Improving Health in the US

Culture of Health

Despite spending close to three trillion dollars a year on healthcare, significantly more than any other country in total or per capita, the United States does exactly maintain a healthy population (comparatively speaking) (Lavizzo-Mourey, 2015). There have been many different attempts to make the healthcare system more efficient and effective, however there are many levels of resistance to change and reform can be a tedious process by in large. However, there are still sources of inspiration to be found in regards to reform as an objective. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is committed to building a national Culture of Health which can be defined as broadly defined as one in which good health and well-being flourish across geographic, demographic, and social sectors; fostering healthy equitable communities guides public and private decision making; and everyone has the opportunity to make choices that lead to healthy lifestyles (Evidence for Action, N.d.).

The definition of a culture of health is broadly defined intentionally so that it can cover a wide range of different issues that lead to health disparities in the U.S. For example, one of the primary challenges to building a culture of health in the United States is tackling the problems associated with having easy and affordable access to healthcare (Loavizzo-Mourey, N.d.). The U.S. institutes a for profit healthcare system that many people cannot easily access because of financial reasons. Beyond vulnerable populations, there are also other factors that prevent someone from seeing a healthcare provider such as an individual being overwhelmed by the complexities that are inherent in the system or having trouble identifying the appreciate medical resources. Therefore, one of the primary challenges will be making healthcare affordable to every citizen and making healthcare channels available in local communities as well as building local awareness about what resources are available.

There are also many proactive strategies that can be introduced that can improve public health from a more holistic perspective. For example, childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. Childhood obesity is especially troubling because it can be related to a lifetime of increased chances of illness and disease for the unfortunate child. In 2007, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation announced it would dedicate $500 million to this goal, and after years of no notable progress, there has finally been some sources of optimism manifest related to the abatement of childhood obesity (Loavizzo-Mourey, N.d.). There have now been eighteen states that have seen their rates of childhood obesity decline for the first time in years among low-income families. With continued investments of time and resources, it is reasonable to suspect that the rate could decrease further and in more states.