My Personal Interest Blog

One of my personal interest within public health is centered around one of the nation's biggest problem, literally. Obesity is a problem that America has dealt with for a while, but over the past few years the obesity rate has dramatically increased in adults but even worse within kids. According to the CDC, childhood obesity has more than tripled over the past 30 years! I became interested in this problem after working at a local summer camp for more than 5 years where I had the chance to watch my students grow up. At the camp we did both education and recreation to try to keep the children active. I began to notice how the times have changed since I was younger. Back in the day we as children loved to play games, like tags or have relay races and many other things, but the new generation is more interested in watching tv, playing on their cell phones, iPods, iPads,along with video and computer games. This problem truly hit home when two of my students from the camp parents came to me because they had to inform me that they had developed type 2 diabetes. After hearing that I had a talk with the staff and directors of the camp and we all collaborated and agreed to have more physical activities to keep the children active. Knowing the damage and harm that can result from being obese, I want to try to help reduce while preventing the prevalence of childhood obesity.   

A Not So 'Silent Spring' - Rachel Carson

            Rachel Carson is considered to be a significant figure in both the environment and human health movements, with great reasons. After the release of her well known book, Silent Spring, in 1962, the public was informed about the dangers of pesticides. Within the pages of her book, Carson exposed the government and the chemical industries about the harmful effects that these pesticides and DDT’s are having not only on the wildlife but humans as well. Though Carson’s courage to stand up for what was right, an issue that the government tried to sweep under the rug was now out in the open forcing, both the government and industries to take up the responsibility for their faults and correct the hazardous problems through the banning of DDTs. Through the publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, there has been a significant increase in public awareness of pesticides to help improve the health of our wildlife and humans.