Major Policy Stakeholders - Essay Example

Major Policy Stakeholders Introduction With the alarmingly rising prevalence of obesity across communities, the stakeholders and their opinions become very important, specially when a public health preventative approach is suited to be ideal. In this essay, the major stakeholders would be identified on the basis of current scenario. Background It has been recognized that prevention of obesity epidemic is only possible through a cooperative approach from the key stakeholders. Working alone, academia, government, industry, or healthcare, all have failed to produce sustainable results. Stakeholders The National Institute of Health considers obesity to be a major health problem. This organization engages NIH-wide resources in a campaign to accelerate progress in obesity research. They have created a task force which has a strategic plan for molecular, physiologic, and behavioral research. It has been recognized that heredity plays a major role in obesity through gene-environment interactions. In the sector of health education, there is a perceived need for updating medical school curricula with need for widespread health literacy. The healthcare sector may help train doctors to teach patients about the importance of healthy eating. The government agencies have published dietary guidelines with reference intake of macronutrients. The business and pharmaceutical trade also support this view. The food manufacturers have come up with an acronym, CQE, which expands into count calories, choose quality foods, and exercise daily. Innovations are supported by the Nutritional Academic Awards Program which would smooth the way to integrate nutritional education and its transmission to the population. There is a national health agenda as a part of the government policies that promote healthy lifestyle through preventive and educative approaches practices by the healthcare professionals. National Weight Control registry maintains a database which led to tools and tactics to maintain long-term weight loss. It has been shown that diet and exercise are the main steps for success of preventive measures. Healthcare providers have important roles in motivating their patients to change lifestyle and modify dietary behaviors. Research has shown that brief interventions by physicians and healthcare providers on a regular and consistent basis may strongly reinforce positive behaviors in the patients. The environmental factors that promote obesity are taken with great seriousness by academia, government, industry, and healthcare. There is a consensus that portion sizes must be reduced with more attention to appropriate macronutrient intake, such as low fat, high protein, low-energy, and high-density foods. Conclusion Obesity is alarmingly rising with implications of a public health problem of epidemic potentials. In the community, there are many stakeholders which can have a collaborative approach to prevent this problem through dealing with respective parts based on evidence. As indicated in the discussion above, various stakeholders are coming up with different propositions that may control the epidemic of obesity very successfully. List of Peer-reviewed Journal Articles 1. Lawrence, RG., (2004). Framing Obesity: The Evolution of News Discourse on a Public Health Issue Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics; 9: 56 - 75. Obesity has been regarded as an emerging epidemic. Prevention of obesity can be accomplished through public health policy modifications, especially when the problems can be reframed in systemic terms. This article provides an assessment of reframing of the problem of obesity in systemic terms of risks. This article highlights the conflict between personal responsibility for health and roles played by social environment, especially the role of public policy in this problem. The authors reaches a conclusion that indeed there is an environmental risk with significant contribution by voluntary and involuntary risks, while the risks for everyone is yet undetermined. 2. MacLean, L., Edwards, N., Garrard, M., Sims-Jones, N., Clinton, K., and Ashley, L., (2009). Obesity, stigma and public health planning. Health Promot. Int.; 24: 88 - 93. In this study, the authors describe the rising obesity rates and related increase in the healthcare costs, which have been highlighted in research and popular media over again. There is a need for action, and there is a considerable stigmatization of obese people, especially children. There is need for guidelines for public health managers in order to design and implement obesity prevention programmes, which can minimize stigma. This article discusses the social process involved in obesity stigmatisation, its consequences, and its manifestations in health service provision. Based on research, this study also suggests how to design nonstigmatising obesity prevention public health programmes. 3. Anderson, P., (2008). Reducing overweight and obesity: closing the gap between primary care and public health. Fam. Pract.; 25: i10 - i16. Management of overweight and obesity is an important public health agenda since these are associated with ill health. There is recognized gap between primary care activities and public health goals to reduce obesity and overweight. Based on systemic reviews and key literatures, the relationships between these have been explored. This study reveals that with sustained political support and investment, the primary care and public health sectors may work hand in hand to reduce obesity through both personal and social interventions, which ultimately may lead to reduction of cardiovascular events. 4. Goodman, E., Slap, GB., and Huang, B., (2003). The Public Health Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Adolescent Depression and Obesity. Am J Public Health; 93: 1844 - 1850. This study examined the public health impact of socioeconomic status gradient on adolescent obesity through calculation of population attributable risks for household income and parental education on a nationally representative sample of adolescents in terms of obesity to reveal that the population attributable risks for income and education were large. Across each gender and ethnic groups, the socioeconomic status is associated with an increased incidence of obesity disease burden within the total population. 