Jesse Webb Reaction: Health and Wellness

Reflection/Reaction Piece

The topic that I thought was interesting was the basic concepts of health and wellness that we discussed at the beginning of the year. It was interesting to me because it encompasses such a wide range of areas, and I had no idea that health was such a wide field. Health encompasses not only your physical well being, but also mental, spiritual, and social well being as well. As with wellness, it covers intellectual, environmental, and occupational areas. Putting them all together is what makes a person healthy. This topic has impacted my life by showing me that I need to balance every area of my life to be truly healthy. It’s easy just to focus on one area, but being healthy takes much more than that. I’ve really tried to make an effort this semester to be healthy and have wellness in every area, including physical, spiritual, mental, social, intellectual, and environmental aspects. It hasn’t been easy, but it’s paid off and made me a truly happy and healthy person. Life is way too short to get by and not live it in the best way possible. Health and wellness is important to public health because it can be affected so easily in our everyday lives. Depending on what culture you live in, health isn’t always the focus. In America, being successful is more important than being healthy. People often give up their health in order to be successful. In jobs, they stay up late, work long hours and skip out on friendships and family time, eat unhealthy food, lack exercise, and do so many unhealthy things. So health and wellness in the public health sphere is key to include in culture and everyday aspects of our lives so that we can have happy, healthy, and productive lives to have a healthy population. Other questions I have about health and wellness are how I can continue to make healthy choices as my lifestyle changes and I change from being a college student to an adult in the real world. 

                                                                                                                                                                      

Jesse Webb TIPH

TIPH Picture Post

The example I chose to document is a picture of a dumpster that is located in my apartment complex. This is an example of public health because it provides a method for people to dump their waste into a specific spot. After trash is taken to this dumpster, it is collected by a garbage service and transported to a designated site to be managed. This provides a way for trash to be all in one spot instead of it being out in the open. If it were out in the open, it would collect bacteria, would be smelly, could infect water supplies, and could damage ecosystems. It could also cause and spread disease. People should consider this an example of public health to prevent the spread of bacteria, disease, and to protect ecosystems. It takes a while for trash to decompose on its own as opposed to a designated dump site where it is managed. I chose this example because it is something that I use regularly and helps greatly to make my living area clean, disease free, and safe from disease. 

Hannah Galt Reflection

One of the most interesting and what I feel is one of the most important lessons that we have been taught about this far in the semester was the lecture from the guest speaker from the University Health Center, Mr. Ben Gray.  He talked about the importance of nutrition to us as college students and how our diet can and does impact our all-around performance.  He discussed ways that we could plan ahead with our meals, both for students on the meal plan and for those who provide food for themselves.  While some of the things that we talk about in class are not relevant to the entire class, this lesson on nutrition and diet was something that every single person could have gained knowledge and insight from and used in their own day-to-day lives. 

I was particularly interested in this lesson because I have recently been very curious about what exactly I need to feed my body for the best results.  With all the different diets and new ideas floating around, sometimes it can be hard to discern what is and what is not a good idea in regards to eating habits.  The Build My Plate diagram that Mr. Gray explained simplified all of the information into one retainable image that is priceless when trying to decide what to put on my own plate in a dining hall full of food. 

This topic is of major importance in the field of public health.  Although the variables in health are limitless, the food that we put into our bodies is usually the main problem.  Educating the masses about nutrition, similar to how Mr. Gray taught our class, could be a big step in the right direction towards a healthier society.  His belief that food should first of all be delicious, second of all healthy, and third of all cheap is an idea that many, many people can agree with.  What society now needs to learn is how to get their hands on that type of food. 

While Mr. Gray did a great job of a general overview of nutrition, I am still curious about specifics regarding healthy eating.  I would like to know how to read the nutrition facts on labels and truly be able to understand what they mean.  I would like to know about individual foods and what they contain and how they impact the body.  Learning all of this will take time and research but every new piece of information will expand my knowledge and impact my own diet.              

