The Next Great American Public Health Campaign? Readers Make Their Picks

Nutrition

Burger, Fries and Soda?

I would like to see serious focus on sugar and unhealthy foods. Driving on the highway, I saw a McDonald’s billboard with a burger, a white bread bun, fries and soda. “Eat affordably.” This was frustrating. I work in primary care and see daily the results of our cultural priorities on weight leading to diabetes and hypertension. We then complain about the cost of health care and hold clinicians accountable for poor outcomes. — Leslie Goldman, Vermont

Stop the Sugar Machine

One thing that can be focused on that everyone can understand is reduction of sugar in the diet. However, the sugar industry has a phenomenal lobby and propaganda machine. — Wayne Griswald, Moab, Utah

Guns and Suicide

The Silence Around Suicide

Why is suicide and suicide prevention seldom if ever discussed when it comes to public health funding? Around 60 percent of all gun deaths nationwide are due to suicide. In Oregon, around 82 percent of all gun deaths are due to suicide. — Sarah Hobbs, Portland, Ore.

‘Senseless Deaths and Injuries’

Nearly 40,000 people are killed by guns in this country yearly, and many more are wounded. It’s been estimated that we spend $229 billion per year on this epidemic that devastates individuals, families and communities. There is much that can and should be done to prevent these senseless deaths and injuries, and I hope that the authors will use this platform to shine a bright light on the role that public health/preventive strategies can play in curbing this crisis in their next installment. — Sonya Lewis, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Exercise

Walk the Walk

I would like to see a public health campaign advocating walking at least one mile a day. You have to start somewhere, and exercise prevents or controls a variety of chronic conditions. — Voter in the 49th, California

Follow Europe’s Footsteps

I’d like to see a public information campaign to encourage people to take a walk after dinner rather than sitting back and being glued to a screen. When I lived in Europe, this was the norm. — Nancercize, New York