Questions-
do you agree with our current approaches towards health?
how could we evolve our approach towards health?
why do you think the media use fear mongering when fear weakens our immune system?
Responses-
Nic, 21, Politic student
1 I think health should always be left to the individual, a external force cannot determine for the rest what it means to be “healthy”. Sure there can be education and awareness spread about what science tells us about health, but it’s always the final decision of the individual to act upon that advice.
On the other hand, I think people have a lot of misconceptions about what it means to be healthy, that ties into the fat and body acceptance narrative.
So it’s a thin line, on one hand we can’t force people to do certain things that are “healthy” but we also can’t champion “unhealthy” things such as being obese. Approaching health as a collective is a tough thing to do
2 we could evolve our approach by actually coming to a consensus on certain issues. I think education is always the answer, but in an ideal society where everyone knows what is healthy for them, some will always still choose fast food, to chain smoke, to abuse drugs etc. and as I said you can’t stop that either cus that’s to impede on freedom, and if that freedom is curbed what other freedoms will be taken as a result at some point down the line
3 I think the media is a business and they literally derive their worth by how many people click on their article or buy their newspaper. Because views are the most important thing, the media will use sensationalist and fear inducing headlines and narratives to get more views. That’s not a conspiracy either , all my lecturers say there is many academic papers proving that is the case for many publishers. So 1 of 2 things has to change. Either we change how the media operates and we take profit out of the equation, or we have to teach more critical thinking in adolescence. I think that we should do both
Luca, 21, Canary Warf construction placement
1st question: Depends what kind of health? Like mental health I think they taking very seriously now which is a good thing but I also think that it can give certain people a platform to exploit it which is wrong and unfair for those who genuinely suffer. For physical health I don’t think enough is done, there are many reports of the UK’s obesity rate increasing dramatically (even in children) and I think that’s because we’re told to not “body shame” and almost praise those as “brave” for being overweight and obese which I think is wrong and proves people are too afraid of any form of criticism or discussion
2nd question: I think there are many ways to improve our approaches to health: sport and physical activity being a main one (especially for children), this is because sport and exercise is not only a great way to keep everyone physically healthy, but it’s also a great way for our bodies to release endorphins and other hormones which make us happy, this will lead to less depression and help our mental health crisis. Because of this I think schools and the government should expose children to a wide range of sports at a young age so they can find one that best suits them, it will have other benefits such as teaching them how to work as a team, socialising etc.
3rd question: the simple answer is that the media just wants control over the population, and flashy scary headlines will always get a reaction out of people and create division and disagreement, especially when it’s from a one sided source, this forces people to pick a side e.g. Fox News and CNN