Hannah Galt TIPH

While most people do not think of traffic lights and painted crosswalks as elements of public health in our community, I believe that these safety precautions play a more significant role than we realize.  In Athens in particular, many people rely on walking for transportation.  I, for one, do not own a car so I have come to truly appreciate pedestrian crosswalks and lights like the one pictured.  Promoting and maintaining a community in which walking is a safe and low-stress mode of transportation encourages people to walk rather than drive their car or ride a bus.  Not only is this cost-efficient and better for the environment, but it is also a way for people to get more physical exercise.  Thus, more physical exercise leads to improved health.  The newer pedestrian lights have the button that walkers push as well as a beeping sound that notifies those who are blind when it is safe to cross the street.  I have even heard about an instance in town in which a lady in a wheel chair was not able to reach the button.  Local government authorities were contacted and the button was quickly relocated at a more appropriate height.  Making these advancements to serve more members of the community spreads the impact of elements of public health.  This particular pedestrian light is located at the intersection of Thomas Street and Hancock Avenue.  The pedestrian crosswalks around campus and in downtown Athens have a tremendous impact on the flow of traffic and the safety of all pedestrians.        

TIPH Assignment

I chose this picture because it helps keep Athens clean and encourages recycling.  These are recycling bins inside of the Classic Center in downtown Athens. They allow for easy recycling and encourage recycling in one of Athens most popular venues. Athens is known as one of the countries most environmentally friendly cities and things like this help dramatically.  Athens make it so easy to recycle unlike many other places in Georgia.  In most places you have to go out of your way to recycle but with areas like this, it is easier to recycle than just throw something in the landfill.  I really appreciate living in an area that encourages recycling as much as Athens goes.  I chose this because I recycle at my house but most do not, but these sort of things and areas make every day recycling easy for everyone.  Nothing encourages recycling more than making it easier than not recycling. Others should consider this important because our environment is very important and not renewable.  We only have one earth, and so our health is tied to how well we treat the earth. 

TIPH Photo-Shopping Cart Wipes

I took this photo of Shopping Cart Wipes at Publix.  This is an example of public health because it helps stop the spread of germs and diseases at a very common place, the grocery store.  Many people go to the grocery store each week and use a shopping cart to carry the food they are going to buy.  It is important to public health because it makes sanitation available, for free, to everyone shopping at the store.  If everyone who used a cart also used a sanitation wipe, the germs on the cart would be cut down tremendously and less diseases would be contracted.  Another reason shopping cart wipes are so important to pubic health is because they are located at a food store.  If the shopping cart is dirty, then food that will be consumed is put in the same cart and the food can pick up the germs and cause health problems for the consumer.  I chose this example of public health because it is something most people can relate to.  Because so many people go to the grocery store every day, if everyone used the sanitation wipes the amount of germs transferred between people would be exponentially less. The important thing for people to consider with this example of public health is that the people have to actually use the wipes.  The container and sign being on the wall itself is not going to lessen the germs; people have to use the wipes to help clean the shopping cart so that themselves and others will be at less risk for diseases.

TIPH Picture

My picture for TIPH is of my hand sanitizer on my bookbag. This is an example of public health because of the push there has been towards more hand sanitizer being accessibile to people in order to have a quick way to clean their hands. I chose it because I think it's important that everyone participate in public health the best way they can, and for me I enjoy to have hand sanitizer with me not only to protect myself (say, if I was about to eat a snack in class and I wanted to clean my hands really quickly before touching my food) but also to protect others around me (for example, if I knew I had a cold, I could sanitize my hands every now and then so that I would spread less germs to others if I knew we would be touching mutual things, like pens, etc). It's important that others consider this public health because it is such an easy thing to carry with you, especially the little travel size bottles they make (which is also public health, the idea that companies are realizing that people like to have hand sanitizer with them, and not just a bottle on their desk or on the wall in a restroom), that can protect you and others from common illnesses. It of course does not replace hand washing, but it's a quick way to feel slightly less germy when you're out and about!

