 75.5% of their day inactive (in front of a computer, tv, or homework). In comparison, children only spend 1.4% of their day doing vigorous activity. A sedentary lifestyle can lead to obesity and poor social relationships. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention started a campaign to get kids active and healthy. Information on the campaign, titled VERB, can be found here.

"Stuff" Is Public Health

Go to the mall, and you'll see plenty of "stuff" that is public health. Annie Leopard, an environmental health expert, produced a clear and interesting documentary on...stuff. Annie shows the environmental health concerns related to the extraction, production, distribution, consumption, and disposal of products in an informative and entertaining web video. From the shoes we wear to the computers we purchase, Annie explores how all products are connected to public health.

Annie's documentary and web site can be found at www.storyofstuff.com

Health In Motion

Sarasota has increased access to health care services through its Health in Motion mobile medical unit. The unit provides health services to underserved areas of Sarasota. You can learn more by visiting the Sarasota County Health Department's Health In Motion web page.

The September schedule for Health in Motion can be found here.

Location, Location, Location

When people think "health" they often think of germs, diseases, and medicine. Sure, I'd be healthier if I stay far away from my roommate when he is sick and wash my hands correctly and frequently. But, health, especially public health, goes much further than focusing on illnesses. Real estate agents know best when they say everything is "location, location, location."

Location influences the health of communities in several ways. An obvious and important factor of community health is access to health care services. Many locations, especially poorer communities, have fewer physicians than affluent communities. Access to basic health services is associated with positive health outcomes. However, access to health services differs across communities. Distance and transportation can make it more difficult for some community members to reach health services. Some cities take access to health services into consideration when developing public transportation routes. Some cities add routes between health facilities and communities with fewer health resources to increase access to health care.

Certain locations contain negative health factors. Dense urban environments can have higher noise stress and pollution. Water quality, crime rate, and the availability of outdoor recreation space differs across communities.

Additionally, geographic location can make some communities more or less vulnerable to natural disasters. Some neighborhoods in New Orleans are located below sea level. When Hurricane Katrina hit, these neighborhoods were most vulnerable to flooding and experienced widespread destruction.

Furthermore, the environment can affect our psychology. Residents in less crowded neighborhoods with clean streets and better landscaping experience less environmental stress than residents living in more crowded and polluted conditions.

Overall, where you live can significantly affect your mental and physical well-being.

Public Health Is Your Health

What is Public Health?

"College is great. Everything I learned in college I have used in life," my dad said to me as he helped me move my mini-fridge up a flight of stairs and into my dorm room. "Awesome," I replied.

A week later I started classes. I was eager to learn and excited for my first college lesson. My brain was running on high-voltage as I walked into my first class with my textbook in hand. I took a seat in the front of class and smiled at the professor. She smiled back -- I knew this was going to be a good class.

We went around the room introducing ourselves. "Hi, I'm Bradley, a first-year student from South Florida. I'm interested in health psychology, sociology, and political science." After everyone introduced themselves the professor gave a short introduction. She received a Ph.D in Health Psychology and had been teaching for four years. She then described the topics we would be covering over the course of the semester -- health psychology, political psychology, and social psychology. "This is going to be awesome," I thought.

The professor then turned to me and asked, "Bradley, how would you define health?"

I froze. There was an awkward silence as I looked down and away from the professor while trying to think of an answer. A few more seconds went by. This wasn't as awesome as I thought it would be. I was hoping she would help me answer the question after a few more seconds went by. But nothing. I was nervous. I was wishing the characters from Schoolhouse Rock would jump out from behind me and give a fifty-second song-and-dance answer to my question. Still nothing.

I then responded, "I'm not sure."

"Good," she said. "A perfect starting point." She then went on to explain how many concepts don't have textbook definitions, especially health psychology. Public health is a broad concept encompassing many diverse topics. One sentence does not fully describe or clearly explain public health. Sure, public health can be described in one sentence. "Public health is the study and practice of managing threats to the health of a community." But a sentence does not illustrate the many different aspects and approaches to public health.

I quickly learned my first lesson in college: There are some things textbooks cannot teach you.

My dad would be happy with me. My first lesson in college was an important one that I used in many aspects of my life. It was a great lesson when I decided to study public health. I went beyond the textbook and started to explore public health in my community. By talking to people, going to forums, and learning from different disciplines.

