Obesity and Health Promotion - Essay Example

? Project Proposal: Obesity and Health Promotion Number) Project Proposal: Obesity and Health Promotion Introduction and Rationale Obesity is defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or more. Obesity is a major risk factor for acquiring cardiovascular disease. It also increases a person’s risks for developing other diseases like diabetes, osteoarthritis, gallbladder diseases, respiratory problems and some cancers like colon, breast and endometrial cancer (Obesity Action Coalition, 2011). According to the World Health Organization (2005) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2009), obesity has become a massive epidemic and a very severe public health concern. Obesity contributes to 2.6 million fatalities globally every year. During 1999 to 2002, 65.1 percent of adults, at least 20 years of age, were considered overweight and 30.4 percent were considered obese. Among children between 6-19 years old, 31.0 percent were regarded as overweight and 16.0 percent were deemed obese (Hedley, Ogden, Johnson, Carroll, Curtin & Flegal, 2004). Obesity significantly decreases life expectancy thus increasing the risk for morbidity and mortality. Also, it considerably increased health care costs in the last two decades (Wang & Dietz, 2002). As stated by Ward-Smith (2010), the U.S economy’s expenditure reached an estimated $117 billion and $61 billion were directed at medical costs. This increased occurrence of obesity is said to be due to urbanization which caused societal changes like frequent consumption of fast-food meals, feasting on oversized portions at home and in restaurants, ingestion of high-calorie foods, like high-fat, low-fiber foods, and increase intake of sweetened beverages (Raj & Kumar, 2010) . Also, developing countries have exponentially grown a habit of television viewing and other sedentary activities (Robinson, 1999). Automobile-oriented and automated environment also promoted a low level of physical activity (Epstein & Saelens, 2000). Aims and Objectives The immediate aim is to lower the rate of weight gain which will be done by maintaining a specified weight appropriate for the age and height of the individual, therefore improving the person’s BMI. The objective is to develop a better quality of life for the people involved. Another objective is to reduce the morbidity and mortality rate involving associated with obesity. Global scope of this project is another objective; if possible, legislative change should be done to fully achieve this goal. Outline of Project and Ethical Considerations The target group of this report is the obese people in the university. The booklet (Appendix A) and leaflets (Appendix B) used are from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Obesity Action Coalition. The author believes that for change to fully be achieved in a global setting, change has to start first in the immediate surrounding. However, if possible, this may be applied to any obese person to completely achieve the globalization of this initiative. The initial action should be to educate the people about obesity, its causes, the risk of being obese and most importantly how to handle it. What is obesity? Obesity is a disease that it described by having excess body fat. An indicator for this is the Body Mass Index (BMI). This is measured by dividing the person’s weight in kilograms with the height in meters squared. This can also be seen in the BMI Chart (Appendix C). A person with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 is classified as overweight. A BMI of 30 above is considered obese. What causes this? 1. Behavior 2. Environment 3. Genetics What is the health risks related to obesity? 1. Diabetes 2. Gallbladder disease 3. Cardiovascular diseases like Stroke, Coronary Heart Disease, Hypertension, etc. 4. Cancers like colon, breast and endometrial cancer 5. Osteoarthritis 6. Respiratory problems like sleep apnea, breathlessness, etc. How to handle obesity? 1. Behavior modification 2. Physical activity 3. Pharmacologic 4. Surgery for the morbidly obese After educating the people on obesity, the next step is to inform them of the specifics of healthy eating and choosing the right physical activity to do. Educating them on specific topics like food groups, low-fat, low-calorie alternatives, food shopping, food preparations, etc. will help them see that fighting obesity can be done with discipline and support. Food Groups Healthy eating means including foods from the different food groups. It is low in trans fat, saturated fat, salt, cholesterol and added sugars. It contains enough calories to give to the person the energy needed but not too much to gain weight. Portion size is also important to avoid sudden weight gain. Attention should be given to these food groups: grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, meat and beans and oils. Reading food labels is also important to monitor your daily calorie intake. Look at fat and calorie content, available nutrients, product serving size, etc. Food preparation is also important in maintaining a healthy weight. Avoid adding butter or other added fats Cooking methods that have a tendency to lower fat: baking, broiling, microwave, roasting (chicken without skin and vegetables), steaming, grilling (chicken, seafood, vegetables) Use low-fat flavorings like herbs, spices, mustard, ketchup, lemon or lime juice, vinegar, fresh ginger, pepper flakes, sprinkle of parmesan cheese, and jelly or fruit reserves. Here are other particular tips in