Public Health Video Group 10

We interviewed two UGA students and asked them what public health meant to them. Below are their responses.

Group 10- Mary Elizabeth Moore, Hunter Cole, Katherine Hall, Caitlin Gibson, Sabrina Lewis

Guest Lecture: Healthy Relationships in College and Beyond

     A guest lecture, presented by Tara Misra of UGA's Health Center, touched on the topic of healthy relationships, and more specifically, what abusive relationships look like and how to avoid them. Tara talked about a few statistics. These statistics surprised me because of the large percentage of people who report they are in abusive relationships. Furthermore, Tara said that these numbers were fairly inaccurate because many abusive relationships go unreported.
     This topic was interesting to me because many college students are in relationships or are looking to be in a relationship. Knowing what to look for in a healthy relationship is crucial. Tara touched on some things in the presentation that I didn't realize would be considered abuse, so this can help me become a better significant other to someone else, and can help me look out for things in other people.
     As a college student who is about to enter the "real world", Tara's guest lecture is very pertinent to my life. Having healthy relationships with those around me will make me a better person. People will respect me more because I know how to respect others. It is also important to note that this lecture can also be applied to other realms of one's life--just not romantic relationships. This lecture can apply to social relationships with your peers, relationships with your family, and relationships with those you work with.
     This topic relates to public health because being in relationships, whether they are healthy or unhealthy, can directly affect the other aspects of wellness. As Tara pointed out in the beginning of her lecture, "relationships can affect all spheres of the Healthy Dog." The six spheres that relationships can affect are; emotional, intellectual, physical, environmental, social, and spiritual. Being in an unhealthy relationship can negatively impact all six of these spheres differently.
     After the lecture, I felt much more educated about having healthy relationships while being in college but I have one question; "To what degree should someone report an emotionally abusive relationship?" It seems to me that there are many degrees of emotionally abusive relationships (from being not so severe to being very severe). So at what point should someone report that?

TIPH Picture

This picture was taken in our locker room at the baseball field. It is our rehydration/refueling station. Every few days, people from the sports nutrition department restocks it with nuts, trail mix, fresh fruit, and granola bars. This allows us to maintain energy and fight hunger on game days, or days where we have long practices. I chose this example because it is something my teammates and i see and benefit from everyday. Others need to consider this as public health because it helps many people stay energized and able to play and perform at the best of their abilities.

Sleep TIPH Reflection

My favorite topic that we have discussed in class so far has been about sleep. This topic was very interesting to me because every college student can relate to this topic. Every college student can at least think of one time in their college careers where they had to stay up all night to finish an assignment or to study for a test. But little did I know that pulling these all-nighters is not effective. It was interesting to learn that students who pull all-nighters have lower GPAs. 

 I learned from lecture that sleep depravation could cause major health problems that I was not aware of.  For example, people that sleep fewer than six hours a night are more likely to have excess body weight. I also learned that getting less sleep makes a person three times more likely to become sick and struggle with depression. I would have never thought that the lack of sleep would cause major health problems. 

This lecture has taught me how important sleep is for a health lifestyle. This topic is important to public health because without the adequate amount of sleep one’s health could be affected in many negative ways. Its important to increase public knowledge of how adequate amounts of sleep can improve one’s quality of life. That’s why it’s important to get your rest so you can be your best!

My question for this topic is: Is it possible to recover from sleep deprivation? How long does it take to recover?

