Preliminarily, it is worth noting that, in all three websites, there is an emphasis on the importance of dieting and physical activity in reducing diseases such as cancer, diabetes, stroke, depression, high blood pressure, and other cardiovascular diseases. Even though these websites show that these diseases are usually prevalent among adults, the writers go ahead to state that poor physical activities and dieting habits also have devastating effects on the children.
However, the focus of the discussion in this paper is not on the content of these articles but rather on the helpful website tools used in these sites to ensure that the intended information gets to the targeted public. A succinct explanation of these website tools is briefly given below.
WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health
To begin with, on this website, the administrators have customized it such that the article can be accessed in different languages such as English, French, Spanish, and Chinese, among other languages. These languages make the article easily accessible to people from various languages without having to necessarily use special software for interpretation purposes.
Another important tool in this website is the presence of several supporting news articles, information sheets, publications, and applications as well as resources on chronic diseases related to the lack of physical activities. Examples of such resources include 10 facts about obesity and 10 facts about physical activity ((WHO, 2012). Finally, the presence of the simple and advanced search buttons, clear contact information, and a section for viewing frequently asked questions make it easy for readers to gain insightful information from the website.
CDC – Physical Activity
Among the three websites, this site has the best tools. On top of the clear-cut contact information, publications, and articles to support the main article and viable links to other relevant information, the website has provisions for its users to access the main article in different formats such as PDF, DOC, PPT, and MPEG. Also, there is an option for printing the article. These tools are very convenient, especially for people who would like to download the information and access it later in a different format instead of logging into the website every time information is required.
Another important tool is that of getting email updates on the main article. For people who would like to make follow-ups on the article, this option comes in quite handy. Finally, the information on this site is cataloged alphabetically, together with current statistics regarding physical activity in adults and children. It makes it easy for readers to get required data and statistics on the nature of physical activity not just in the USA alone but in other parts of the world, as well (CDC, 2010).
Healthy People 2020 – Physical Activity
In terms of the available tools, this site is hugely similar to the second website. Some of the similar tools include the option for getting email updates, the search box, clear contact information, the print option, and the links to other relevant information. Also, resources and applications on chronic diseases that result from a lack of physical activity are given in this article. Examples of the diseases, given in this site include cancer, diabetes, and stroke, among many others (HealthyPeople.gov, 2012). Over recent times, the use of social sites in the medical world is very effective in ensuring that information is easily accessible (Abdi, 2001, pp. 5-10). Its use in this website is, therefore, a great plus for the site developers.
References
Abidi, S. S. R. (2001). Knowledge management in healthcare: towards ‘knowledge-driven’ decision-support services. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 63(1-2), 5-18.
CDC. (2010). Physical activity. Web.
HealthyPeople.gov. (2012). Physical activity. Web.
WHO. (2012). Global strategy on diet, physical activity and health—diet and physical activity: a public health priority. Web.