Public health: Obesity - Essay Example

?Public Health: Obesity This paper seeks to define and identify obesity as a major public health problem in the UK as it has reached an epidemic proportion in the country, affecting a large number of the population, including women and children. It will also explain the significance of this problem and its overall on public health in the country. The paper, further, will contain relevant statistics relating to the issue and examine different trends that concern this public health problem. It will also analyze the factors that contribute to the problem, the segments of population that are affected by the problem and assess its impact on the community. Finally, the paper will evaluate the current programmes that have been implemented to counter the problem and assess their success. Besides it will also endorse relevant recommendations relating to the programmes and how they can be made effective in checking the problem. Health is one of the most significant concerns in human life and, therefore, all nations accord priority to this aspect of their citizens. The UK’s Faculty of Public Health defines public health as the “science and art of promoting and protecting health and wellbeing, preventing ill-health and prolonging life through the organized efforts of society” (What is Public Health, 2010). The concept of health cannot be merely considered as an individual’s onus but the public as well as state has a crucial role in sharing the collective responsibility for ensuring health and preventing diseases within the society. Therefore, every person needs to appreciate the significance of maintaining health of all individuals and preventing the occurrence of diseases within the community. Similarly, the governments of nations also need to acknowledge their responsibility in this regard and take all necessary steps for providing a disease free environment to their citizens. Obesity is a problem that has affected a large number of people, including women and children in the UK. Obesity can be understood as a serious “disorder” that occurs from the accumulation of “excess body fat” to an extent that can adversely affect health (Waumsley, 2011). Body fatness is usually measured in terms of Body Mass Index (BMI) and it is calculated as “weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in metres” (Waumsley, 2011). The concept of public health evolves from the premise of preventive healthcare strategy for the entire community rather than curative healthcare to individuals. While healthcare plans and programmes are oriented towards individual patients, public health measures focus on the community as a whole and will, therefore, fetch benefits for a larger chunk of the society. This will also help in preventing the occurrence and spread of diseases and, therefore, is a more result oriented measure than curative treatment for individuals. In his article titled, “Public Health is More Important than Health Care,” Larry Gordon emphasises the need for political leaders to appreciate the fact that public health programmes have fetched more results and will continue to do so to “improve the status of the nation’s health than all the healthcare measures combined” (Gordon, 1993). The author also finds that health care receives better funding whereas public health programmes do not receive adequate funds and also the “national healthcare reform efforts are being designed to contain healthcare costs and improve access to health care – not public health” (Gordon, 1993). Thus, it becomes evident that concerned authorities need to recognise the significance of public health for maintaining and enhancing the quality of life and environment of the public in general. A public health problem can be perceived as any disease that affects a larger segment of the population, which requires the concerted efforts of the society for its prevention. The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that around “six billion” of the world population are overweight, out of which “300 million” are obese (The Obesity Epidemic, 2010). Obesity is one such problem that affects a large number of people and its prevention has to be considered from the point of view of the community, it becomes a public health problem rather than the problem of individual citizens. The UK government has, therefore, recognized the menace of “obesity epidemic” as a public health problem and introduced certain regulations relating to “food products” by banning some food from schools as well as organizing “public awareness campaigns” (The Obesity Epidemic, 2010). Obesity is a health problem that occurs due to the physiological conditions of people and the life styles they follow. In the modern day, the standard of living has become quite high and people enjoy a lot of comforts, which reduces their physical activity. Besides, the eating styles also have changed considerably which further aggravates the problem. Thus, obesity is likely to affect a major part of the population within any society and thus it is a public health issue. In this context, research evidence suggests that a s majority of England’s population, which accounts for a staggering “61%” is “either overweight or obese” and the problem persists in children also with “one third of 10-11 years and almost quarter of 4-5 years” suffering from this epidemic (Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Call to Action on Obesity in England, 2011). This data indicates that obesity is a matter of grave concern that affects a large share of England’s population and it deserves immediate attention as a significant public health issue. Evidence further suggests that if this trend continues, by 2050, “60% of men, 50% of women and 25% of children” will become obese (Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Call to Action on Obesity in England, 2011). At this scale, this problem can have serious impacts on the entire population of UK as well as the future generations. The main issue is that obesity is not merely a problem of appearance but rather a serious hazard that entails serious repercussions on the health of people as well as the economy of the nation. This disease can become a root cause for several health problems in individuals, such as diabetes, cancer of the colon, blood pressure, heart diseases as well as cause strokes, apart from a host of other diseases. Besides, obesity also causes mental problems for people. Those who suffer from this disease feel low self esteem, resulting in the development of inferiority complex and depression. People rather tend to attach stigma to those who are obese and this may generate in them a sense of isolation from the society. In addition, obese people are found to be less active with family, which may sometimes cause relationship problems. Evidence further suggests that obesity is found to be higher in the case of “people with learning difficulties and those with mental health problems” (Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Call to Action on Obesity in England, 2011. Besides, obesity can be highly risky for