Hannah Carmichael

Reflection/ Reaction Piece : Sexual Health

This past Tuesday I learned a lot about sexual health in the presentation that was given to the class. I think that by providing visuals to exemplify the different preventions and treatments that are at our disposal, the presenter made her presentation stand out and thus the information that she taught was more likely to be retained. The presentation created an environment where it was comfortable to learn about this highly stigmatized issue that most of the young adults our age encounter from day to day. I think that learning about the different forms of birth control intrigued me the most. Seeing the different methods of treatments was an effective way to convey that there are multiple routes that a woman can go to protect herself against getting pregnant too early. I was also tickled and entertained by the dental dam (protective latex sheet for oral sex). I would be pleasantly surprised if these increased in popularity in the approaching years. They are very unorthodox and thus unlikely to be used, but I think that the product could potentially decrease the contraction of STI's. This topic impacts me because I have gained knowledge that I can use to personally benefit myself, and I can also spread this knowledge to others in my demographic bracket. I think that spreading the practice of safe sex in my personal circle could slowly start to impact the entire young adult community and start to change the number of people affected by these preventative sexual diseases and infections. This presentation and the health center are acting out of public health by providing our students with the necessary tools to practice safe sex and by informing our students. Their efforts can definitely have a positive impact on society at large. My questions regarding this topic can only be answered by time. My only curiosity is about what the future holds. I wonder if these public sexual health initiatives will ever increase in popularity and become a social norm...I certainly hope so!

TIPH No Smoking Sign

I found this hand sanitizer dispenser on the way out of a McDonald's bathroom on Huntington Road. This is an example of public health because it makes access to sanitation easy and available to the public in a convenient and well-placed area. I chose this example because of how bad flu season was this year; if every store, restaurant, and business had invested in these sanitizers to place on their way out the door instead of simply coming out of the bathroom, the spread of influenza could have been minimized. It is important that others consider this an aspect of public health because it only functions as one if it is being used; the dispenser itself does nothing to prevent the spread of disease, but rather the citizens who value the well-being of themselves and others and use this free, accessible hand sanitizer for its intended purpose are the ones who make this a truly effective part of public health.

Reflection/Reaction to Sexual Health Lecture

The sexual health lecture we had on Tuesday really interested me. The lecturer engaged the class and I didn't feel as though I was just sitting at a desk listening to someone talk about sex (something we have all done a few times in middle school and high school). What interested me the most was learning about STI's and how they can be transmitted, as well as the risks (no risk, low risk, high risk) of various sexual activities. The topic impacts my life because it gives me a better idea of what I can do to avoid putting myself at an increased risk of contracting a potentially deadly disease. While some of the STI's have cures (antibiotics) that will get rid of the infection without much problem, the STI's without cures are of the highest importance and caught my attention the most. Tips on avoiding getting something that would stay with me for the rest of my life was very helpful. This topic is very important to public health because I believe there are a lot of people out there who put themselves at risk because of a lack of knowledge/information and even information that is simply not true. While the lecture was very informative and helpful, I would like to know more about the statistics of STI's, such as prevalence among various age groups, ethnicities, etc, and even the prevalence on college campuses, particularly UGA.

Reflection post: Sexual Health

Sexual Health Lecture:

I really enjoyed when Katy Janousek came to the class and discussed sexual health. Katy was very knowledgeable in the subject matter and she actively engaged the class in discussion. Katy had different forms of contraception, models, pap smear instruments, and even the vagina puppet Gina. I liked the "game" we played, Green Yellow or Red Zone. I like the fact that Katy not only taught us the information but she also got the class involved with her lecture. This topic impacts my life because, just as Katy stated, we are all sexual beings. I was never even given the chance to take a sexual health class in high school. They always simply said that abstinence is the key and that you should not have sex instead of education us on the proper ways to have sex and the many precautions that we should take when having sex such as using condoms and birth control. I had never heard of some of the forms of birth control that Katy introduced to us like the rod in the arm or the IUDs so it was interesting learning about those. Sexual health is important to public health because every person in this world, in some way, shape, form or fashion is affected by sexual health. Many people lack the proper knowledge about sex. I want to know if there are any steps being taken to get better sexual health education class in high schools? What would it take to educate our youth about the dangers of improper sexual health?

