The Obesity in the United Kingdom - Coursework Example

OBESITY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM by of the of the Introduction “Wicked issues have complex causes and require complex solutions” (Hunter 2009, p. 202). In the well-know quote by David Hunter, the word “wicked” has not used as the sense of evilness but in the context of describing an issue that is highly resistant to specific solution. The concept of “wicked issues” was first introduced by M. Webber and H. Rittel to describe the problems that cannot be solved successfully with conventional methods or approaches. Wicked issues are technically complicated mainly due to their complex characteristics (Briggs 2007, p. 1-2). For instance, they are difficult to clearly define; they are multi-facial and consist of many interconnections; their causes are generally not stable, consequently attempted solutions to the moving targets often give rise to undesired and/or unexpected consequences; they are socially complicated and have no definite solutions (Hunter 2009, p. 202-203). Over the last four decades, the epidemic of obesity has rapidly emerged worldwide. Especially, in the developed countries, like the United Kingdom, obesity has become the most prominent health issue (Musingarimi 2008, p. 1-4). Even though the UK government’s recent health policies are focused on improving the health and healthcare services, the prevalence of obesity has increased by four-to-five times in the last 15 years in the country (Waumsley 2011, p. 3-4). Due to the complexity of triggers and causes of obesity, it has been significant challenge for the modern healthcare system to find the way to combat it. Today, obesity has been considered as one of the wicked health issues in the United Kingdom and many other developed countries. In order to tackle with the complex causes of obesity, there is a necessity to implement some complex and effective solutions. The purpose of this paper is to investigate complex causes of obesity and analyze potential complex solutions to it on the basis of scholarly researches and reports. Further, the paper also evaluates the current government policies related to Obesity in the UK. Prevalence Worldwide The prevalence of obesity and overweight has significantly increased over the last 20 years in the world and the World Health Organization (WHO) has characterized it as a global epidemic. According to the WHO report, over 2 billion adults in the world were overweight in 2014. Of these almost 45% were obese (Word Health Organization 2015). Also, almost 43 million children under the age of 5 were obese or overweight in 2014. In the past, obesity was assumed to be prevalent in only developed countries. But, today, developing countries are also experiencing the epidemic of obesity. The majority of the world’s population is living in countries where obesity causes more deaths than starvation (Word Health Organization 2015). According to the Crude projections’ report, in 2025, the rate of obesity is estimated to be as high as 50-55% in the US, between 35-45% in the UK, Mauritius, and Australia and over 25% in Brazil (Treacy 2005, p. 17). United Kingdom In the UK, growing rate of obesity is the topmost concern in the healthcare sector. According to the official reports, health-care cost of obesity was over 3 billion US dollars while the cost of obesity-related diseases was around 16 billion in 2004 (James et al. 2004, p. 6-7). According to the 2008 national health report, obesity rate among men and boys in the UK was around 23% and 19% respectively. The obesity rate among Scottish women was 20% greater than in English women while the rate was 30% greater among English girls than in Scottish girls. In the Northern Ireland, the obesity rate was slightly greater than that in England with 26% men and 24% women were obese. The obesity rate was the lowest in Wales with 18% men and 19% women were obese (Musingarimi 2008, p. 1-3). Childhood obesity is a serious health issue in the UK as almost 32% of children were obese in the country in 2011 (Trigwell et al. 2011, p. 13). In the UK, obesity prevalence is the greatest in London than any other cities in the country. In London, 20% children are obese (Greater London Authority 2011, p. 12). In the UK, the prevalence of obesity is rapidly increasing in the ethnic minorities which constitute almost 12% of the total population. Among the ethnic groups, the obesity prevalence is higher among Black African, Black Caribbean, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi communities. According to 2004 Health Survey for England, obesity prevalence was higher among Black Caribbean (26%) and Irish (25%) men, while the rate was higher among Black African (38%) and Pakistani (29%) women (Gatineau & Mathrani 2011, p. 8-9). Among children, obesity was higher in Bangladeshi (30%) and Black African (27%) ethnic groups in 2008. (407 11) With the current growing rate of obesity, it is estimated that 61% men and 55% of women in the country will be obese by 2050 (El-Sayed et al. 2011, p. 516). Complex Causes of Obesity Till the last few years, excessive calorie intake and physical inactiveness were only assumed to be major causes of obesity. However, with the advancement in