pregnant women and it may even entail in miscarriage. Research findings also indicate that while caesarean section is “higher” breastfeeding is “lower” in obese women, which may become reasons for complications in them (Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Call to Action on Obesity in England, 2011). Obesity can also have far reaching consequences on children, which will affect their studies and future career. A 2009 study finds that mothers who are obese are “ten times more likely” to have obese daughter than women who have a healthy body weight (Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Call to Action on Obesity in England, 2011). Thus, it transpires that obesity has serious impacts not only on individuals and families along but also on the community as a whole. This, in turn, places a hefty burden on the National Health Services (NHS). Statistics show that the NHS has to sustain a whopping fiscal onus of “?4.2bn in 2007” for tackling the overweight problem and the cost is expected to increase to “?6.4bn in 2015” (Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Call to Action on Obesity in England, 2011). Thus, it becomes evident that the problem of obesity has significant and wide-ranging impacts on the “wider society and the economy” (Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Call to Action on Obesity in England, 2011). In addition, obesity has a negative impact on employers also as they have to encounter the problems of “absentee workers, decreased productivity and short term disability” (Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Call to Action on Obesity in England, 2011). Thus, overall, it can be construed that the problem of obesity, which is a public health issue, causes serious negative impacts on the nation’s prosperity. Therefore, in order to understand the problem in its correct perspective and to realize its seriousness, it becomes necessary to evaluate the statistical data available on obesity. The Health Survey of England (2009) and National Child Measurement Programme 2009-10 by the NHS Information Centre find the following data: - (Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Call to Action on Obesity in England, 2011). From the above data it can be evidenced that the rate of prevalence of obesity is quite alarming both in case of adults as well as children. At this rate, if the situation is not paid immediate attention, the problem may evolve into an insurmountable challenge. It is also to be noted that the negative impacts of the disease not only affect the individuals and families but also have far reaching consequences on the nation’s economy. Thus, all concerned need to consider this as a top priority public health issue and take remedial measures accordingly. However, an examination of the following data will reveal that the problem is finally beginning to show a decreasing trend as reflected below: - (Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Call to Action on Obesity in England, 2011). The above data reveals that obesity has become a major public health problem in the UK ever since 1993. The rate of affected people has kept steadily increasing over the years till 2006. From then on, the trend has shown marginal fluctuation both ways. This indicates that people are becoming conscious of the problem and adopting preventive measures. Finally, in the case of males it has remained slightly below 25% for the years 2006, 2007 and 2008. However, it has declined marginally in the case of males and somewhat considerably in the case of females in the year 2009. This suggests that the preventive measures that the government has implemented have begun to take effect. Thus, if the public and health authorities vigorously pursue the matter, they will be able to gain considerable mileage in containing the problem. In order to effectively control the disease, one has to clearly understand various factors in human life that contribute to obesity. It usually occurs when a person’s energy consumption far exceeds his or her level of energy exhaustion and research evidence also suggests that a “complex interaction of contributory mechanisms” causes obesity (Waumsley, 2011). The life style of people, the food they eat, the level of physical activity they involve in etc are also decisive factors that influence the occurrence of obesity in people. In the modern world, the standard of life of humans in general has improved considerably. People have many choices in terms of physical comforts and entertainments apart from gadgets that render hard work easy. Thus, they have become sedentary, avoiding physical movements and exertion. In this scenario people rather go by car instead of walking even to shorter distances. The wide range of entertainment in media like TV and internet further encourages them to spend long hours glued to the computer screen or on the couch, watching TV. Besides, the eating styles of people have also undergone considerable changes in the present day. Most of the people are consuming “energy dense food” and “fast food” which contribute to obesity (Management of Obesity: A National Clinical Guideline, 2010). Problems like Binge Eating Disorder (BED) also play a crucial role in causing obesity as evidence suggests that “people with BED are heavier” (Management of Obesity: A National Clinical Guideline, 2010). The problem becomes aggravated with the lack of exercise or other physical activities. Similarly, while all segments of the UK population remains affected with obesity, the primary concern is that it is rampant among children. It needs no reiteration that children are the future of every country and paying attention to their health and well being is not merely the responsibility of parents but also the national as well as local authorities. In this context, Prof Nanette Mutrie FBASES, Professor of Exercise and Sports Psychology, University of Strathclyde contends that “obesity prevention remains a priority for all UK home countries” and, therefore, everyone needs to acknowledge the significance of children being active (Tackling Childhood Obesity Whose Responsibility Is It? 2011). It is also a significant concern that obesity can cause miscarriage and thus pregnant women need to be extra cautious about this problem. Obesity affects all types of people irrespective of race, ethnicity, gender, age or social status. Thus, this public health problem needs to be viewed as a national problem and not as an individual concern and, thus, concerted efforts are required for eliminating this problem from the society. Thus, through various evidences examined during the course of this study, it has emerged that the problem of obesity occurs due natural causes of human behaviour rather than due to the action by an external force. Thus, in order to control the problem, people will have to modulate their behaviour in such a manner as to fit into the context of their health. Therefore, in order to contain the problem of obesity, the UK government has implemented various programmes that are diet, activity and segment based, to encourage people