Personal and Social Responsibilities of Health

Juliette Hill
HSC6603
09/16/2021
Personal and Social Responsibilities of Health
Our health is shaped by both internal and external factors that we are exposed to daily
and throughout our lives (Edberg, 2020). These internal and external environments interact in
ways that influence our health outcomes (Edberg, 2020). Shaped by our environment, the health
behaviors we engage in determine not only our individual health, but our collective health also.
On a population level, individual health behaviors (lifestyle choices) significantly affect health
outcomes (Wikler, 2002). Individually, people must act in ways that are proactive for healthy
lifestyles through adopting sustainable health habits (Wikler, 2002). As such, we have individual
and social responsibilities of health that we act upon every day.
Although individuals choose to engage in and adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors,
paternalistic interventions may obstruct individual autonomy, preventing the adoption of
unhealthy behaviors (Buchanan, 2008). This stripping of individual choice raises concerns for
ethical implications of public health. Paternalistic interventions must be justified when individual
autonomy is removed (Buchanan, 2008). Optimally, paternalistic interventions would not be the
first choice for intervention strategy as would be one that encourages freedom of choice while
growing trust and support of public health authorities (Buchanan, 2002). Interventions such as
“sin taxes” may dissuade a person from consuming harmful goods, but the level to which the
government should have power to impose such decision swaying policies is questionable
(Buchanan, 2008). Individual health responsibilities are personal and reflective of individual
environments. Individuals choose which health behaviors they engage in and prioritize, and the
imposition of paternalistic interventions removes this voluntary choice (Wikler, 2002). Instead of
assigning resources to limit or remove individual access to items and ideas that promote
Juliette Hill
HSC6603
09/16/2021
unhealthy lifestyles, public health agencies should allocate resources to interventions that address
involuntary risks (such as infectious disease exposure and prevention) (Wikler, 2002).
Although individuals make choices that reflect personal responsibilities of health,
collectively individuals make up societies that hold their own standards regarding social
responsibilities of health. When addressing communities and other collective groups, social
cooperation is paramount to the consideration of health policy concerns and public health
interventions (Wikler, 2002). Public health policies are often proposed to address issues that are
presented in a way that indicates individual irresponsibility as the catalyst (Brownell et al.,
2010). This leads to a sense of victim blaming, disregarding social inequalities and health
disparities that contribute to individual and community health. Despite such concepts, large
industries have imposed policies to eliminate sanctions, such as the Personal Responsibility in
Food Consumption Act which bans lawsuits from being filed against fast food companies
(Brownell et al., 2010). Policies like this one have been supported by groups such as the
Americans Against Fast Food Taxes who oppose increased taxes on fast food (Brownell et al.,
2010). Implementing policies such as those that prevent taxes on fast food leads to societal
imbalance. For those communities that have greater access to unhealthy environments (such as
those with greater access to fast food), implementing policies that dissuade from engaging in
unhealthy behaviors (such as implementing fast food taxes) may lead to improved community
health (e.g., lower obesity rates), but may also lead to reduced food access for those who cannot
afford alternate “healthy” foods (Brownell et al., 2010). Attempting to ban tax increases by
indicating that food choice is a personal responsibility will inevitably lead to higher rates of
obesity in those communities that may not have equal access to other food sources.
Juliette Hill
HSC6603
09/16/2021
When considering lifestyle related chronic health issues, both individual and social
responsibility of health play a role. Approaching chronic health issues from a public health
standpoint requires the understanding of individual and social health responsibility on a case-to-
case basis. The environment in which a person lives and develops an illness plays a significant
role in treatment and recovery. Often, the most effective interventions are those that create
change in the environment (Brownell, 2010). It is more effective to eliminate common risk
factors early and to avoid exposure than it is to treat the consequential illness (Brownell, 2010).
However, it is often the view point that people who develop chronic health issues (such as
obesity), are at fault due to lacking self-discipline, hard work, and determination (Brownell,
2010). This individualistic viewpoint disregards the interaction between people and their
environments. Even in the consideration of individual health responsibilities, ignoring external
influences is not an option as paternalistic interference alters a person’s health choices (e.g.,
through sin taxes and the Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act), often preventing
them from doing what they would do otherwise (Buchanan, 2002).
Public health officials must understand community and individual status so that a trusting
relationship can be formed, and the promotion of helpful policy interventions can be achieved.
Appropriate interventions and treatment options can only be suggested and applied to individuals
and communities once environmental factors have been accounted for. There is a complex
interaction between personal and social responsibilities of health that consider paternalistic
interventions and victim blaming, disregarding social inequalities and health disparities. It is the
duty of public health workers to understand the complexity of internal and external environments
and the role they play on personal and social responsibilities of health. Only then can the most
effective individual and community interventions can be applied.

Juliette Hill
HSC6603
09/16/2021
References
Brownell, K. D., Kersh, R., Ludwig, D. S., Post, R. C., Puhl, R. M., Schwartz, M. B., & Willett,
W. C. (2010). Personal responsibility and obesity: A constructive approach to a
controversial issue. Health Affairs (29)3, 379-387. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2009.0739
Buchanan, D. R. (2008). Autonomy, paternalism, and justice: Ethical priorities in public health.
American Journal of Public Health (98)1, 15-21. doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2007.110361
Edberg, M. (2020). Essentials of Health Behavior Social and Behavioral Theory in Public
Health. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Wikler, D. (2002). Social and personal responsibility for health. Ethics & International Affairs
(16)2, 47-55. Doi:10.1111/j.1747-7093.2002.tb00396.x

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Juliette Hill

Personal and Social Responsibilities of Health

and social responsibilities of health that we act upon every day.

Although individuals choose to engage in and adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors,

paternalistic interventions may obstruct individual autonomy, preventing the adoption of

Although individuals make choices that reflect personal responsibilities of health,

environments. Even in the consideration of individual health responsibilities, ignoring external

them from doing what they would do otherwise (Buchanan, 2002).

effective individual and community interventions can be applied.

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