5. Gordon, FK., Ferguson, EL., Toafa, V., Henry, T., Goulding, A., Grant, AM., and Guthrie, BE., (2003). High Levels of Childhood Obesity Observed among 3- to 7-Year-Old New Zealand Pacific Children Is a Public Health Concern. J. Nutr.; 133: 3456 - 3460. In this cross-sectional community based survey study, the attained growth and body composition of 3 to 7-year-old Pacific children were assessed to examine nondietary factors associated with the percentage of body fat. The factors examined were parent reported status of physical activities in these children. However, it was found that these young children have extremely high levels of obesity and truncal fat which could have major public health implications with advancement of age. 6. Reilly, JJ., (2006). Obesity in childhood and adolescence: evidence based clinical and public health perspectives. Postgrad. Med. J.; 82: 429 - 437. It has been recognized that in the developed world, obesity is the most common disease of childhood and adolescence. Obesity in the pediatric age groups is associated with significant burden of ill health with future health implications which are often underestimated by the physicians. A better understanding of the public health implications of origins, consequences, prevention, and treatment of pediatric obesity may help the management of this problem more effectively. 7. Kersh, R. and Morone, JA., (2005). Obesity, Courts, and the New Politics of Public Health. Journal of Health Politics Policy and Law; 30: 839 - 868. Public health policies are gradually providing increased focus on regulating private behavior. Obesity control through public health policy approaches has been the question, and distinctive policy processes may regulate private behavior to control obesity. This article illustrates the politics of private regulation in prevention of obesity through political processes. Obesity from that perspective no longer is a private matter, and an understanding of these political issues would help manage obesity better. 8. Gortmaker, SL., Peterson, K., Wiecha, J., Sobol, AM., Dixit, S., Fox, MK., and Laird, N., (1999). Reducing Obesity via a School-Based Interdisciplinary Intervention Among Youth: Planet Health. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med; 153: 409 - 418. This study evaluated the impact of school-based behavioral intervention called Planet Health on obesity in the sixth to eighth graders through a randomized controlled field trial in the students of 5 control and 5 intervention schools. The outcome parameters were prevalence, incidence, and remission of obesity. This study revealed that the intervention caused reduction in prevalence of obesity in girls, which could be correlated with decrease in television hours and increased vegetable and fruit consumption. It was concluded that this school-based intervention program reduced obesity in the female students. 9. Byers, T. and Sedjo, RL., (2007). Public Health Response to the Obesity Epidemic: Too Soon or Too Late? J. Nutr.; 137: 488 - 492. The public health response to the epidemic of obesity and its implementation has been a challenge since many interventions are implemented without knowing fully about the efficacy of action. General lessons learned from the other epidemics may be useful in controlling the ongoing epidemic of obesity in the United States, and the current evidence regarding the efficacy of these interventions has been analyzed in both clinical and community settings. There is little direct evidence available; however, study and teachings from other epidemics may be helpful in deriving certain reasonable options. 10. Swinburn, BA., (2003). The obesity epidemic in Australia: can public health interventions work? Asia Pac J Clin Nutr; 12 Suppl: S7 Successful public health interventions can be helpful in preventing obesity which is on the rise. The prevalent personal approaches to prevent obesity have been associated with moderate success. For long-term successes, it may be necessary to implement hitherto unused public health approaches. More comprehensive and innovative interventions are needed with strong emphasis on evaluation based on evidence-based interventions that may be effectively implemented. This study revealed four essential actions, monitoring and research, whole community projects, educational programs, and training. 11. Dietz, WH., Benken, DE., and Hunter, AS., (2009). Public health law and the prevention and control of obesity. Milbank Q; 87(1): 215-27. Obesity is a major public health problem. Environmental factors play important roles in the social context to cause obesity. One such example is consumption of more calorigenic foods with low nutritive values combined with reduction in daily activities. There are regulations in place; however, there is a paucity of knowledge on the part of policy makers and public health practitioners in terms of implementation of these legal statutes. This study revealed that law may play critical roles in obesity prevention. Obesity is a multifactorial problem, and use of legislation, regulation, and policy may address these factors when they are focused from the public health point of view. 12. Emery, SL., Szczypka, G., Powell, LM., and Chaloupka, FJ., (2007). Public health obesity-related TV advertising: lessons learned from tobacco. Am J Prev Med; 33(4 Suppl): S257-63. The role of paid media campaigns in prevention of rapidly rising overweight and obesity in all age groups in the United States was studied. Anti-tobacco campaigns preceded campaigns against obesity. The media campaigns must consider obesity related behaviors, some leads for which may be available from anti-tobacco media campaigns, and these may motivate complex behavior changes in favor of prevention of obesity. 13. Antipatis, VJ., Kumanyika, S., Jeffery, RW., Morabia, A., and Ritenbaugh, C., (1999). Confidence of health professionals in public health approaches to obesity prevention. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord; 23(9): 1004-6. Although public health measures to prevent obesity are coming in vogue now, the usefulness and feasibility of these approaches depend on the views of professionals working in this area. A questionnaire survey about international obesity prevention programs were rated through responses about education-based strategies to change behavior and reduction of obesity promoting factors in the environment. The professionals chose education-promoting interventions. 14. Greenway, J., (2008). Childhood obesity: bringing children's rights discourse to public health policy. Community Pract; 81(5): 17-21. Childhood obesity has both public health and legal perspectives. In this context, children's rights implementations can foster public health policies. However, commercial and other influences counteract these ventures. Children rights as enumerated in United Nations charter should help establish essential conditions for achievement of optimal health. A more effective strategy may be developed by combining the legal and public health issues. 15. Jeffery, RW., (2001). Public health strategies for obesity treatment and prevention. Am J Health Behav; 25(3): 252-9. The author reviewed the research on public health interventions for obesity through description study of recent changes in the prevalence of obesity in the United States to find that the prevalence of obesity has increased in the last 15 years leading to a major public health concern. Public health approaches to behavioral modification through educative interventions have been largely ineffective. Environmental and legislative approaches to change the price structure would be necessary. Read More