Observations on Public Health in Berlin

In learning about Global Public Health, I have learned a lot about the importance of observing the social and cultural norms of a group in order to understand why they are afflicted by various ailments.

The aspects of German culture that I think could contribute negatively to health is the heavy smoking and drinking here. I notice hundreds of people smoking every day and have been asked for a cigarette multiple times on the street. Additionally, youth my age smoke, which means many years of building up tar in the lungs. Many people here also drink openly on the street, which contributes to the many beer bellies I see as I travel the city.

On the other hands, I see the Germans walk and bike frequently, and it is a wonder they have the endurance to do so considering how their lungs must be damaged. This healthy mode of transportation is a benefit, as well as the seemingly healthy diet the Germans consume- I have observed portion sizes here to be much smaller than American sizes that push you to overeat. As well, I have barely seen any obese Germans.

The above factors contribute to NCDs, but as far as Non-communicable Diseases go, I was shocked to notice that the Germans do not often cover their faces when they cough or sneeze, even if it means coughing right on me in a packed subway car. I assumed since this is done in America and is a common courtesy, it would be the same in Germany. The Germans are definitely exposed to more germs this way, and this could be good for their immune systems to build up antibodies, but is a bad practice especially during times of disease outbreak.