Eris Jackson- Reflection/Reaction Piece

One of the topics that was presented in class that interest me the most was the presentation on Alcohol and Drugs. This topic caught my attention because being in an environment where alcohol is acceptable no matter what time of day it is was and still is important to me. I learned plenty of valuable information that I never knew before, for example how much alcohol is contained in different sizes of glasses/cups. I also learned  how long it takes for the alcohol to completely leave the body. This topic impacts my life because while I am consuming certain drinks at the pace I usually do I am damaging my liver and other intestines in my body slowly and it could have an affect on me later on in life. After the presentation I learned how to drink in a timely matter, so the next day I won't feel horrible and worthless. This topic also is important to the public health because if other people didn't know all the details alcohol can do to your body and how much they actually consume they would realize that they are really not okay to get behind the wheel to drive or do some of the things they would be able to do sober, which would then have an affect on the people surrounding them at the time.

TIPH - PET WASTE STATION

This is a pet waste station at the apartment complex that I live in. The station provides pick-up bags and a trash can to deposit pet waste into. This is an example of public health because it promotes cleanliness around the complex and makes it substantially easier for people to ensure that pet waste is not left around the grounds. Pet waste can transmit disease and be full of parasites, not to mention the nasty smell and possibility of someone stepping in it. Rather than bringing their own bag from their own apartment and having to walk it all the way to the one dumpster in the complex, pet owners are provided bags and a trash can, minimizing the inconvenience of picking up after their dogs. I chose this example because I have two dogs and I use this station every day. Since this station was put in, I do not have to look around my apartment for grocery bags to use when I take the dogs outside. It is important that others see this as an example of public health because of the health risks that can be associated with not picking up after your animals. Hopefully everyone around the complex sees how easy these stations make it to do your responsibility of cleaning up pet waste.

Group 13's National Public Health Week Videos

Group 13 went to Jittery Joes in the MLC today and spoke to a few students on what they thought of when they heard the words "Public Health".  The following links are videos of their responses.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jszntbaa4AY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWOB2ej3lPE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJY8JfRoJ9Q&noredirect=1

TIPH: Bike Rack

 My example of public health is a bike rack. These can be found outside of most buildings on the UGA campus. This is an example of public health because it is promoting healthy activities and physical fitness. It also promotes less people to drive and encourages them to ride a bike instead helping our environment. I chose this example because as a whole the United States has an obesity problem and by encourages physical activity we can helper lower the number of obese people. It is important to consider this public health because we need to decrease the amount of obese people and with not driving everywhere that will help with gas pollution.  

Reflection/Reaction Piece

The topic I chose for my reflection piece is sleeping disorders. A sleeping disorder is associated with the difficulty off falling asleep or staying asleep or a physiological functioning during sleep. This topic is interesting to me because I feel I suffer from insomnia and have fellow friends and family members who also have some sort of sleeping disorder. This topic impacts school life because not getting enough sleep causes me not to be as alert in classes. It also impacts my social life because not getting enough sleep at night causes me to be tired during the day and not do social activities. This topic is important to public health because it affects a large amount of people and getting the correct amount of sleep is important for daily function. It is also important to know about the different sleep aids available. This topic makes me question how safe sleeping aids are and what studies have been done to show that they are not addictive?

Reaction/Reflection Piece: Sexual Health

I am writing my reflection entry on the presentation about Sexual Health from Tuesday, April 2.  This topic interested me for two reasons: the way the information was presented, and the fact that my home county has a very high teen pregnancy rate.  I really enjoyed how she had many items (birth control, models, and instruments) and hands on material that was passed around rather than her just standing there and talking for an hour.
This topic impacts my life because this was one of the first times that I had heard some of the things that she talked about.  In high school, my sexual education class was abstinence-only, so I didn't learn about the proper precautions to take when having sex; I just learned not to have sex. Katy informed us that having sex is healthy if you take proper precautions such as dental dams, condoms, and birth control. Sexual health is very important to public health because almost everyone has sex or their life is greatly impacted by sex; however, many people do not receive proper sexual education.  Many people learn to not have sex, so when they do become sexually active, they don't know the proper precautions to take, which greatly increases the chance of pregnancy and contracting a STI.
I do not have any questions about sexual health because Katy did such a great job teaching, but my questions would how can we use public health to get sexual education other than abstinence-only into a greater number of high schools?

