Would you like germs with that?

With all the talk about H1N1 in the news, I think we are all being more careful about the spread of germs. So, let's have a little quiz. Which of the following is NOT a good strategy for slowing or stopping the spread of germs?

A. Cover your cough or sneeze

B. Wash your hands often.

C. When you can't wash your hands, use hand sanitizer.

D. If you order a pizza, just tell your waiter that if they have 3 separate pizzas they've cleared from other tables they can just put the left over pieces together and you'll call it good.

Much thanks to Mary, who sent along this picture of a pizza her friends had ordered, it is definitely NOT public health.

Food desert.

I had an interesting experience last weekend while staying overnight in a hotel in Atlanta. I missed my connection and had to find a place to stay for the night. By the time I made it through the crowds and to my hotel it was 2 a.m. and I was STARVING. The hotel clerk informed me that unfortunately every restaurant (including the one at the hotel) was closed but that I could help myself to the mini-convenience store in the hotel that was open 24-hours. I walked into the store (which was really just a tiny room) and quickly realized that there was nothing healthy for me to eat. Everything was processed, packaged, and shining on the shelf in all of its glory. I carefully chose my selections:

While sitting in my hotel room eating lots of delicious empty calories, it suddenly hit me that this is the way people all over the U.S. live day-to-day. The mini hotel convenience store was my corner store, and I was in a small food desert. It was a humbling realization. While I could go home after this trip and walk to my local grocery store to get some fruits and vegetables, this lack of healthy options was a reality for many people on a daily basis. A reality that they could not avoid.

The Food Trust has developed a Corner Store Campaign as part of a movement to address the problem of food deserts in low income neighborhoods in Philadelphia. This is part of a larger campaign by the Healthy Corner Stores Network to change the landscape of food options within low-income and underserved populations nationwide. Noone should be faced with a lack of healthy options.

The best and worst.

This picture was snapped by a student in a popular college town bar.

Along with the usual options of candy and gum, this vending machine also provides condoms (yay!) and cigarettes (boo!).

The City of Parks and Trails.

This post comes from a coworker of mine.

I live in Ellisville, MO called the "City of Parks and Trails" but apparently not many sidewalks to get to them. When I went to take a picture of the lack of sidewalk, I came across this couple and their kids trudging across the grass for about a half a mile until they could get to the sidewalk. They are new to the area and can't believe the sidewalks don't connect to the neighborhoods.

George Strait once sang "When the sidewalk ends, the road begins". This is very true here. I run almost every morning and this is the path I have to take to connect to all my routes. I run in morning traffic on the grass (through many spider webs no less)--in order to get to the sidewalk. The city recently passed an ordinance requiring sidewalks on at least one side of the road for new construction, but it doesn't affect my route.

Jackson Park - A transformation

This post comes from a friend who is currently restoring a house in the Old North St. Louis neighborhood. This is a testament to the changes that can be made when a community of individuals come together to make it happen.

Jackson Park in Old North, is one of the oldest St. Louis City parks. The park is a circular city block that was once home to a gorgeous fountain, a promenade, and tall trees. The park suffered greatly as the surrounding neighborhood experienced years of decline and blight. In recent years, the park consisted of a poorly maintained baseball field, a crumbling/rusting playground, and a tiny basketball court that was littered with broken glass.

Roughly two years ago, the Alderwoman, April Ford-Griffin, announced that she would be able to commit a significant amount of city funds to rehab the park. She brought forth a plan to the community for input. The community held a charrette to discuss the proposed plan and decide on suggestions to alter the plan. The community submitted its suggestions to the Alderwoman who accepted them and incorporated them into the official design documents.

A few months later construction began, including a walking path, new sidewalks, a water fountain, upgrades to the baseball diamond, and an extension of the park that includes a basketball half-court, a big new playground facility, and swings. Construction is still underway. As a local resident, I've watched park usage increase 10-fold. It has been a spectacular transformation!

Accountability.

While walking to and from work this past week...

I had the darnedest time getting to where I wanted to go. Why, you ask? Let the pictures tell you. There are plenty more where these came from.

This man actually gave me an apology wave... or maybe he was waving at the camera.

Same spot, different day. No wave.

This is my personal favorite. The ol' car on the sidewalk trick. I know parking is bad these days but really?

Counterproductivity defined.

Barbie dolls, Teletubbies, Blue's Clues... Doritos?

This post comes from The Consumerist from last week. Apparently this Wal-Mart has placed a Doritos and Pepsi display in the children's toy aisle. The argument is that the display is also next to DVD's. I say that is a weak arguement at best.

It would be interesting to know the demographics of the community where this Wal-Mart is located. I may be going shopping in our local stores this week to do some detective work.

Has anyone else seen something similar in their local stores?

The good...

Running in my neighborhood today I was inspired by the activity around me, the walkers, the bikers, the skaters. There was also a fair at the local community center where I am a member. They had a group of kids that belong to the St. Louis Arches - a circus troop. The cool thing about this program is that it is associated with Circus Harmony an organization that provides classes to the general public in circus tricks (tightrope walking, acrobatics, the flying trapeze). The classes are available for people of all ages and fitness levels. The program even has an octogenarian who does the flying trapeze. Now if that isn't health in action then I don't know what is.

I think others were inspired to be healthy today as well. Maybe because it was a beautiful day and there was plenty to do. Regardless of what the reason was, I received a couple of good pictures celebrating public health.

This is the Urban Health Fair and Market in Lafayette Square, St. Louis, MO. This area of town is a public health success story in itself. The neighborhood was neglected for several decades. Recent restorations have made it a vibrant and walkable community that houses Lafayette Park, a great place for being active.

This picture comes from a walking and biking trail in Denver, CO. Apparently not only do they provide signage about the detrimental health effects of animal waste, they also provide plastic bags full of "doggie bags" (not that kind of doggie bag...) and trashcans nearby for easy disposal.

Keep the pictures coming!

Some popular public health photos to ponder...

While not original photos, their content speaks volumes.

At least we can rest easy knowing that this dog will live a long and healthy life.

For some reason I don't think that this is what Shel Silverstein had in mind... if so, what a cruel joke.

Stairway to....nowhere?

Led Zeppelin would be so disappointed... as was I when I decided to make the healthy decision by walking up the stairs just to find out that I couldn't enter on the floor I wanted to. So you're telling me I have to walk up 3 more floors to get to an elevator to take 3 floors down?