The focus of this blog is to explore public health in Sarasota. But, first, we need to discover what public health means. The University of South Florida College of Public Health explains how health professionals have a difficult time defining public health. One reason is that public health is a wide area of study. "The base of knowledge for public health comes from a variety of disciplines, ranging from social sciences to biological sciences and business..."

This blog will go beyond the textbook to spotlight public health in Sarasota. It will explore Sarasota health issues from all different angles through stories and multimedia. Hopefully we all can learn how to answer "What is public health?" without freezing.

News: Vaccination Report

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a report on September 4th showing that childhood immunization rates were at "near record levels." Public health officials were worried that parents had become fearful of vaccinations as concerns were raised about the connection between vaccinations and autism. The FDA released a health information pamphlet to promote the benefits of childhood vaccinations and to address concerns parents might have. The CDC also addressed concerns over the link between vaccinations containing thimerosal and autism in a report by Dr. Paul Offit. Dr. Offit cites four large medical studies that compared the rate of autism in children who received vaccines containing thimerosal to those who received vaccines without thimerosal. The rate of autism was the same in both groups.

Public health officials feel that their immunization programs have been successful, with 77% of children being fully vaccinated by all of the recommended vaccines. Less than 1 percent of children received no vaccinations.

The CDC's report can be found here.

Facts and Figures

• More than 15% of children in Sarasota and Manatee have no health insurance
• Florida's average for the percent of children without insurance coverage -- 12%
• The nation's average is 8.9% for children under the age of 18
• Over 12% of adults in Sarasota have no insurance coverage
• The nation's average is 16.4% for adults under the age of 65
• Sarasota has a higher percentage of people with high blood pressure and melanoma compared to the state average
• Sarasota has a lower rate of heart disease and adult obesity than the state average
• The county averages more motor vehicle fatalities and unintentional injury deaths than Florida's average
• The poverty level in Sarasota is 9.2% compared to 9% statewide
• Only 31% of adults nationwide exercised on a regular basis
• Approximately 45 million in-patient surgeries are performed each year

National Center for Health Statistics

CHIP Sarasota Health Scorecard

Florida CHARTS

Welcome!

I did not know much about health when I started college three years ago. I knew that if I ate a donut when I woke up I could have enough energy to walk to class. I knew that leftover pizza tastes great -- cold or heated. I knew that Happy Meals made me happy and there was nothing better than celebrating the end of the school week with a box of Funfetti cake. I felt I was being practical. Fast food was inexpensive, plus it tasted good and it filled me up. If I craved it I ate it. That was my personal health philosophy.

That philosophy has changed. While poking the Pillsbury Doughboy's tummy looks fun and eating his food tastes delicious -- it was bad for me. While my heart was filled with happiness, it was also filled with trans-fat. I realized my unhealthy lifestyle when I decided to join some friends on a long jog around campus. I got fatigued really quickly and had to slow my pace down drastically. My jogging time was worse than what it was in sixth grade. It was bothersome -- thirteen year-old Bradley could outperform eighteen year-old Bradley. Not only was I jealous of my younger self, but I quickly became concerned about my health.

I went back to my dorm room and looked at the food I had in my pantry to assess how bad my diet had gotten. I could have easily refilled a Hershey's vending machine with what was in my room. Maybe two.

I consulted my doctor and health-conscious friends to help improve my well-being. I used the Sarasota community to gradually improve my health. I found a map of bicycle routes in Sarasota and started to bike to some of my favorite destinations. I visited Selby Gardens and Siesta Key for nice outdoor walks. I found health trails via the Sarasota County Health Department's Pathways to Health site. I soon became a pro and started hiking at Myakka on a regular basis. I got groceries at the Farmers' Market downtown and played basketball at many of the local parks around town. I went from having a bad diet and a sedentary college lifestyle to being healthy, active, and fit. My college life is like watching Super Size Me in reverse.

During my semesters, I studied public health and became much more knowledgeable about my personal health. In addition, I learned a lot about community health as I constantly researched health issues and became more aware of public health concerns. I soon became a resource for many of my friends who sought a healthier lifestyle.

I still have a lot to learn about health and I decided to start a community health blog for Sarasota where people can learn and talk about health issues and share their own advice and ideas. I will share my own experiences by writing blog stories as I explore community health issues in Sarasota.

Enjoy!