The US Health Policy Analysis - Coursework Example

HEALTH POLICY ANALYSIS ) (Name of Institution) Problem Statement At the moment, obesity is, and continues to be the most serious health problem in America. The number of those affected has doubled over the past six years and the issue has reached the attention of economists who estimate that the obesity related costs are now just over 20% of total US expenditures. Background The USA has the highest rate of obesity in the world. There has been an increase in the rates of those affected in Mexico that puts their rate higher than that of the USA in 2013 as per the World Health Organization Report (2013). However, with a population of over 400 million, the USA has drawn a lot of concern about the issue. This has prompted it to take a political perspective so that austerity measures can be taken to reduce the spread (Ruopeng, 2014). A background research shows that in 1962, the rate of obesity in the US was at 13% of the population. Indications and contraindications have also cited that the people living at or round the poverty level are the most vulnerable. The rates have steadily increased and the table below gives an outlook of the situation in a few sample years. Year Rate of infection (%) 1997 19.4 2004 24.5 2007 26.6 2008 33.8 2010 35.7 SOURCE: Jensen & Donna H. Ryan, 2013 As can be seen from the table, the rates are overwhelmingly increasing every year. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) in the country indicates that the rates for women are relatively higher than men. The reason why obesity issue is more of a national epidemic is that the condition contributes to between 100,000-400,000 deaths in the US per year. The condition has also increased the medical health care use as well as expenditure. It is costing in excess of $117 billion (more than a quarter of all health care costs) in direct costs which cater for preventive, diagnostic, loss of future earnings due to premature deaths and all other issues related to this situation. This amount by far exceeds the costs spend on other conditions such as smoking and drinking which are also health issues (Wen, Kowaleski-Jones, & Fan, 2013). Obesity leads to development of other complications such as type 1 diabetes, hypertension, disabilities and cardiovascular diseases. It increases complications during pregnancy and many stillborn babies. The prevalence rates are also higher meaning that the future looks worse than the current crisis. Moreover, scientists have not fully understood the complexity of the aspect of obesity. They have not understood whether they are as a result of genetic issues, hormonal, metabolic or behavioral factors. With this high level of effect on the health of the people, obesity is therefore a big national health issue requiring great concern (Kumanyika, Parker, & Sim, 2010). Landscape Identification: Factors A landscape study of the situation identifies three factors that have highly contributed and also concerned about the situation of obesity in America; social changes, sedentary life and diet. Dietary Factors Fast food has been cited as the major contributor to this health issue. Unfortunately, many of the favorite fast foods in America such as hamburgers and French fries contain a high concentration of fats (Keeley Drotz & Drotz, 2012). The Ruud Center for Food Policy noted that these foods are sold cheaply; does not fulfill basic nutritional requirements. A 2010 report on food policy in America noted that just 1% of meals taken by kids meet the recommended levels by experts. CDC examined that fast food restaurants have grown greatly since the 1950s. This situation has prompted the health issue on obesity to take a political perspective in which the government is now trying to create laws that would regulate companies that produce fast foods and drinks such as the great Coca-Cola Company. Sedentary Lifestyle The government has encouraged innovation and creative minds to continue inventing. Technology has become so dynamic that all transactions are done at the press of a button either on mobile phone or a computer. This has led to formation of video games, watching television and less outdoor activities. Screen time has therefore increased taking over social life and functions that would help to take care of one’s health. Health reports indicate that more than 60% of adults do not exercise as is required and 25% are simply never active. The adult stakeholder group is aware of the sedentary lifestyle and do not support it. However, their blame has always shifted to the government for instituting policies that support the companies that produce these foods (CDC, 2012). Social Changes The John Hopkins University of medicine reported that "Interaction over food is the single most important feature of socializing." The business world also socializes to do business in food items, people meet at food joints to catch up and continue consuming. Technology has also increased sedentary social life where people are able to socialize through their mobile phones and the internet without necessary meeting. The position of all concerned stakeholder groups has been that of trying to prevent the spread of obesity. $10 billion is spent annually on commercials to advertise food items only. There are three stakeholder groups so concerned or affected by this aspect; those affected, control program makers in the society and the government (Sherry, 2009). Alternatives Section A collection of options arise from the aspect of just having obesity. These are options centered on trying to limit the spread and further effects on the national health budget. Further Funding Of Research The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute report (2013) noted that there was no sufficient research so far that could be said to be final to understanding the aspect of obesity as already mentioned here. The research would go to establishing