In discussing public health in America, the same things tend to crop up repeatedly – the cost of health care, obesity or the consequences of COVID-19. These are all important issues – but there are a number of serious public health problems that don’t get nearly enough attention, even though they affect millions of people on a daily basis.
These problems often get ignored because they ‘ve become normal. Normal is not the same thing as healthy. For others see some of the most incompetent public health issues in the United States. Explain like I’m five.
1. Loneliness Is a Real Health Problem
Loneliness is widely regarded as “ just a feeling ”, but it really does have a real health effect.
Loneliness is also associated with heart disease, depression, anxiety, dementia and even death early. Elderly adults, remote workers, college students and people living alone are most at risk.
The problem is that society classifies loneliness as a private issue rather than a public one. We do n’t design communities, cities, workplaces or anything else of the sort to encourage real human contact.
2. Chronic Burnout Is Destroying Mental Health
Mental health takes on a lot of talk about depression / anxiety, but burnout is just as bad – and much more common.
Millions of Americans are mentally exhausted, emotionally drained, and constantly stressed through the pressures of work, financial stress, and lack of rest — teachers, healthcare workers, students, and service workers, in particular.
Especially since burnout does not always look like a medical condition, people are told to ” keep going ” until they get utterly burnt out.
3. Sleep Deprivation Is Normalized
I ‘d say that lack of sleep in America is a badge of honor. Many adults are able to go on 4 to 6 hours of sleep every night because of demands at work, long commutes, screen addiction, or multiple jobs.
Chronic sleep deprivation increases risk factors for heart disease, diabetes, obesity, depression, and crashes. It ‘s not a luxury but a basic health necessity.
But the system doesn’t allow for enough rest to happen.
4. Food Insecurity Among Working Families
Food insecurity has been linked to unemployment — but not on an absolute basis. Many working families have difficulty affording nutritious food.
Healthy food is expensive and time consuming and scarce, so people can pick up cheap mass produced foods which increases their risk of obesity and diabetes as well as of poor development of children.
It ‘s no longer about personal choice, it ‘s about economic reality.
5. Environmental Health Inequality
Where you live in America can seriously affect your health. All of this puts people living in low income and marginalized communities at increased risk of air pollution, unsafe drinking water, lead exposure and poor housing.
These environmental factors cause a higher incidence of asthma and cancer and developmental problems. Because of this little or no sustained attention, this particular issue, has an adverse effect on long-term health.
6. Men’s Mental Health Is Still Ignored
Men are far less likely to seek help for mental health conditions — but two times more likely to die of suicide.
Cultures around masculinity typically inhibit expression and support of emotions.
There are awareness campaigns out there, but access to affordable yet stigma-free mental health services is still relatively limited. Ignoring this issue continues to cost lives.
Final Thoughts
Most of these public health problems are not hidden — they ‘re recognized as normal. Because when exhaustion, loneliness, poor sleep, and perpetual stress are ubiquitous in daily life, the public no longer considers them an urgent health threat.
That ‘s when the real damage occurs quietly. Public health is more than hospital care and medicine. It ‘s about our way of living, working, eating, sleeping and connecting.