The Public Health Approach to Combating Childhood Obesity - Essay Example

?Health Threats to Children: Fighting Childhood Obesity Childhood obesity is an epidemic that is continuing to threaten and spread throughout the UK.The concern with childhood obesity is now turning into an epidemic within the UK because of the large increase that is associated with the problem. A current survey from 2007 from the Department of Health noted that an average of one out of 10 children were obese with increased numbers of obese children to lead to 25% of children being obese by the year 2050. This will lead to an increase in health care costs to 4.2 billion per year specifically for obesity. The programs which are implemented and the different concepts associated with this relate directly to expectations to change the levels of health that are required. To further this, there is the need to develop alternatives for a healthy life and perspectives for children and families to alter the way in which obesity is approached in the UK. Policy development for children that are obese in the UK is dependent first on the ability to offer education and programs that begin to reverse the approaches taken by families and those that are facing the problems of obesity. The Public Health Approach The current stand with public health and practice has led to a variety of initiatives with policies and developmental programs for childhood obesity. A variety of programs have been implemented to begin to alter the educational development and family approaches to those who are interested in the public health practice. Change 4 Life is based on the promotion of healthy weight, specifically for children. To further this, convenience stores that offer healthier foods and options for eating for families is available. The approach is to offer fruits and vegetables which may not have been accessible to children and families. These are available at a lower cost so every family has the right to afford the available options. The National Child Measurement Programme is another initiative that is a part of the height and weight of children, specifically to offer direction about a child’s health to parents. The educational programs which follow this are developed with advertising and marketing of food to children, the obesity learning center and the Childhood Obesity National Support Team. These are all focused on providing education to families and intervention programs that would alter the developments and approaches to assist children who are facing obesity. While there are several prevention programs that are available for children and families facing obesity, there are still policies which can be implemented to alter the way in which families focus on food for children. A new policy to be implemented for children and families is based on offering practical tools within the health community for healthier foods, specifically inclusive of the Change 4 Life program being used. The policy will make it mandatory for food companies to show the level of health with food offered in stores. The healthier foods that are rated will not have the right to have a higher pricing because of the rating or because of the health level. The rating system will be from 1 to 5 and will be placed on the front of the food item, specifically to determine the health level that is created. This health level will be based on ingredients that are in the food, nutrients that are placed with this and an analysis given by the Department of Health with the ratings that are given. By doing this, families can make health conscious choices for children while having a practical method of finding the foods that fit with specific needs. This may be furthered with the policy implementing and directing health programs for children that provide the necessary amount of activity for children. By giving direct associations with the activities and food, families will have the ability to make wiser choices to assist children with growth and development. The approach taken for the policy is based on the public health and approaches which are taken toward those that are informed about specific concepts. It has been found that when communities are involved in decision making, it is easier to offer education and intervention programs for everyone involved. The program – planning frameworks that are associated with this are based on the ability to evaluate, involve and react with what is occurring. The approaches taken include presenting the context in the correct manner toward the health issue and identifying economic evaluations that are a part of the practice. Furthering this with interventions, programs and other components provide even more opportunities while ensuring that there are more options for those in public health. The response with education and intervention, as well as community participation, can then create the necessary trends and development with combating against childhood obesity while finding new solutions for the growing demands that are needed for the health basis. Closing the Gaps with Childhood Obesity The approach taken with the action plan and required policy will first develop with the necessary research and surveillance of approaching the desired concept. This will be furthered with understanding the practice and evaluation that is associated with the necessary prevention. The integration that is a part of this is one which develops specifically with the ability to evaluate specific needs, survey the requirements of the community and creating direct responses with the concern of childhood obesity. The action plan can be furthered with continuous evaluation and changes in the strategy, specifically to create different needs for the prevention. Understanding how to alter and allow the policy to progress can then help with the development of the system and the policies which require new actions and practical interchanges to assist with healthier approaches for children that are facing obesity. The one area which is required for the learning needs is based on the risk communication which is associated with the need for facing childhood obesity. The risk communication is developed specifically with the belief that the policy is implemented from those who are facing the problems which childhood obesity. The responses from parents, the community and from children need to be approached with the right communication. The risk of not presenting this in the correct manner may create complexities in terms of family responsibility, caring for children and the other factors which are based on the lack of understanding about the problem. The intervention programs as well as educational approaches need to be approached with low risk communication and development that is a part of the public policy. By doing this, there is the ability to create and develop a different approach from the inequalities that are developed and which are continuing to influence the needs of the community. How to Change the Future of Health for Children The development of the policy is