technology and medical research, it is found that obesity causes are complex and varying. The obesity-associated triggers can be physiological, psychological, genetic, neurological, behavioural, nutritional, social, endocrinological, environmental, and rarely drug-related or pathological. The interconnection between these triggers is highly intricate and is even complicated by the inter-distinctiveness of the individual’s condition. Some of the major complex causes of obesity are as follows: Obesogenic Environment In the 21st century, advanced technology and modern machines have increased the comfort level and lowered the need of labour-force or physical efforts in the developed societies. Aggressive marketing and clever business strategies, like “buy one, get one free” encourage people to buy extra food products. The number of supermarket chains and cars is rapidly increasing day by day. According to the UK-based Foresight report, the combination of such factors have created ‘obesogenic environment’ in countries like the UK, triggering high rates of obesity among people (Weight Management Centre 2010, p.4-6). The latest research in neurobiology showed that the wide variety and appealing nature of junk food and other unhealthy food products elevate sensory stimulation, driving people to reward themselves with more food. Many unhealthy behaviours such as, excessive use of automobiles, eating outside, relying on technology and gadgets to avoid physical effort, are easily adopted by the body as they are considered as the only option or need (Butland et al. 2007, p. 7-10). Due to high prices of vegetables and fruits, growing cost of living, and easy availability of cheap food products, many households in the UK have switched to cheap and processed food. Usually, the cheaper food contain excessive amount of saturated fat, salt, and sugar. According to the research of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, which studied over 15,500 British households, majority of middle-income and low-income families in the UK had cut back on vegetables and fruits and switched to unhealthy processed food products (Brinded 2014). Especially, the massive decline in the nutritional value of regular diets among single-parent, pensioners, and poor families was the significant concern (Brinded 2014). According to the National Health Service (NHS), almost 82% of children in the UK don’t eat recommended amount of fruits and vegetables and the British young generation ranks first in the highest intake of sugary beverages in Europe (Local Government Association 2015, p. 3-4). Beside of eating habits, working schedule and jobs are significantly contributing in growing obesity rates in the UK. The number of people working more than 8-9 hours in sitting position and for low-wages is steadily growing in the UK. According to the Office for National Statistic, the number of workers on zero-hours contracts increased from 135,000 in 2007 to 209,000 in 2012 (Brinded 2014). Also, the long-hour sitting is demanded in majority of jobs, including retail, hospitality, and corporate sectors. The National Obesity Observatory (NOO) has concluded that the rate of obesity in women working in low-wage and unskilled jobs is two times greater than in women working in high-income and skilled jobs (Brinded 2014). Heritability of Obesity Besides environmental factors, genes or heredity play crucial role in development of obesity. Heritability of obesity has been found to be one of the major causes of prevalence of obesity among children. The research of Human Molecular Genetics found substantial evidence of association between obesity and heredity. The research found that heritability rate for obesity is remarkably high (0.75) in comparison with other polygenic, complex diseases, like autism (0.91) and schizophrenia (0.80) and is even higher than for other complex disorders, like depression (0.55) and hypertension (0.30) (Walley et al. 2006, p. 124-125). Also, gene defect in the form of appetite mechanism and around 30 various Mendelian genetic disorders that have obesity as a major clinical symptom are other causes of obesity among some of the British population (Walley et al. 2006, p. 124-127). Further, the research of the University of Cambridge has recently found a genetic cause of sever overweight and obesity issue. The genetic mutation of Mrap2, a protein gene responsible for normal metabolism process, causes significant impairment in regulation of metabolism, resulting excessive accumulation of fat in the body (Farooqi 2013). Even though unhealthy eating habits and physical inactivity influence the recent rise in obesity rate in the UK, there is a significant difference in how much excessive weight people gain. The researchers from the Cambridge University found this significant variation in gaining weight was largely associated with genetic factors (Farooqi 2013). Also, there is a correlation between childhood obesity and parental Body Mass Index (BMI). Children of obese parents are more prone to obesity. The Health Survey for England found that 25% children, whose both parents (or the lone parent) are obese or overweight, are suffering from obesity (Greater London Authority 2011, p. 16). Lifestyle and Eating Habits