TIPH-Trash Can- Julia Gryzenia

This is a trash can located in Downtown Athens just outside The Grill. It is an example of health because it is there for the public to throw trash away instead of littering therefore keeping the streets cleaner and healthy for everyone. I chose this example because it is typically looked over and yet it is an important part of keeping our environment healthy. It is important that others recognize this as a part of keeping us healthy because without it trash would line the streets breading bacteria and germs causing more illnesses. 

Reflection/Reaction

Sexual health as a general topic really piques my interest for many reasons. I'm a women's studies minor, so women's health and sexuality and reproductive topics all interest me in this broad genre of discussion. My group has also chosen college pregnancy/sexual health as our topic, so that lecture catered particularly to our research. I had to present on pregnancy for another class, and I found several figures and testimonies that really have me concerned about our nation and how it handles sexual health and reproductive health. I've learned that maternal deaths (when the mother dies in childbirth) have decreased worldwide EXCEPT in the US, and, in fact, our domestic maternal deaths have slightly increased. In the interest of saving time, doctors schedule and perform unnecessary Cesarian sections and episiotomies (both painful procedures that can harm the baby and the mother if not absolutely necessary). There are more C-sections on Fridays because doctors don't want to have to come in on the weekends to deliver babies, so they opt for the unnatural births on their own time. The whole topic really got me thinking about how American medicine is a big business, and we as citizens often forget that. Now, I can't say with certainty what needs to change, but the fact that countries with less medical assistance available have less maternal deaths is a shocking, unacceptable fact.

Group 6 TIPH Video Blog

Eating Disorders and Body Image TIPH Reflection

I think one of the most important guest lectures presented was the one about eating disorders and body image by Sandrine Bosshardt and Sarah Chatfield. Eating disorders are becoming increasingly prevalent among our population and I think the majority of people suffer from poor body image. A lot of people don’t realize the dangers of eating disorders because they do not have all the facts about how hard it truly is on your body. People are desperate to be attractive/wanted and are willing to go to great lengths to achieve that level of acceptance. I believe a key factor in all of this is that there are many people who do not understand how to appropriately lose weight. If people were better educated about nutrition and weight maintenance then perhaps they would not feel the need to go to such great measures. One who is uneducated about proper nutrition most likely associates food with weight gain so not eating means losing weight. This, of course, is terribly wrong, but people who are not well-educated and therefore do not know how to properly go about losing excess weight are susceptible to believing this lie. However, there are also many people who do not have eating disorders, but there is a good chance they have a poor body image.

            Body image is another huge issue that has affected many people for a very long time. Magazines, advertisements, etc. showcase downright unrealistic expectations. Women in magazine pictures are enhanced using Photoshop, but no woman actually looks like that. NO ONE is perfect. We all have our flaws. We all are beautiful in our own way. Bottom line – magazine pictures are not real images. They are fake. Yet they have a very real effect on our society. These photos are like poison in our world. They implant completely unattainable standards into our brains. They highlight every insecurity we have. They make us feel inadequate. Girls either kill themselves trying to look like these models or their self-esteem is dwindled to the point of non-existence. These “perfect” images can create/cause eating disorders in girls. I’ve watched several of my friends go through this and really struggle with their body image. It’s heart breaking and I do not think anyone should have to deal with this.

These fake images are detrimental to not only our own personal health, but to our society as a whole. This may seem like an individual health issue, but it is public health because it affects us all. They are everywhere we look and are creating health issues in a growing number of people. What would it look like for us to take up a public health campaign to stop these photographic lies or at least pass laws that regulate how much companies can distort these images?

