Issue of Obesity in Australia - Coursework Example

Ar Health 5/22 Within a health economic framework, discuss and analyse one chronic disease issue and the possible future implications andimpact that they may have on the Australian Health Care System. As the scientific world is progressing it is seen that the diagnosis of previously unknown diseases has become easier. This means that more and more diseases are being uncovered which were previously unknown about of. Almost all the countries in this world have developed a health care system to fight back these diseases. These health care systems have established different departments which look after the disease as a whole and then recommend changes in order to cure or prevent the disease. The Australian Health Care System is established in a similar manner so that they can decrease the mortality rate there and increase the chances of living. One chronic issue which would be discussed in this essay is regarding childhood obesity and its impact on the Australian Health Care System along with future implications for the system. Obesity in Australia has been a cause of great concern for the health authorities. It is seen that nowadays the Health Care System is investing in the campaigns to curb obesity in children of Australia. According to the World Heart Federation (2007) the dramatic worldwide surge in childhood obesity may be the cause of a change in disease trends: diseases previously associated with adulthood are now becoming commonplace in childhood. Obesity as a consequence of reduced physical activities is becoming more and more frequent in the modern world and is increasing at an especially alarming rate in children. Globally 155 million children with ages ranging from 5-17 years are overweight. Lobstein et al. (2004). In the under five year old group the figures for 2007 show that there were approximately 22 million overweight children and that roughly 75% of those live in the low-middle income bracket (WHO, 2008). We are creating an increasingly obesogenic environment where this rising trend in obesity may be associated with the increase in: • Fast food chains and pre-cooked meals which allow easy consumption of food depleted of nutrients and composed mainly of saturated fat (Lediwke et al., 2005; Hawkes, 2006). • Technologies and affordability of televisions, computers, etc. Fox (2004) suggested that the time spent being physically inactive by playing video-games, watching television and using computers has increased. • Transportation has increased allowing little expenditure of calorie intake due to fewer or reduced physical activities (St-Onge et al., 2003). Children are driven to school or use public transport rather than walk as parents are worried by the apparent lack of safety in the communities in which they live (Fox, 2004). The World Health Organization (WHO, 2000) described obesity as a condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to a point where health is adversely affected. As defined by the National Institute of Health, it is a body mass index of >30 (WHO, 2000; ACSM, 2006). [Body mass index (BMI) is weight in kg divided by height in meters squared.] This is caused when energy (calories) taken in is more than the energy output by the body, resulting in a positive energy balance (Shamley, 2005). Poor diet, lack of exercise or lack of activities, in general, accelerate the process of becoming obese. Obesity is one of the leading and most preventable causes of death worldwide (Mokdad et al., 2004; Barness et al., 2007). Obesity increases the risk of a number of serious medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease, some cancers, respiratory problems, non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (Type II DM), and joint and back problems (Haslam et al., 2005; Shamley, 2005). Studies such as Saad et al., (1991); Nakamura et al., (1994); Anderson et al., (2001) and Nesto, (2003) have identified central obesity and insulin resistance as the root for metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a group of signs/symptoms that indicates an increased risk of coronary heart disease, Type II DM, stroke, and atherosclerosis and has been associated with other co-morbidities such as the pro-thrombotic state, pro-inflammatory state, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and reproductive disorders. These risk factors are said to reflect over-nutrition, sedentary lifestyles and central adiposity (Cornier et al., 2008). According to the World Heart Federation (2007), obesity in childhood can lead to premature metabolic syndrome. The Chief Medical Officer (Health - Third Report, 2004) reported that obesity is “a health time bomb” that needs defusing. Poirier et al. (2006) found that obesity is a combined result of genetic and environmental factors. Polymorphic genes which control appetite and metabolism predispose to obesity when there is an excess in energy intake (Poirier et al., 2006). Adams et al. (2000) evaluated the commonly expressed myth that some obese people eat little yet gain weight due to a slow metabolism. They say that on average, obese people actually have greater energy expenditure than thin people as it takes more energy to maintain an increased body mass. Shamley (2005) also supports the view that genes act as predisposing rather than causative factor