Unhealthy eating habits and lifestyle are other major triggers of obesity epidemic in the UK. The study conducted by the Center for Diet and Activity Research in collaboration with the UK Public Health Research Center found that the fast-food consumption in the UK has increased by almost three time since the last 10-12 years (Bazian & NHS Choices 2014). Also, the number of junk-food outlets has rapidly grown. On average, each person in the UK is exposed to about 9.5 fast-food outlets near home, 13.9 around workplace and 9.1 along daily commuting streets. The study found that people who were most exposed to the food outlets were consuming extra 5.5 gram per day of junk food (Bazian & NHS Choices 2014). The British Researchers also highlighted the growing exposure to unhealthy eating through misleading food labels which further provoke high calorie food choices. The researchers found that majority of people in the UK are attracted to chips or cookies with labels such as “low fat” or “low calorie” which actually contain 55% more calories than usual (Facts about Obesity 2012). Misleading labels such as, healthy, low calorie, or natural don’t signify the actual nutritional value of food. The modern British diet consists of high consumption of chips, pies, cakes, and fried food. The British diet is significantly low in vegetables and fruit and one of the reasons behind is the excessive subsidies allocated to meat producers and dairy farmers. The result is expensive fruits and vegetables and comparably cheaper high calorie food (Facts about Obesity 2012). Physical Inactiveness and Psychological Factor The physical inactiveness is highly evident in modern British society. The 2007 report of the Health Survey for England claims that people assume they are physically more operative than they actually are. The study examined 2000 men and 2500 women aged 17 and over (Waumsley 2011, p. 6-10). The participants’ physical activeness was examined with the help of accelerometry, a method which is more accurate and precise than self-reporting. The result of the study showed that merely 5% men and 4% women met the recommended minimum level of physical activity for healthy living. In Northern Ireland, almost 30% of adults are critically sedentary while in Scotland, almost 62% of doesn’t met the required minimum level of physical activeness for proper health (Waumsley 2011, p. 7-10). Stress and psychological disorders are also identified as the major drivers of obesity in the British population. A recent study found that the amount of stress hormone cortisol were almost 55% higher among obese and overweight children. The increased cortisol level in the body elevates the severity of obesity and triggers obesity-related chronic diseases (Daily Mail Reporter 2013). Major Complex Obesity Triggers among Ethnic Minorities Ethnic and cultural differences in parent’s perception of their children’s physical activity and eating habits and conception of “healthy” body figure play a vital role in understanding prevalence of obesity in some of the ethnic minorities in the UK. A 2009 study of UK ethnic groups’ health behaviours found that Black Somali, Bangladeshi, and Yemini parents view comparably larger body size as healthy due to “bigger is healthier” mentality based on the traditional cultural perceptions of healthy body size (Trigwell et al. 2011, p. 19-20). Further, majority of studies found that black girls were reportedly spent 15-16 hours more in watching television, resulting on an average 0.9 kg/meter-squared extra BMI among them than their counterparts (Griffith 2012, p. 181). Migration also identified as a crucial factor in terms of obesity epidemic among ethnic minorities. The ethnic groups that adopted the host country’s lifestyle more effectively also adopted the pattern of epidemic diseases of the host. Due to drastic changes in eating habits and lifestyle, ethnic minorities, like Indian and African communities are almost 5 times more likely to suffer from obesity, hypertension, and diabetes than general population in the UK (Gilbert & Khokhar 2008, p. 210). Especially, second generation of ethnic minorities are more likely to be overweight or obese than the first due to biological hormonal changes and adoption to the unhealthy eating habits and lifestyle (Smith et al. 2012, p. 510). Besides it, dietary pattern, cultural norms and traditions, gender roles, and religious beliefs put significant barrier in sports participation or physical activities of Muslim girls. Also, Due to social and racial discrimination, and insecurity feeling, South Asian males rarely engage in physical training or sports. The significantly lower level of physical activeness and unhealthy eating habits are found to be major triggers of obesity among Bangladeshi, Pakistani, and African ethnic minorities in the UK (Higgins & Dale 2010, p. 3-4). Complex Solutions The epidemic of obesity in the UK has complex causes. Therefore there is a necessity of implementing complex solutions to combat it. General solutions such as, promoting healthy dietary habits and regular exercises are not going to solve the issue completely. In order to constrain the growing prevalence of obesity in the UK it is necessary to hit at the root causes of the