Shelby Gray

Reflection/Reaction Piece

          In class this past Tuesday we had a speaker by the name of Katy Janousek. She discussed in class  about healthy sexuality. I have hear from others who have seen her presentations that she is very different than other presenters and you will end up with a bag of condoms by the end. With that said I was very scared/interested with what made her different and if her topic would be of any interest. To my surprise it was very intriguing. She discussed the many aspects of having a healthy sexuality by not simply presenting but also engaging with the class. 

           This topic interested me because typically this topic isn’t talked about very much because many individuals want to keep secretive about their sexuality. She approached the topic in my opinion without offending anyone which is always something to be cautious of when discussing this topic. She discussed many different things varying from women benefits to men benefits of having a healthy sexuality. This topic impacts my life because being a women knowing about the different types of birth control and even learning a things about the way guys should have a healthy sexuality can help me assist my partner in maintaining a healthy sexuality. 

          The topic overall is huge when discussing public health because if the public can obtain this knowledge about safe sex and the risks of not, it could definitely help with decreasing the amount of STIs and unwanted pregnancies. After the presentation, I felt Ms. Janousek did a great job in keeping the class interested and covered all of the questions I had about the topic. Overall it was a great learning experience.

Group 12 National Public Health Week Video

TIPH Sticker

My example of public health is the fire extinguisher in my apartment's kitchen. This is an example of public health, because many college students may be inexperienced with cooking or live in apartments with older appliances, like ovens and stoves, which can cause a higher chance of a small fire starting. This fire could quickly spread through an apartment building, so its important to have a fire extinguisher that can be used quickly to put it out, therefore eliminating the risk of endangering others. Since this is an example of public health, I think its important for college students to know where their fire extinguisher is located in their apartment, or if they live in a house, then they should purchase one to prevent a fire from being bigger than it needs to be.

Miki
Jon
bri
olivia
Group 2 This is public health

Reflection piece-

I really enjoyed the presentation by Ben from the health center about different aspects of a healthy lifestyle, including diet and exercise. He targeted things like what a balanced diet should consist of daily, how you can incorporate those into prepared meals at home instead of eating out, healthy options for grocery shopping, fun ways to exercise, and other tips that make living a healthy lifestyle an easy and attainable option.

His presentation interested me because he took a different approach to talking about healthy choices than do most that would be giving this presentation. He emphasized that it should be fun and not a chore to eat and exercise whereas a lot of people present it as an obligation that is just a part of life. He made the goal of a healthy lifestyle attainable because he discussed goal setting, and how to take it slowly. By making small goals, such as prepare meals at home and exercise two times a week, you can increase your amount of healthy options slowly instead of jumping right into commitments you won’t keep. I like that he emphasized that any progress is progress and even if your goals are small, it’s better than nothing.

This topic affected my life personally because it put into place a little planning, that I usually lack. By noting that I was going to make dinner at home certain nights, that would mean I would have to plan to go grocery shopping before then, and in order to plan that you would have to plan around classes, studying, and other obligations. So the planning somewhat built upon each other, then I would find times to fill in with exercise on top of that. While it sounds tedious, it was nice to have a little structure and accountability. It also affected my social life because a couple times my roommate and I would cook together and make a meal, which was a fun activity to do together instead of just going out to eat together.

This topic is important to public health because people should be aware of how easy it is to take control of your unhealthy lifestyle, and you can start and restart anytime. I think a lot of people just feel overwhelmed and scared about the idea of change, because it seems like a daunting task to overcome. This is why it’s important to promote small changes to create healthy habits, because it is a very doable task. More people, like Ben, should promote the ease and fun aspect of being healthy, instead of just talking about the bad side effects and obligation of it all, that shames people into diet and exercise.

A question I have surrounding this topic would be what are the major reasons and excuses people make for not leading a simple healthy lifestyles and how health promoters can combat those specific problems? 

