Over time, the influence of the determinants of health has created
changing patterns of disease. It is well known that, in the so-called
developed world, the infectious diseases of the 19th century gave way
during the 20th century to chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer
and respiratory disease. The age-specific rates of many chronic diseases
in such countries are now declining but a number of problems are
becoming more common and are, therefore, attracting greater attention.
These include obesity, alcohol-related harm, drugs-related problems
and aspects of mental health. As we have stressed throughout the series
of papers published on this website, such problems cannot be addressed
in isolation. Nor can they be understood or combated without placing
them in the context of the wider determinants of health.
In this paper we focus on the issue of obesity to illustrate the complex
nature of our current crop of growing public health concerns.
Over time, the influence of the determinants of health has created changing patterns of disease. It is well known that, in the so-calleddeveloped world, the infectious diseases of the 19th century gave wayduring the 20th century to chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancerand respiratory disease. The age-specific rates of many chronic diseasesin such countries are now declining but a number of problems arebecoming more common and are, therefore, attracting greater attention.These include obesity, alcohol-related harm, drugs-related problemsand aspects of mental health. As we have stressed throughout the seriesof papers published on this website, such problems cannot be addressedin isolation. Nor can they be understood or combated without placingthem in the context of the wider determinants of health.In this paper we focus on the issue of obesity to illustrate the complexnature of our current crop of growing public health concerns.
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