issue. There are significant flaws in current application of obesity determination across different ethnic groups and children. Majority of recent studies consistently show that each ethnic group has its unique physiological responses to fat accumulation. Therefore, it is recommended that present BMI thresholds should be revised according to each ethnic group’s physiological composure. The revised BMI measure will help to the ethnic groups, like South Asian communities, who are more prone to mortality and chronic diseases at lower BMI levels than the general European population (Gatineau & Mathrani 2011, p. 6-12). International Obesity Task Force (IBTF) has recommended some important measures, including the promotion of healthy eating habits and physical activities, awareness about obesity, to address the devastating “Obesogenic environment” (James et al. 2004, p. 7-8 1020). There is a necessity to impose strict regulation concerning food quality and visible information of ingredients and real amount of calories in the product. Government should take strict actions against companies and their products that are involved in misleading labelling or advertisements of products. Vegetable and fruit farmers should be given fair subsidies so that such health food will become affordable to people from all social classes in the society. Also, retailers and food chains can play vital role in promotion of healthy foods in the society. By means of attractive decoration, smells, presentation, and offers adults and children can be attracted towards such foods. Also, positioning of healthy foods at the aisle-end sections will allow maximum exposure of these products among customers (Balch 2014). While tackling with the issue of obesity on a state level, the causes of obesity among ethnic minorities can’t be ignored. By considering the religious beliefs, cultural norms, and tradition of ethnic minorities, health organizations and government should introduce health programmes that will promote health awareness and knowledge about risks associated with obesity. Regular organization of multiethnic community gatherings or meeting through various programs will facilitate exchange of knowledge and allow each other to identify particular flaws in own dietary habits and lifestyle. Cultural programs and unity campaigns will promote ethnic cohesion and lower the feeling of isolation or insecurity among ethnic minorities which will eventually boost their confidence and actively participate in sports or physical activities (Trigwell et al. 2011, p. 42-47 1005). Overall, it is necessary to promote health and healthy lifestyle in the society by means of innovative and comprehensive methods and measures. Critical Evaluation of Current Policies related to Obesity In recent years, the UK government has taken some serious steps to improve the health status and lower the rate of obesity in the country. According to the 2010 to 2015 government policy report, the UK government is determined to lower the rate of obesity among adults and children. In order to achieve its objectives, the government has introduced programs such as, Change for Life programme and improved labelling on food products to assist people with healthy choices (Department of Health 2015). The government’s initiatives to encourage street food outlets to include calorie details on their products and to encourage businesses to promote healthy foods in the market through the Public Health Responsibility Deal policy are certainly commendable (Department of Health 2015). However, the government has ignored the obesity triggers among ethnic minorities while designing the plan to tackle the obesity issue. There is not a policy dedicated to revise flaws in the present BMI measurement system. Also, there are inadequate programs and policies to tackle child obesity issue (Department of Health 2015). The over-emphasis of public health policies on individual behaviours in combination with the dominance of consumerism and capitalism in today’s society lowers the access of “healthy food” for low-income families and children. The present health policies related to obesity has failed to take into account the extensive impact of the psychological and social factors that influence food choices and diet of common people (Attree 2006, p. 67-78). Overall, the government’s policies are beneficial to improve health awareness in the society; these are still insufficient to eliminate the negative effects of poverty on diet and cultural and religious dominance over ethnic minorities’ lifestyle and eating habits (Attree 2006, p. 68-77). Conclusion Currently the obesity epidemic is the topmost health concern in the United Kingdom. The issue has rapidly transformed into the wicked health issue due to the complex nature of its triggers and causes. 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Obesity - A Public Health Crisis. www.wmc.uk.com [online], pp. 1-22. [Accessed 8 June 2015]. Available from http://www.wmc.uk.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/UK-Obesity-Epidemic.pdf Word Health Organization. (2015). Obesity and Overweight. www.who.int [online]. [Accessed 8 June 2015]. Available from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/ Read More