to “achieve and maintain a healthy weight” and to prevent obesity (Obesity, 2006). In addition, clinical programmes have also been designed for the treatment of obesity. From the declining trend of the percentage of obesity affected individuals across all populations, it can be construed that various programmes being implemented by the UK government are effective in countering this public health issue to a great extent. However, the government and other local authorities also will have to make more active initiatives to ensure that healthy behaviour is adopted by all members of the community to completely eradicate this epidemic. The paper on Childhood Obesity in London, published by the Greater London Authority, identifies insufficiency of physical activities, lack of adjustment with “cultural sensitivities” and lack of adequate “engagement with target audiences” etc as some of the reasons for the ineffectiveness of the programmes being implemented (Childhood Obesity in London, 2011). Thus, the authorities concerned must recognize these deficiencies and take suitable measures to fill such gaps so as to gain effectiveness to such programmes. There is no doubt that the responsibility for healthy eating and physical exercises “lies with the individual” but one cannot deny the role of governmental, voluntary and private organizations in this regard (A Fitter Future for All: Consultation Report, 2011). This is especially so because the problem of obesity entails a lot of cost to the government and it also affects the productivity of the human resources in the country. The government has adopted further measures such as banning unfit food from schools, encouraging physical activities etc. However, these efforts have been only able to gain marginal benefits in terms of reducing the rates of obesity across the population. Therefore, it appears that more policies, directed at achieving specific results in each area need to be adopted for achieving significant results. The government can also implement more stringent regulations on food and ban food items that are considered as having higher fat or sugar content that can induce body weight or obesity. Similarly, the government also needs to provide more liberal funding to schools for encouraging physical activity among children and younger adults in colleges. The minimum physical measurements are standard requirements in military and police forces in many nations in the world. Similarly, the UK government may also implement a policy where people beyond a certain body weight may not be accepted for jobs. Private organizations may also be encouraged to adopt this practice so that people will be made to take the problem of obesity more seriously. Musingarimi (2008) finds that the UK government’s intervention for obesity has mainly remained focused on three policies: school based (healthy school schemes, school meals, limiting access to junk foods and physical education), workplace based and the health sector based. The main focus of the strategies has remained on preventing childhood obesity authorities expect that “obesity in adulthood would be prevented” (Musingarimi 2008). However, the policies have not been completely effective due to people’s “resistance to dietary changes and inadequate data to monitor the target that have been set” and the unwillingness of authorities “to regulate and legislate as necessary on the food supply chain” (Musingarimi, 2008). Therefore, policy makers need to consider these aspects while framing regulations in the future especially in the context of implementing stringer policies relating to food and beverages. Besides, adulthood obesity also requires to be tackled as this segment remains considerably affected by the problem. While the policies in workplace setting can help address the problems for who are in the blue and white collar categories, such measures are inadequate to deal with the issues of economically and socially backward people. Thus, while the policies of the government have been successful to a certain extent in addressing the issues of specific segments, it still lacks effectiveness in dealing with the problem for some other segments. Therefore, an ideal approach for the future needs to focus on orient towards people who are less educated, by creating awareness in them about the issue as well as encouraging community based policies so that the benefits reach to all types of people within the society. Thus, it transpires that obesity remains a major public health problem that UK confronts in the present day. All segments of the population, including children, women and the old aged are suffering from this epidemic. Besides, the authorities also need to take cognizance of the fact that current policies must address the problem at all levels of the society including the socially and economically backward people also. Therefore, the national government as well as the local authorities need to acknowledge obesity as a public health problem and take remedial measures to eradicate this menace in the context of all segments of the society. While the efforts of the UK government reflects in the decrease in the instances of obesity in recent days in certain sections of the society, a want remains in the case of socially and economically backward people. It also appears that despite the campaigns and propagandas, people still fail to understand the impact of obesity in its entirety and, therefore, the health authorities and government need to devise more innovative strategies to enhance the awareness of people. It will also be advisable for the government to devise and implement policies that regulate food sales and ban high fat content food from being sold in the market. From the progress that the efforts seem to have achieved in the recent years, it transpires that more concerted efforts with a focus on identifying and addressing the root problems as mentioned above, the country may be able to effectively combat this menace and eradicate in the near future. References A Fitter Future for All: Consultation Report. 2011. Available at [Accessed on 03 January 2013]. Childhood Obesity in London. 2011. Greater London Authority. Available at [Accessed 03 January 2013]. Gordon, L. 1993. Public Health is More Important than Health Care. Idaho Public Health Association. Available at [Accessed on 03 January 2013]. Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Call to Action on Obesity in England. 2011. HM Government. Available at [Accessed on 03 January 2013] Management of Obesity: A National Clinical Guideline. 2010. Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network. Available at < http://www.sign.ac.uk/pdf/sign115.pdf> [Accessed on 03 January 2013] Musingarimi, Primrose. 2008. Obesity in the UK: A Review and Comparative Analysis of Policies within the Devolved Regions. The International Longevity Centre – UK. Available at [Accessed 30 January 2013]. Obesity: Guidance on the Prevention, Identification, Assessment and Management of Overweight and Obesity in Adults and Children. 2006. 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