Current Events in Public Health

Current Events in Public Health

There are various events in the public health sector, one of them being obesity. Obesity is a health disorder associated with excessive fat in the body, which may predispose a person to health problems. It has greatly impacted the United States health care system; the COVID-19 pandemic has, however, exacerbated the problem. Firstly, obesity has created a huge loss due to the economic cost of hospitalization expenditures, drug prescription expenditures, and loss of school and working days due to the comorbidities related to it (Hampl et al. 2017). It has been recorded to be one of the major causes of morbidity as it is related to obstructive sleep apnea and gallbladder disease, which may lead to death. It also affects the mental health of the patient. (Hampl et al., 2017)

Secondly, healthcare costs are overestimated in the United States because the costs allocated for health care do not account for the deaths of obese people. The mortality rate of obese persons, especially between ages twenty to eighty-five, is high as this overestimation of costs may affect the economy. The research estimates suggest that the health care costs might be lower if this issue is considered. (Allison et al, 2019)

The effect of COVID-19 on obesity is that it has led to an increase in the rate of morbidity. Obesity tends to lessen functional capacity, expiratory reserve volume, and respiratory system compliance. For individuals with high abdominal obesity, there is a higher probability of their pulmonary function being further compromised, which causes difficulty in ventilation. Additionally, increased inflammatory cytokines that are commonly linked with obesity may also result in death (Dietz & Santos, 2020). Clemmensen et al. (2020) add that with the pandemic, more people indulged in disordered eating that predisposed them to obesity, consequently placing them at higher risk of COVID-19 complications and poor mental health.

In conclusion, obesity has negatively impacted the healthcare system of the United States, and the COVID-19 pandemic only worsened the condition as the rates of morbidity increased. In regard to reversing the epidemic, efforts should be directed at improving nutrition and regular exercise for a healthier society.

References

Allison, D. B., Zannolli, R., & Narayan, K. M. (2019). The direct health care costs of obesity in the United States. American Journal of Public Health, 89(8), 1194-1199.

Clemmensen, C., Petersen, M. B., & Sørensen, T. I. (2020). Will the COVID-19 pandemic worsen the obesity epidemic?. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 16(9), 469-470.

Dietz, W., & Santos-Burgoa, C. (2020). Obesity and its implications for COVID-19 mortality. Obesity, 28(6), 1005.

Hampl, S. E., Carroll, C. A., Simon, S. D., & Sharma, V. (2017). Resource utilization and expenditures for overweight and obese children. Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine, 161(1), 11-14.

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Research 1 public health issue that is of importance to you, your family, or someone important to you. You will evaluate this public health issue from the perspective of how it impacts the U.S. healthcare system and how COVID-19 has affected this public health issue.

For example, heart disease is a leading cause of death in the U.S. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). If you were using that example for this discussion, you would evaluate how heart disease impacts the health care system and how it was impacted by COVID-19.

Respond to the following in a minimum of 175 words:

Which public health issue did you research, and how does it impact the U.S. healthcare system?
How do you think that issue has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic?