Organic Food Production and Obesity - Essay Example

Literature Review: Obesity - Is It Feasible to Establish Organic Food Production Business to Fight Obesity? - / Course Date Total Number of Words: 4,998 Table of Contents I. Introduction ……………………………………..…………………................ 3 II. Literature Review ……………………………………………….…………... 4 a. General Facts on Obesity ……………………………………..…. 4 a.1 Major Causes of Obesity ……………………………..….. 6 a.2 Health and Social Consequences of Obesity ……….... 8 a.3 Economic Consequences of Obesity ………………….. 9 b. Promotion of Organic Foods in UK ……………...………….…. 10 b.1 Social, Health and Economic Benefits of Organic Food Production ………………………………… 11 b.2 Organic Food Promotion Strategy ……………………... 12 b.3 Impact of Organic Food Promotion on Our Health ...…. 12 b.4 Profitability Analysis, Sustainability and Yields of Organic Farming ………………………………………….. 13 III. Discussion: Business Opportunity in Relation to Organic Food Production …………………………………………………... 14 a. Business Potential Overview ……………………………………. 14 b. Potential Consumers for Organic Foods in UK and the Rest of the World ………………………………………………….. 14 c. Supply and Demand – Organic Food Business ……………… 15 IV. Strength and Weaknesses of the Study ………………….……………… 18 V. Conclusion ……………………………………………………….…………. 18 Appendix I – Body Mass Index ………………………………………………….... 20 Appendix II – Classification of Body Mass Index and Risk of Co-morbidities . 21 Appendix III – Relative Increased Risk of Diseases in Obesity …………….… 21 Appendix IV – Classification of Body Mass Index & Relative Risk of Morbidity 2 Appendix V – Prevailing Obesity in England between 1980 – 2002 …………. 22 Appendix VI – Levels of Obesity in Different Countries in Europe …………… 23 References ……………………………………………………………………....… 24 - 31 Introduction The World Health Organization (2003) has reported that billions of people all over the world are overweight and roughly 300 million of these individuals are classified as obese. As of 2006, approximately half of men and two-thirds of women within 63 countries are either overweight or obese. (BBC News, 2007) In the case of UK, as much as 23% of its population are obese. (Lister, 2005) The cases of obesity and overweight among the adult individuals in UK have doubled since the mid-1980s wherein approximately 25% and 20% of men and women are obese. (London Food Standards Agency and DOH, 2004) Roughly 65% and 50% men and women are overweight and have the tendency to be obese in case their weight gain remains uncontrolled. Considering that obesity could cause a person to deal with social adjustment disorders or social discrimination (Pearce et al., 2002) aside from a long list of serious health concerns related to heart diseases, diabetes and the different types of cancer (WHO, 2003, 2005a), the need to determine the impact of promoting organic foods on the high levels of obesity arises. For the purpose of this study, the researcher will conduct an extensive literature review on the general facts about obesity, the major causes of obesity, the negative consequences of obesity in terms of one’s health, social being, and economic losses. Eventually, the researcher will determine the status of promoting organic foods in UK followed by the benefits of organic food production to our health, environment, and our society in terms of analyzing the economic and social impact of promoting organic foods in the case of the high incidence of obesity in UK. Eventually, the researcher will discuss the literature review in line with the business opportunity that is present in relation to organic food production. Literature Review General Facts on Obesity Obesity is defined as “an excess of body fat that frequently lead to a significant impairment over a person’s health and longevity.” (House of Commons Health Committee, 2004) Based on the federal guidelines (Berg, 2003; NHLBI, 1998), a normal weight is computed using the Body Mass Index (BMI) wherein the normal range for an adult should be between 18.5 to less than 25 (BMI 18.5 to 25 kg/m2). BMI measurement between the ranges of 25 to less than 30 (BMI 25 to 30 kg/m2) is considered overweight and BMI measurement that exceeds 30 (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) is considered obese. In general, medical practitioners are using the formula “weight in pounds divided by height in inches squared multiplied by 703 or weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared.” (Berg, 2003) There are quite a number of techniques that can be used in measuring body fat. Among these techniques include the use of bioelectrical impedance, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, and the total volume of the body’s water content. (Berg, 2003) Since these methods are quite impractical to use, medical practitioners simply adopts the application of BMI method which is computed based on the height of a person and age including the waist circumference. In general, the experts classifies obese into 3 classes known as: (1) Class I (BMI 30 to 34.9 kg/m2); (2) Class II (BMI 35 to 39.9 kg/m2); and (3) Class III (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2). (Berg, 2003; NHLBI, 1998) (See Appendix I – Body Mass Index on page 20; See also, Appendix II – Classification of Body Mass Index and Risk of Co-morbidities on