State legislatures make thousands of health policy decisions each year. Assume the
role of a Florida state legislator. Choose a different public health issue that exists in
Florida and create an outline for a new health policy with at least three steps that you
think would benefit the residents of the community. You can be as creative as you
want with your policy. Then you will write two paragraphs: one paragraph that
summarizes the public health issue, and a second paragraph that explains your new
policy and how your policy will benefit the public.
Choose a public health issue in Florida:
Outline your policy:
Step 1:
Step 2:
Step 3:
Write a paragraph that summarizes the public health issue:
One public health issue in Florida is the high rate of obesity among residents, particularly among children and adolescents. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida has one of the highest rates of childhood obesity in the country, with nearly a third of children and teens being considered overweight or obese. This can lead to serious health problems such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and asthma, as well as lower quality of life and increased healthcare costs.
In order to address the issue of obesity in Florida, I propose a new health policy that focuses on promoting healthy eating and physical activity in schools. The first step of the policy would be to require all schools in the state to provide nutritious meals that meet specific guidelines set by the Department of Health. This would ensure that students are receiving the proper nutrients they need to maintain a healthy weight. The second step would be to mandate a minimum amount of physical education time for students each week, in order to promote regular physical activity. Finally, the third step would be to implement programs that educate students and their families about the importance of healthy eating and physical activity, in order to create a culture of health and wellness in the community. By implementing these steps, we can help reduce the rate of obesity in Florida and improve the overall health of our residents.