for weight gain showing significant genetic influence on body weight; 25-40% of variance in the energy intake and physical activity influence ‘weight gene’ expression. Pi- Sunyer (1988) (cited in Mcardle, Katch and Katch, 1991) argues that ‘this view of obesity is overly simplistic as available evidence indicates that excess weight gain throughout life often closely parallels reduced physical activity rather than an increased calorific intake’. Although in some cases there may be other reasons, such as genetic factors or a hormonal problem, the overwhelming majority of obese people do not suffer from such disorders (British Medical Association 1995). As mentioned above obesity can be of grave danger to children living in Australia and can give a strong time to the health care professionals in Australia. The Australian Health Care System has to take care of not only the individuals mental and physical well being but also the social well being of these individuals. Obesity can cause the Australian Health Care system to invest more in its policies and awareness programs. The basic method used to curb obesity these days is to use an awareness program to aware the individuals about the chronic disease. The Australian health care system may have to use a huge budget to implement this awareness program. As obesity is increasing the risk for other diseases is also increasing. These diseases can cause even greater harm to the health care system as it can increase the mortality rate. Obesity is known to cause cardiac failures, oral diseases, diabetes, blood pressure, stroke and other diseases. Thus it can be said that great hazards are being posed to the national care system of Australia by this chronic disease (Duckett 2007; Hearn 2006; Willis et al 2009). Studies by Sahota et al. (2001), Kelder et al. (2003) and Gortmaker et al. (1999) offered greater involvement in the children’s lives both in and out of school. This included reducing television viewing, educating families, teachers and children on diets, health risks and physical activity. Overall, by targeting the children from such a young age school-based physical activity would become an accepted regime and would encourage adherence to exercise. Thus scientific studies and common sense show us that families need to be involved if changes are to be made to halt the increase in childhood obesity. Parents have a greater responsibility in controlling obesity and this should be realized by the Australian Health Care System. They can create awareness programmes for parents through which they can monitor what children eat, drink, watch and do. Families need to be made aware of what they eat and to understand that fresh foods are cheaper to buy and cook than the fast foods which so many people are consuming on a daily basis. Children of nursery age should be encouraged to be active as this is the beginning of the school period which takes them through to adulthood and sets the pattern of physical activity for later in life. Families also need to become more active as a unit so that children can learn from a young age that physical activity is the norm and a pleasurable experience to be enjoyed throughout a lifetime and not simply something that has to be done only at school (Hearn 2006; Willis et al 2009). The Australian Health Care system also has to invest in extra-curricular activities for the children. They need to make sporting activities outside the school environment more accessible to all children, not just the privileged. Kirk et al. (2005) and Kay (2000) stated that a child’s participation in sport outside of school is largely dependent on social status and class. Affluent families can afford to buy equipment, pay fees and buy relevant kit. There are many families living on low incomes or who have more than one child and the cost of participating in outside sporting activities can be prohibitively expensive. Individuals are responsible for their own well-being. The health care system can also invest in early education for the children so that they can reduce obesity. This education should be part of the school curriculum so that children have an understanding of the reasons why it is important to integrate fruit and vegetable in the daily diet. By investing more in embedding the importance of choosing a healthy lifestyle in children at an impressionable age it should be possible to eradicate obesity. Physical activities, such as sports or general/pleasure activities (walking, cycling, gardening, swimming, playing games, outdoors activities) should be part of the educational curriculum, for at least three days a week (Hearn 2006). It is fair to say with the growing ‘Olympic 2012’ euphoria our society is enjoying a more active lifestyle. There are increasing groups and initiatives appearing (Be active, be healthy; Change4life; Active children) with a common message that can be summarised as ‘a healthy lifestyle is not a choice but the choice, for a better lifestyle’. But all these campaigns are not enough to completely eradicate the issue of obesity from Australia. More is necessarily needed to curb this issue and several of the recommendations above can be followed by the health care system. The issues which arise by the disease obesity are dangerous enough to be curbed upon in the very beginning. Thus it is recommended that all advertising campaigns should largely influence the children so that these children cannot get obese. With the help of these advertisement campaigns the Australian National Healthcare system can decrease its expenses on the diseases which are increasingly being caused by obesity (Willis et al 2009; Hearn 2006). Bibliography World Heart Federation (WHF). (2008).’Children, Adolescents and Obesity’. [Online]. . Available from: www.world-heart-federation.org/press/facts-figures/children-adolescents-and-obesity/ Lobstein, T. Baur, L and Uauy, R. (2004). ‘Obesity in children and young people: a crisis in public health’. Obesity Reviews. 