Some people say that the best way to improve public health is by increasing the number of sports facilities
Some people say that the best way to improve public health is by increasing the number of sports facilities. Others, however, say that this would have little effect on public health and that other measures are required.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Essay Writing Public Health & Sports Facilities
Some people say that the best way to improve public health is by increasing the number of sports facilities. Others, however, say that this would have little effect on public health and that other measures are required.
Many people are concerned about the general poor level of health in people nowadays. Some groups advocate providing more public sports facilities while other groups believe alternative ways of improving public health might prove more successful.
There are already many sports centers in major cities and even in some smaller towns. This does not automatically mean that the public will use them. People need to be motivated to do exercise. They need to choose to be healthy. Can governments and interested groups make people want to be healthier? It is doubtful because there are so many complex factors involved.
The most successful method employed by authorities to change public behavior, as seen from many cases in the past, is through coercion. People who want to be healthy are already doing exercise and taking care of themselves through their own free choice. If governments want o make the rest of the population become healthier through more exercise and using sports facilities then they will literally have to force them to do so.
We have seen that advertising campaigns do not work very effectively. Rising levels of obesity in many developed countries are no putting a serious strain on health services, to the point where they are now challenging smoking related diseases in terms of costs and resources required to treat them.
IELTS EssaysMaking individuals responsible for their behavior through taxes, fines and penalties has been shown to be effective in the past. For example, some years ago a driver was not required to use their seat belt when driving. However, as a result of the amount of horrific road accidents and deaths which resulted, the government introduced the wearing of seat belts for drivers and passengers as mandatory; they changed the law, with fixed penalty fines following after a short transitional period.
When money is involved or there is a risk of breaking the law, it seems people think twice about their behavior. This could be a more effective solution to poor levels of public health as it would involve making the individual more responsible for their own health through charging or taxing them for health conditions which are clearly caused by their own poor habits or behavior.
No doubt some people would consider this an infringement on personal rights; however, it would surely ease the strain on public health services quickly and make people really think about the consequences of their unhealthy behavior. Governments have already banned smoking and drinking in public places in various countries, based on social and health reasons; how long before the banning of fast food in public places is also up for discussion in the interests of proper nutrition and a more healthy society?.
The best ways to improve public health essay
What do you think are the best ways to improve public health? Is increasing the number of sports facilities a good way?
- What are some major public health concerns in your country?
- How do people keep fit, or what sports facilities do they use?
- What would you recommend to improve public health?
- What are some ways to improve public health that have been successful?
- Should people be penalized for making unhealthy lifestyle choices?
Essay on Public Health Concerns
The best way to improve public health is by increasing sports facilities
Public health has become a major concern for various groups, governments and related organizations. While some people favor projects such as increasing opportunities for people to exercise through providing public facilities such as sports centers, other people and interested parties believe that there are alternative beneficial measures that could be taken to increase the general health level of the public.
It is one thing to spend money on building sports centers; it is quite another thing to encourage people to use it. At the heart of the argument lies motivation. Based on human behavior, we can see that health is very much a personal choice in many cases. People choose to lead a healthy lifestyle or not. Many people do regular exercise, with or without public facilities being available, simply walking ever day or jogging in the local park. It is simply their personal choice to do these activities. Other people choose to do little or no exercise, even though their village, town or city may have many superb facilities available to them.
Many organizations have suggested that education is the key to improving health, as education seems to be the answer for everything. However, we have already seen this fail in several high profile areas such as drinking, smoking, and fast food. Many research groups and others who support a healthy lifestyle have spent years trying to educate the public through various campaigns, pointing out the negative side effects of these bad habits and showing the way to healthier options. The results have been far less than impressive. In the UK, there are more young people smoking now than in the past, in spite of all the health campaigns warning of the risks. Excessive alcohol consumption is still a social problem, and several governments are now complaining that obesity related health conditions are putting a strain on public health services, which can be traced back to the rise in popularity of fast food and convenience food in popular culture, and lack of regular physical activity. From this we can see that simply providing facilities or trying to inform people through campaigns and advertising is not the most effective way to change public behavior, if that is the desired result.
IELTS EssaysAs medicine makes use of more and more technology, it seems that there is a cure for almost any problem we have nowadays. However, this can make people apathetic when it comes to their own health, knowing the doctors can always fix a problem. The most successful changes in public behavior have always been brought about by imposing rules and regulations and making individuals responsible for their behavior. Taxes, fines and penalties for motoring offences are some excellent examples.
Many years ago drivers were not required to use their seat belt when driving. However, as a result of the amount of horrific road accidents and deaths which resulted, the government introduced the wearing of seat belts for drivers, and passengers as mandatory; with fixed fines following after a transitional period. When money is involved or there is a risk of breaking the law, it seems people think twice about their behavior. Based on this, an effective approach to poor levels of public health would involve making the individual more responsible for their own health through charging or taxing health conditions which are caused by a person’s own poor health habits or behavior.
Essay Writing - Public Health
Some people say that the best way to improve public health is by increasing the number of sports facilities
It is doubtful if the solution to the growing level of obesity in many countries could be solved as simply as providing more sports facilities. Provision of sports centers or similar facilities does not necessarily mean that people would use them. It is a personal choice, and therein lies the problem.
There are many fitness centers and gyms which do not operate at maximum capacity and some even go out of business due to lack of users. Whether or not people have to pay to use such facilities may be one deciding factor. Even so, if government provided free access to centers such as this it would not guarantee that a large proportion of the population would take up the opportunity to participate in sports or exercise for health benefits.
Experts have proven that simply walking, running or participating in a similar type of aerobic activity three times per week for around 30 minutes each time provides good health benefits. These activities do not require any special equipment or membership costs. However, not everyone follows this advice even though it would not cost them anything – only the time to do regular exercise.
Exercise is very much a personal choice it would seem. Some people practice sports regularly and other choose not to. This can be seen even in children at school. Some children love sports and others are not interested. People can not be made to do exercise – they can only be encouraged to do so for their own benefit and wellbeing just as they are encouraged to heat healthily.
If government is interested in reducing the level of obesity and increasing the health of a nation then health needs to be addressed as a personal concern, much like a driver is obliged to maintain their car in good condition otherwise it becomes dangerous and costs more money to fix in the long run. Personal responsibility is the key to improving the overall health of the population.