Effective Public Health

...is about promoting physical, mental and social well-being in populations. To quote the World Health Organization, it is about more than just the absence of disease. It requires effective research regarding the root causes of morbidity and mortality and finding comprehensive solutions that address complex bio-psycho-social issues. It is not about shaming individuals or pointing fingers, but it also recognizes that distorting the truth to try and avoid making people feel bad about themselves doesn't help anyone.

In this blog, I will try and address pertinent public health concerns from a social justice/feminist perspective. It seems like a lot of feminists and social justice advocates try to avoid discussing public health issues, particularly when public health seems to be trumping civil liberties. I can certainly understand why condemning smokers or fat people or others whose behavior puts them at increased risk is ineffective (hence the whole "no shaming" thing), however some individuals will take the opposite approach and attempt to defend harmful behaviors and decry criticisms as "hysteria". This blog will attempt to navigate the space in between condemning and enabling, in between being paternalistic and being in denial.