As a health professional, you will have some responsibility to tackle the many social problems, societal level conditions that harm segments of society, that exist in the U.S. by engaging in public health measures to prevent disease, promote health, and prolong life among the population as a whole. For example, through educating your patients about diet and exercise you will be addressing the problem of obesity. Over one-third of adults are obese and one in five school-aged children are obese. For the first time in history, children born today have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. Obesity is indeed a social problem that harms a large segment of our population. In addition, when you see patients, you will not only examine the patient to determine the cause of an illness, such as infection, but also the social and physical environments that increase the risk for the infection. By not addressing the psychosocial conditions, the patient may return to your office repeatedly because the root of the problem was not addressed. Another societal social problem is the increase in mental illness. From a sociological perspective, this increase is not solely due to individual issues, but due to societal determinants related to social, physical, and economic environments. Social inequality is associated with many common mental disorders. Specifically, poorer mental health is found among women and those who report weak social support. A basic understanding of these demographic risk factors may help you to detect underlying issues that will benefit your patients. There is some truth to the adage, “When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” When you utilize the sociological perspective and sociological imagination, you will begin to view your patients in a whole new light.