more information into children policies, health behaviors, genetics and environmental issues in obesity. This is a socio-economic factor and would equally influence negatively the adults affected by the condition because less funds would be availed for the same issue to them (Curtis, 2008). Policies on Multilevel Multi-Component Interventions This is a policy action that would oversee interventions at community based levels in multiple settings such as schools, homes, hospitals and public policies themselves. This is a primary regulation and prevention option that sets all stakeholders responsible in developing prevention to the spread (Story, Nanney, & Schwartz, 2009). Highly regulate companies that manufacture junk and sugary foods. Accessibility to the proposed health intervention measures is limited to the aspect of the economic ability of the concerned parties. The many races in the US mostly live in different economic classes. Inability to control these through the low economic status has led to more effects in these areas. To regulate this, the government needs to step up policies that would oversee medically acceptable levels of foods and drinks in the country (Sang-Hyun, 2013). Side-by-side Tables of the Alternatives Descriptive table Aspect Information Summary More Research on Best Prevention Techniques No established solution to obesity in the American society Obesity starts at the childhood levels Basically obesity is caused by poor dietary trends and toxic food environment Child obesity statistics show more effects on boys than girls More research over a longer period would be the best solution to the situation Multi-Level Component Interventions The society has a role to play in preventing the situation. There are different levels of subjection to the situation along racial lines and can the policies can also encourage solution at societal levels as obesity is unevenly distributed along racial lines Apart from race, other multi-level component level policies would target other social aspects such as gender, age and age groups, children and teens, the military as well as the elderly. Solution can therefore be found at the component level. The different component levels would be the families, the schools, peer groups and mothers who take care of the children Company Regulations Company products need rampant regulation in terms of the contents Government policies on food policies should be re-drafted to pin down continued production Government policies to make the companies clearly define the junk food contents included. Recommendations Many alternatives can be put up to try and prevent the spread of obesity as a medical condition in the US. However, if no more research is done to establish real issues about the condition, then it would be like treating symptoms and not handling the situation at its foundations (Collier, 2011). Research would also take to account the best way to implement The Preventive Services Task Force mandate through provision of affordable care across the races secondly, it would find the actual information that would be taken to the component groups when doctors visit them. It has been estimated that this would save the government a total in excess of $41 billion in the long-run. In a rather political twist, the congressional budget office proposed a ten year funding plan to end the obesity issue. However, a 75 year window period is supposed to be made so that there are clear ways as regarding the period the situation started being noticed as an epidemic. Such a research plan is supposed to prevent obesity and all related diseases in the long run. This finality research would also specified benefits to the government; Obesity screening as recommended by the US Preventive Task Force and also covered by insurers would save the government $44 billion in savings The child hood demonstration project that includes multi-level component interventions in the low income areas would save the government $41 billion in long term federal savings. The community based diabetes prevention program would help fetch $18.4 billion in savings as well as highly savings to the government. This program initiates a long term encouragement to the people to adapt increased physical activity, implementation of healthy eating habits and goals set towards weight loss. Under the Medicare policies part D, use of the weight loss drugs would be implemented that would set an insight into more activity and less use of drugs. In the wake of all the above named savings and change of lifestyle, an implementation situation setting up a long term research into the issue would be primary to effectively handling the health issue of obesity. Implementation Strategy Implementation of this strategy would take to account the different affected stakeholders as earlier mentioned; the government, the people affected and the different implantation groups. Moreover, there are likely to be oppositions to the project especially if it does not auger well with the social society. The first strategy would be to create knowledge that obesity is a public health threat through increasing awareness about obesity and other side effects such as hypertension, dyslipidemia and even insulin resistance. Increasing the number of those aware of the information especially the high risk population makes it possible for this particular group and others to accept the seriousness of wanting to eradicate it (Klebanoff, 2012). This will also include the companies that manufacture these junk foods to prepare them make a transition over the long period to make healthy foods. Secondly, there would be need to increase early knowledge on recognition of overweight and weight gain. This would be done through increasing the number of health care providers who care for and monitor a given collection of patient groups especially the Body Mass Index. The third implementation step would be to improve