TIPH Photo Blog

The picture here is of a student's bike tethered to a bike rack (in this case, a rather impromptu one). I found this outside my anthropology class in Baldwin Hall, and I know at least one of my classmates bikes to class regularly. All around UGA, you can also find proper bike racks. Bikes and bike racks represent public health at UGA because it encourages students to pursue active, healthy habits in their everyday lifestyles. I chose this example because I feel that it effectively sends a message to other students who may drive to school or those too busy to exercise in their time outside of classes. By seeing alternative options and other students using these bike racks, people may want to adopt their peers' behaviors. Others should consider this an example of public health because it poses a simple solution to sedentary lifestyles. With the obesity epidemic in America, it is imperative to recognize these solutions that can help decrease the growth. Additionally, modes of transportation like bikes help to reduce air pollution.

Group 5 This is Public Health Video

Group 5: Erin Feger, Brooke Ellard, Kebora Weir, Kathy Drawdy

TIPH Photo #2

This is a photo I took at Ramsey Student Center of the gym wipes that they promote students to use after they are finished working out on a machine.  The gym wipes in Ramsey are an example of public health because they encourage students to wipe off the sweat and germs from working out, to the eliminate the risk of spreading germs and staph infection from sweat.  I chose this example because many people like to work out, especially when the environment that they are exercising in is clean.  So, the gym wipes are an effective way for members to be clean, as well as be aware of a way to prevent germs and certain infections from spreading to others.  It is important for others to consider this example of pubic health because it is an easy way to keep gyms clean for its members, and to avoid the spreading of germs from member to member.

TIPH Photo

Public Health is everywhere! This is a photo I took at O-House Dining Hall, where they have a sign by the tray pick up station right when you walk in.  The sign says, "Getting another serving? Please get another plate too!"  This sign is an example of public health because it encourages students to use a clean plate every time they decide to get food, to eliminate the risk of spreading germs and bacteria to other students.  It also promotes proper food hygiene, where using a clean plate would eliminate the risk of food scraps left over on dirty plates to fall into the food in the food lines.  I chose this example because I thought it was a simple and effective way of presenting public health to our student population, where it encourages all of us to be clean and considerate of each others health and food space.  With that said, it is important for others to consider this example of public health because it is a simple and effective way to remind the public to be clean, and it can help keep our dining halls, as well as any restaurant clean from germs, bugs, etc.

Group 8

Alex Licht
Daniel Hodges
Kathryn McMillan
Hannah Galt

Reflection/Reaction Piece

I definitely wanted to do my reflection on the lecture given by Betria Stinson on alcohol and drugs. She informed us on the alcohol and drug use present at UGA, the effects of alcohol on our bodies, the standard drink within different types of alcohol, and also gave us some harm reduction strategies. This topic interested me because of the prevalence of drugs in alcohol in college students and specifically UGA. We are at an age where alcohol and drugs are constantly around us and therefore I was very interested in learning more about the subject. 

Alcohol and drugs impact my life in a few different ways. Socially, I am surrounded by peers that consistently drink alcohol and where drinking is a large part of college life. This social aspect has put me in the position to decide if, when, and how I want to drink as well. I think while the college social atmosphere puts a lot of emphasis on drinking heavily, I have learned through this speaker that there are many ways to drink socially and responsibly without making some of the mistakes college students make when drinking. Drugs have also impacted my life in the way that there are pressures to try new things in college and it is important to stick to your individual morals and beliefs when faced with these pressures.

This topic is also very important to public health in general. While drinking can be healthy in moderation, the overuse of alcohol and participation in drugs has let to many addictions and diseases. We are fortunate in this day to have many support groups and rehabilitation centers to help those that are willing and motivated to get better.

The only remaining thoughts I have regarding this topic is are there more resources we could provide to college students to educate them about drinking responsibly? Would the students even use these resources if they were available or is this not a top concern for them at this point in their lives?