Final answer:
Public health problems tend to distress individuals, impacting their mental health and overall well-being which hampers economic productivity and contributes to social instability.
Step-by-step explanation:
Public health problems in developed nations, such as the United States, often lead to various negative impacts on individuals and communities. Public health challenges, like the rise of noninfectious diseases due to sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy eating, have been shown to distress people rather than make them less intelligent, likeable, or productive. For example, the societal burden of conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and obesity can reduce people's ability to work consistently and maintain employment, thereby hindering economic productivity and contributing to social and political instability.
Additionally, psychological issues related to public health crises can exacerbate the problem. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for instance, increased social isolation and economic insecurity led to adverse mental health outcomes such as depression, potentially compounding public health problems.
Thus, public health problems tend to make people distressed (B), as it affects their mental health and overall well-being in various settings, from individual to societal levels.