people management especially those associated with obesity related complications. The way to go about this is to develop training programs for medical and allied health professionals to improve their knowledge and ability to handle health related issues. Special attention should be given to mothers who are breastfeeding and encourage an elongated breastfeeding period. This initially had been shortened due to the need for a back-to-work-fast reason. The government would do this by reducing the ethnic/racial disparities at work. It has been noted that mothers from low economic zones hurry to go back to work so that they are able to take care of their financial needs. Improvement of lifelong healthy eating is another issue. This is where the integration of the companies that make junk foods and the government policies would need to be integrated into the strategy. Companies will have to be made aware of the responsibilities they have to their customers. Coca-Cola Company for instance showed this when they introduced Diet Coke as opposed to the normal highly concentrated drinks from the company. The next step would be self-improvement where the population would be educated about improved eating, physical activities, and screen time through making it mandatory for all students in school to actively participate in physical education. This would be done equally through increased program evaluation and surveillance. The mass media will be required to have documentaries about health related issues to create effective awareness. Implementation Planning The planning and implementation of the health strategy in research on obesity is wholly dependent on the acceptance of all the stakeholders to participate in the exercise. As a long term strategy, a lot of planning needs to be done. The first plan in the implementation therefore would be to consult and verify the environmental acceptance of the policies. The first way to check at initial levels the required level is to generate a local level implementation where it will be implemented democratically by the people and for the people. This should be coupled with surveillance information both unobtrusively and openly to ascertain the progress. Surveillance provides information to assess immediate and long term strategy plans such as changes in diet, physical activity, general obesity and outcomes as far as control of the other diseases will be concerned. Together with the steps taken in the implementation strategy, continuous and periodic research in the short term will be done to ascertain a collection of issues; The exact likely cause of obesity A reduction in the body mass index of people over time The number of surgeries and acute medical attentions required over time on people Whether the number of annual drops from the current 100,000-400,000 The general obesity statistics and trends The number of people able to access medical support from the different cultural backgrounds If there is an improvement in the above mentioned trends, then there is a surety that there is a change in the rates of people affected by the epidemic. References CDC. (2012, April 27). Overweight and Obesity. Retrieved April 7, 2014, from Center for Disease Control : http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/defining.html Collier, R. (2011). US obesity rates growing. CMAJ. Canadian Medical Association journal, 183(11), E723. Committee on Evaluating Progress of Obesity Prevention Effort, F. a. (2013). Evaluating Obesity Prevention Efforts: A Plan for Measuring Progress. Washington : National Academies Press. Council, N. L. (2013, March 29). Funding & Research. Retrieved April 7, 2014, from National Lung Heart and Blood Advisory Council: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/funding/index.htm Institutes, N. H. (2007, August 21-22). Working Group Report on Future Research Directions in Childhood Obesity Prevention and Treatment. Retrieved April 4th, 2014, from National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/meetings/workshops/child-obesity/#home Jensen, M. D., & Donna H. Ryan. (2013, November 12). Guideline for the Management of Overweight and Obesity in Adults. Retrieved April 7, 2014, from American Heart Association : http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/early/2013/11/11/01.cir.0000437739.71477.ee.citation Keeley Drotz, & Drotz, ‎. C. (2012). The Poisoning of Our Children: Fighting the Obesity Epidemic in America. New York: Keeley Drotz. Klebanoff, C.-U. L. (2012). US obesity rates: astronomical but leveling. Contemporary, 57(2), 56. Kumanyika, S. K., Parker, ‎., & Sim, ‎. J. (2010). Bridging the Evidence Gap in Obesity Prevention: A Framework to Inform Decision Making. New York : National Academies Press. Obesity, C. t. (2013, April 13). The Long-Term Returns of Obesity Prevention Policies. Retrieved April 7, 2014 , from Campaign to End Obesity: http://www.rwjf.org/en/research-publications/find-rwjf-research/2013/04/the-long-term-returns-of-obesity-prevention-programs.html Ruopeng, A. (2014). Prevalence and Trends of Adult Obesity in the US, 1999–2012. ISRN Obesity, 2014, 412. Sang-Hyun, C. (2013). Can Geographically Weighted Regression improve our contextual understanding of obesity in the US? Findings from the USDA Food Atlas. Applied geography, 44, 134. Sherry, P. (2009). Association Between Adult Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Obesity in the US Population. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 17(3), 539-544. Story, M., Nanney, M., & Schwartz, M. (2009). Schools and obesity prevention: creating school environments and policies to promote healthy eating and physical activity. Journal of the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, 87(1), 71-100. Wen, M., Kowaleski-Jones, L., & Fan, J. (2013). Ethnic-immigrant disparities in total and abdominal obesity in the US. American journal of health behavior, 37(6), 11. Read More