choosing healthy: Breakfast: fresh fruit, small glass of citrus juice, whole grain bread, whole grain cereal, egg white omelette, multigrain, pancakes, fat-free yogurt Beverages: water with lemon, non-caloric sparkling water, juice spritzer ( ? fruit juice ? sparkling water), iced tea, tomato juice Bread: most bread is low in calories and fat however loading on bread in addition to a meal with result in additional unwanted calories. Also, adding butter, margarine or olive oil to the bread increases the calories Appetizers: steamed seafood, melon or fresh fruit, bean soups, salad with lemon juice or vinegar Entree: pasta with red sauce or vegetables, limit the amount of butter, vinegar or salt Salad: fresh greens, fresh vegetables, skip non-vegetable choices, choose low-calorie, low-fat dressing Side dish: vegetable and starches are good addition to meals and can be combined for a low-calorie alternative, ask for side dish without margarine or butter, use mustard, salsa or low-fat yogurt instead of butter and sour cream Dessert or Coffee: fresh fruit, fat-free frozen yogurt, fruit sorbet, share a dessert, use low-fat milk for coffee After the topic on healthy foods, the next topic to discuss is physical activity. Physical activity lowers the risk for certain heart diseases and diabetes aside from the fact of losing weight. For overall health and decreased risk of diseases: at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity for most of the week To prevent weight gain and manage body weight: 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity To maintain weight loss: 60-90 minutes of daily to moderate physical activity Fit activities into daily schedule Choose activities that are both active and fun Choose activities appropriate for you age and health condition Health promotions for obesity usually use community-based interventions like wellness plans, social marketing campaigns, etc. However, most of these focus on individual behavioural change such as healthy eating, physical activity, desirability of having a healthy body, stress and lack of sleep. Little evidence is seen to prove the effectiveness of these approaches. These approaches on individual behaviour change are more appropriate for children with obesity since their behavior is modified easily than in adults. Also, media is a big factor since they advertise that being thin is more desirable to the public rather than pointing out the harmful causes of obesity. In line with this, stigma is developed against overweight or obese people making them more prone to eat more since this may lead to low self-esteem, depression, isolation, etc. Since the benefits and harm of social marketing campaigns are uncertain, another type of approach should be utilized. Instead of focusing on the unattractiveness of obesity, the approach should be about the health benefits of eating healthy and having increased physical activity. Also, involvement of the government sector is greatly needed for this initiative to be entirely propagated and achieved. The food and beverage industry should also be included in this initiative since they are the one’s promoting some of the unhealthy choices for the public. Another approach is to grant incentives for increased physical activities and healthy eating. This will affect the food and beverage industry’s ability to encourage the public on unhealthy intake. Adopting this healthy eating habits and increased level of physical activity will help this population-wide initiative to succeed against the incidence of activities. Also, a priority on developing evidence for regulatory reform is vital. Further research is also needed to improve the already existing approaches and options. As stated by Walls, Peeters, Proietto and McNeil (2011, p. 1471), “A more appropriate strategy would be to enact high-level policy and legislative changes to alter the obesogenic environments in which we live by providing incentives for healthy eating and increased levels of physical activity. Research is also needed to improve treatments available for individuals already obese.” Appendix Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2009). Behavioral risk factor surveillance system. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/brfss/ Epstein, L.H. & Saelens, B.E. (2000). Behavioral economics of obesity: food intake and energy expenditure. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Hedley, A.A., Ogden, C.L., Johnson, C.L., Carroll, M.D., Curtin, L.R. & Flegal, K.M. (2004). Prevalence of overweight and obesity among US children, adolescents, and adults, Journal of the American Medical Association, 291, 2847-50. Obesity Action Coalition, (2011), All About Obesity. Retrieved from http://www.obesityaction.org/aboutobesity/obesity/obesity.php. Raj, M. & Kumar, K. (2010). Obesity in children and adults. Indian Journal of Medical Research, 132, 598-607. Robinson, T.N. (1999). Reducing children's television viewing to prevent obesity: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Medical Association. 282, 1561-7. Walls, H., Peeters, A., Proietto, J. & McNeil, J. (2011). Public health campaigns and obesity - a critique. BMC Public Health, 11(136), 1471-2458. Wang, G. & Dietz, W.H. (2002). Economic burden of obesity in youths aged 6 to 17 years. Pediatrics. 09, E81-1. Ward-Smith, P. (2010). Obesity – America’s Health Crisis. Urologic Nursing, 30(4), 242-245. World Health Organization. (2005) Preventing chronic diseases: A vital investment. World Global Report. Geneva: World Health Organization. Read More