Some defintions according to the World Health Organization,:
Epidemic: When there are more cases of that disease than normal
Pandemic:When there is a worldwide epidemic of a disease.
Since the inception of multinational organizations, and health services, public health officials have generally dealt with large scale epidemics and pandemics related to infectious diseases. When asked about epidemics in the past, things like smallpox, polio, and more recently HIV/AIDS come to mind. However, the rise in obesity and associated illnesses has been dramatic over the past few decades. Many factors contribute to this including lifestyle and occupational shifts in our population, changes in dietary patterns and how we consume our food, the way of infrastructure has developed, and socioeconomic and sociocultural factors. Over the next few entries, I am going to attempt to address each of these topics individually.
What is unique about the epidemic of obesity and associated illnesses is the fact that the health conditions are chronic. It is difficult to imagine using vaccines or other infection control mechanisms that have been a cornerstone in dealing with prior epidemics. Tackling chronic conditions merits attention at the systemic causes of the epidemic and will require unique interventions, many of which are unfamiliar to health care professionals. I will try to explore some of the strategies that have been used and assess their successes and failures. I will complement this with things I find in my own environment, that are characteristic of causes of this epidemic and approaches or solutions which have been beneficial to alleviate or prevent its progression.
Epidemic: When there are more cases of that disease than normal
Pandemic:When there is a worldwide epidemic of a disease.
Since the inception of multinational organizations, and health services, public health officials have generally dealt with large scale epidemics and pandemics related to infectious diseases. When asked about epidemics in the past, things like smallpox, polio, and more recently HIV/AIDS come to mind. However, the rise in obesity and associated illnesses has been dramatic over the past few decades. Many factors contribute to this including lifestyle and occupational shifts in our population, changes in dietary patterns and how we consume our food, the way of infrastructure has developed, and socioeconomic and sociocultural factors. Over the next few entries, I am going to attempt to address each of these topics individually.
What is unique about the epidemic of obesity and associated illnesses is the fact that the health conditions are chronic. It is difficult to imagine using vaccines or other infection control mechanisms that have been a cornerstone in dealing with prior epidemics. Tackling chronic conditions merits attention at the systemic causes of the epidemic and will require unique interventions, many of which are unfamiliar to health care professionals. I will try to explore some of the strategies that have been used and assess their successes and failures. I will complement this with things I find in my own environment, that are characteristic of causes of this epidemic and approaches or solutions which have been beneficial to alleviate or prevent its progression.
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