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Health Products and Services
Health-related products and services help you maintain and improve your health. Products and services promote health through:
- prevention
- diagnosis and treatments
- cure for diseases
- recovery and rehabilitation from injury and illnesses
- mental health assistance
It is important to ask for the health care services for your particular needs
Accessing Health Care Services
Identifying signs and symptoms of mental health issues and other health-related problems enables you to recognize when you need help.
You can take responsibility to gain access to the health care services you may need. The previous lesson provided information about resource people in the home, school and community who can help you get the care you need.
Accessing Mental Health Care Services
Mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts affect many young people.
Look at the list of signs indicating a person needs to ask for help in Finding Help: When to Get It and Where to Go. Read the message below the title to better understand that mental health problems are common and treatable.
Health Care Services
- Dental
- Substance Abuse
- Physical Therapy
- Nutrition
- Pharmaceutical
- Mental Health
- Prenatal Vision
- Laboratory and Screenings
- Preventative Care
Health-Related Advertising
Everyone wants to look and feel great. Advertising companies know this. The goal of advertising is to reach people and convince them to buy their products.
Advertising influences decisions and behaviors. It can be easy to fall victim to becoming an impulse buyer buy on a sudden whim or impulse . This is why it is important to train ourselves to be wise and informed consumers purchaser, buyer, shopper .
Evaluating Advertising
Advertising messages are communicated through mass media (such as television, radio, and billboards), small media (such as brochures or posters), and social media (such as Facebook, Twitter, and blogs).
More purchases are being made online now than ever before. Even medicines and other health-related products are available by simply clicking on your computer.
It is important to evaluate the validity of products and the claims advertisements make, regardless of where you shop.
Evaluating Health and Fitness Claims
According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), “Americans spend billions of dollars every year on supplements, foods and devices in hopes of improving their health and fitness. But not all of these products live up to the advertising claims that they can help people lose weight, combat disease, and improve their cognitive thinking, reasoning abilities. The Federal Trade Commission combats this type of deceptive advertising in coordination with the Food and Drug Administration.” (Source: FTC, Truth in Advertising)
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determines if the health claims a company makes regarding their product are valid. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) assesses advertisements to help protect us from fake or deceptive claims. Both federal agencies work to protect us but they are not able to keep up with the number of products put on the market each day. That is why it is important for you to do your own evaluation of a product.
Evaluating Products
When you evaluate the validity of a product, you look to see if it does what is claimed. Is it healthy? Is it of value to us? You may need to be skeptical of an over-the-counter product that claims to cure a disease like cancer. Seek medical advice for the treatment of any disease. Don’t fall for a miracle cure.
Sometimes we get excited about a product because all our friends are using it and talking about it. What one person values may be of no value to another person. For example, hair products that work well may be of no value to a bald person. If you don’t have acne, do you need acne medicine?
Questions for Evaluating Products
Consider a few points when evaluating products:
- Does the product do what it claims?
- Is it a healthy choice or will it harm my health?
- Do I need this product?
- How do the cost and quality compare to similar products?
Look at the examples in the following section for help comparing products.
Comparing Products
Click on the following product types to learn more about comparing products and evaluating advertising claims:
Shopping Wisely and Safely
Tips for wise and safe shopping:
- Research online sites to be sure they are legitimate before buying.
- Know company return policies.
- Be smart. If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.
For more online shopping tips, go to Shopping and Paying Safely Online.
Whether shopping online or offline, you demonstrate responsibility for enhancing your health by evaluating the validity and credibility of health products and services.