furthered with the current levels of communication and evaluations which relate to the public health practice. The first of these approaches is the Acheson report. In this particular report, there is a direct development and association with the inequalities that are related to a healthier nation and what is needed. It is noted that one of the problems with public health practice is based on the inequalities of receiving the correct health care. This factors into the lack of economic stability with healthier foods and the difficulties which many have to receive the correct food because of pricing. The inequalities relate directly to the social hierarchy of wealth, power and expectations within society, making certain foods unavailable with those who do not have the right amount of economic structure. The priority which is now considered is to re-evaluate the inequalities of all policies, specifically with looking at how this impacts young children and women. The change which is recommended through this report is based on facing the social inequalities within society while creating equity profiles and monitoring the level of available health items for individuals of every social and economic status. The approach is furthered with the government initiative of “Saving Lives.” This particular approach is based on creating action plans to those in society who are facing social inequalities, such as through wealth or economic status and power. The concept is one which looks at the number of lives which are lost because of problems such as cancer, coronary heart disease, strokes, accidents and mental illness. The aim is to begin prevention programs that are able to stop and prevent these problems from occurring while developing different social inequalities that are within society. The current approach is to create awareness and prevention programs that are available for those who do not have the same economic status as others. By incorporating this goal, there is the expectation that the number of lives lost will lower and individuals will begin to recognize the need to change the approach to living a healthier lifestyle. The policies and implementation of program has been furthered with the Health Development Agency, created in the year 2000. The initiative taken with this agency is based on developing evidence that the level of health which one has is directly related to inequalities they are facing. The evidence which is used is one which directly moves into practice, specifically by allowing practitioners and others a different approach to the inequalities which are currently within the UK (NHS, 2011). The approach which has been taken is equated to different policies and initiatives currently in the UK. This includes the initiative based on shifting the balance of power as well as the tackling of health inequalities. These two recognized initiatives show that there are families and others within society that do not have the necessary access to health care and to specific foods. This is from the economic status and the approaches which are taken with how one works with the initiatives. To alter this, there is the need to change the inequalities with more resources and approaches which are needed. This theory shows that there is the need to begin changing the resources available for everyone and to find different solutions for the inequalities which exist. These approaches are developed with the NHS plan, specifically which is requiring organizations to change the amount of health care available to everyone while recognizing that there are inequalities within health care that need to be approached. The social development which has been created is furthered with the Wanless report based on changing the approaches to health care and inequalities. Twenty – one main points have been created with this, including reports and evaluations of the status of health, educational concepts which are available to those who are facing problems and approaches to the nation’s health that are a part of each individual’s wellbeing. The combination of education and intervention is one which is planned to change the initiatives with organizations and the strategies which are associated with this. Sending the correct health messages then becomes dependent on developing the right communication and prevention programs for the community. The initiative of the current policy for childhood obesity is able to follow this report, specifically with setting new standards with health while incorporating this into the social standards for families and children. The impact on the community for childhood obesity adds into the various theories and initiatives which are currently being approached within society. The particular approach is one which is developed specifically with the understanding of public health practices and the need to have equality within society from the policies. The practices then incorporate different economic levels while associating with the needs for children that are facing obesity. Education, practical responses and regulating the health foods and activities by creating direction and education with the different areas can help in eliminating the inequalities while developing a broader sense of education and responses to the community. The goal that is incorporated with this is able to develop specifically with the understanding that the policies will begin to secure the needs of all social levels while lowering the amount of childhood obesity that is within the UK. References Batty, David. (2004). “Wanless Report: Main Points.” The Guardian (February). Bennett, P, K Calman. (2010). Risk Communication and Public Health UK: Routledge. Brownson, Ross, Jonathan Fielding, Christopher Maylahn. (2009). “Evidence Based Public Health: A Fundamental Concept for Public Health Practice.” Annual Review of Public Health (30). Cameron, R, S Manske, KS Brown. (2007). “Integrating Public Health Policy, Practice, Evaluation, Surveillance, and Research: The School Health Action Planning and Evaluation.” Department of Public Health. Department of Health. (2002). “Shifting the Balance of Power: The Next Steps.” Publications Policy and Guidance: Department of Health. Department of Health. (2008). “Obesity Statistics.” Retrieved January 8, 2012 from: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Obesity/index.htm. Department of Health. (2009). “Saving Lives Our Healthier Nation.” Retrieved January 8, 2012 from: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4008701 Department of Health. (2011). “Obesity Care Pathway and Your Weight, Your Health.” Retrieved January 8, 2012 from: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Obesity/index.htm. Lowdell, Caroline, Martin Bradsley, David Morgan. (2009). “Acheson Report: The Inquiry Into Inequalities in Health: Implications for London.” Health of Londoners Project. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. (2011). “About the HDA.” Retrieved January 8, 2012 from: http://www.nice.org.uk/aboutnice/whoweare/aboutthehda/about_the_hda.jsp Read More