5:4-104. Ledikwe, J.H., Ello-Martin, J.A and Rolls, B.J. (2005). ‘Portion Sizes and the Obesity Epidemic.’. The American Society for Nutritional Sciences. 135:905-909. Hawkes, C. (2006). ‘Uneven dietary development: linking the policies and processes of globalization with the nutrition transition, obesity and diet- related chronic diseases’. Global Health. 2; p 4 Fox, K.R. (2004). ‘Childhood obesity and the role of physical activity’. The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health, Vol. 124, No. 1, 34-39 St-Onge, M.P, Keller, K.L, Heymsfield, S.B. (2003). ‘Changes in childhood food consumption patterns: a cause for concern in light of increasing body weights’. American Journal Clinical nutrition. (78): pp.1068-73 American College for Sport Medicine (ACSM’s). (2006).‘Resource Manual for Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription’. (5th Ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Philadelphia. American College for Sport Medicine (ACSM’s). (2006).‘Resource Manual for Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription’. (5th Ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Philadelphia. Saad M.F, Lillioja S, Nyomba B.L et al. (1991). ‘Racial differences in the relation between blood pressure and insulin resistance’. New England Journal of Medicine; 324:733-9. Mokdad, A.H, Marks, J.S, Stroup, D.F, Gerberding, J.L (March 2004). ‘Actual causes of death in the United States, 2000’. (PDF). JAMA 291 (10): 1238–45. Barness LA, Opitz JM, Gilbert-Barness E (December 2007). ‘Obesity: genetic, molecular, and environmental aspects’. Am. J. Med. Genet. A 143A (24): 3016–34. Haslam DW, James WP (2005). ‘Obesity’. Lancet 366 (9492): 1197–209. Nakamura T, Tokunga K, Shimomura, I. et al. (1994). ‘Contribution of visceral fat accumulation to the development of coronary artery disease in non-obese men’. Atherosclerosis; 107:239-46. Anderson PJ, Critchley JAJH, Chan JCN et al. (2001). ‘Factor analysis of the metabolic syndrome: obesity vs. insulin resistance as the central abnormality’. International Journal of Obesity; 25:1782. Nesto, R.W. (2003). ‘The relation of insulin resistance syndromes to risk of cardiovascular disease’. Rev Cardiovasc Med; 4(6):S11-S18. Cornier, MC., Dabelea, D., Hernandez, TL., Lindstrom, RC., Steig, A., Stob, N.R. Van Pelt, E., Hong Wang, R., Eckel, R.H. (2008). ‘The Metabolic Syndrome’. Endocrine Reviews. 29 (7): 777-822. Health - Third Report. (2004). The published report was ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 10 May 2004. Poirier, P., Giles, T.D., Bray, GA., et al. (2006). ‘Obesity and cardiovascular disease: pathophysiology, evaluation, and effect of weight losses. Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 26 (5): 968–76. Adams JP, Murphy PG (2000). ‘Obesity in anaesthesia and intensive care’. Br J Anaesth 85 (1): 91–108. McArdle, W.D., Katch, F.I., Katch, VL. (1991). ‘Exercise Physiology, Energy, Nutrition and Human Performance’. Lea and Febiger. British Medical Association (1995). ‘Complete Family Health Encyclopaedia’. Dorling Kindersley Limited. London Sahota, P., Rudolf, M.C., Dixey, R., Hill, A.J., Barth, J.H.,Cade, J. (2001). ‘Randomised controlled trial of primary school based intervention to reduce risk factors for obesity’. British Medical Journal. 323: pp.1-5 Kelder, S.H., Mitchell, P.D., McKenzie, T.L., Derby, C., Strikmiller, P.K., Luepker, RV., Stone, EJ. (2003). ‘Long-term implementation of the CATCH physical education program’. Health Education and Behaviour. 30: 463 Gortmaker, SL., Peterson, K., Wiecha, J., Sobol, AM., Dixit, S., Fox, M.K. Laird, N, (1999). ‘Reducing obesity via a school-based interdisciplinary intervention among youth. Planet Health’. Archives of Paediatric Adolescent Medicine. 153: p 409-418. Kirk, D. (2005). ‘Physical education, youth sport and lifelong participation: the importance of early learning experiences’. European Physical Education Review 11. 3, 239-255. Kay, T.A. (2000). ‘Sporting excellence: A family affair? European Physical Education Review. 6 (2): 151-70. Bottom of Form Top of Form Hearn, L. (2006). Preventing overweight and obesity in young children Synthesising the evidence for management and policy making. Canberra, ACT: Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute. http://www.anu.edu.au/aphcri/Domain/AdolescentChildHealth/final_Cross_25.pdf. Top of Form Willis, E., Reynolds, L., & Keleher, H. (2009).Understanding the Australian health care system. Sydney: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier. Top of Form Duckett, S. J. (2007). The Australian health care system. South Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press. Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Read More