The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention Case Study

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] (2015) reports more than 1/3 of adults are obese and rates have quadrupled in adolescents and doubled in children over the last 3 decades in the US. In 2012, an alarming one third of children and adolescents, were obese or overweight (CDC, 2015). This will only perpetuate into adulthood, and increase the likelihood of individuals developing chronic conditions such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease; creating an additional strain to the already overwhelmed healthcare system. Concerned with the increasing unhealthy population and startling obesity rates, New York City made the decision to prohibit 16 ounces or greater sweetened drinks from businesses regulated by the City’s Health …show more content…
With such disturbing statistics, government officials felt the prohibition on supersized sweet drinks was necessary to combat the epidemic. Lawmakers focused on utilizing a partial population health model versus a medical model, to move in the direction of repairing the overall health status of the population by preventing unhealthy behavior and reducing the long-term effects of chronic diseases. Kovner and Knickman provide an excellent comparison of population health versus the medical model in combatting and treating such diseases. The population model looks at “the bigger picture;” not just how to treat 1 individual, but community factors such as income, available foods, grocery store and restaurant density, and transportation/physical activity to evaluate and improve the overall population’s health (Kovner & Knickman, …show more content…
Continual intake can only lead to detrimental effects of each individual; which becomes a public health concern when the population statistics are so frightening. One of the doctors in support of the ban testified at the New York City Board of Health hearing, that soda in considerable amounts is metabolically toxic (Stanglin, 2012). The unhealthy habit overtime leads to the development of chronic illnesses which eventually leads to a high medical bill for that individual, or increased health care cost for the average American due to cost shifting of that unpaid bill. This ban, improves healthy living, and assists in saving costs (both for individuals and the health care industry) overtime. So the intention of controlling sugary drink portions as a public health initiative is commendable, due to debilitating effects that can be caused as a consequence of its