page 21) Obesity could cause a person to deal with social adjustment disorders or social discrimination. (Pearce et al., 2002) As a common knowledge, obesity could also increase the risk of a person to suffer from a wide-range of serious health concerns such as diabetes particularly the Type 2 diabetes or the non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) (Alberti et al., 2007; Wilding, 2004), cerebral hemorrhage and coronary heart diseases (Nanchahal et al., 2005; Montaye at el., 2000), high blood pressure, athersclerosis and high cholesterol (Yuan et al., 1998; Berenson et al., 1993), atherosclerosis (Nazario, 2007), osteoarthritis (Lau et al., 2000), sleep apnea (Ballington, 2002), as well as cancer (Vainio & Bianchini, 2002) related to colon (Murphy et al. 2000), rectum (Giascosa et al., 1999), post menopausal related breast cancer and uterus (Vainio & Bianchini, 2002; Friedenreich, 2001; van den Brandt et al., 2000; Goodman et al., 1997), kidney (Yuan et al., 1998; Goodman et al., 1997), gallbladder (Lowenfels et al., 1999; Moerman & Bueno-de-Mesquita, 1999), ovaries and pancreas (Vainio & Bianchini, 2002). (See Appendix III – Relative Increased Risk of Diseases in Obesity on page 21) In order to determine the individuals who are at risk of cardiovascular diseases, general practitioners normally measures the BMI and the circumference of the patients’ waist. Normally, men with waist measurement of more than 102 cm (> 40 inches) and women with more than 88 cm (> 35 inches) are at risk of having a heart attack. (Berg, 2003) Some people think that industrialization is a big part that contributes to the increasing rate of obesity. However, this mentality is not true since obesity epidemic is also present in some of the non-industrialised countries particularly in Ghana, Samoa wherein three-fourths of men are obese; and the Cape Peninsula of South Africa with approximately 44% of women are obese. (International Obesity Taskforce, 2008) It is also believed that the high rate of obesity in the global world reflects health inequalities since a study shows that unskilled male and female works are more than four times likely than those professional works to experience Class III obesity. In line with this matter, the Health Survey for England (2001) reports that as low as 14% male and female professional workers are obese as compared with 19% male and 28% female unskilled workers are obese. (Chief Medical Officers Report 2002) Major Causes of Obesity According to House of Commons (2004), obesity is not only a serious health condition such as eating disorders but also a lifestyle problem that is visible within a person, family, and the society. Even though there has been a lot of studies conducted in the past which relates obesity with the abnormal food intake or poor diet (Styne, 2005) and a genetic factor such as a metabolic defect (Roth et al., 2004; Rosmond, 2002) or the leptin deficiency and the use of steroids (Link et al., 2004), the major causes of obesity is still uncertain because each individual has different capacity of burning calories. (Jebb & Prentice, 1995) The only thing that is certain is the fact that obesity occurs when there is a significant imbalance between the amount of energy a person burns and the amount of energy the person consumes. (Jebb & Prentice, 1995) Basically, when a person eats more than his / her energy requirements, the human body tends to store the extra calories in the body as fats. (Dehghan et al., 2005) Aside from the unhealthy food diet, the lack of physical activities in the life of a person contributes to the high rate of obesity all over the world. Studies have shown that sedentary behaviors such as playing computer games and eating while watching a television show for a long period of hours are highly associated with obesity. (Tremblay & Willms, 2003; Swinburn & Egger, 2002) Other relevant causes of obesity include environmental factors, cultural environment, and lifestyle issues that are highly related to obesity-conducive environment. (Grundy, 1998; Hill & Peters, 1998) As an end result of industrialization, the availability of convenient transportation, elevators and escalators in our society significantly decreasing the level of our physical activities that are required in burning excess calories in our body. On top of the rapidly changing technology worldwide, food manufacturers especially the fast food restaurants today are also actively promoting low cost high calorie foods to the public via paid television advertisements. (Styne, 2005; Swinburn & Egger, 2002) Advertising fast food items such as McDonald’s or Burger King on television, magazines, or billboards could indirectly affect the eating patterns and preferences of the young individuals. Basically, it is harmful towards one’s health when a person takes in a significantly large amount of sugar, fat, and carbohydrate contents. Health and Social Consequences of Obesity Obesity is a serious health problem since it could lead to negative affects related to a person’s physical health, emotional well-being, and psychosocial functioning. (Tuthill et al., 2006; Linde et al., 2004; Goodman & Whitaker, 2002) The worst case is the fact that obese individuals are likely to lose nine years of their life expectancy. (NAO, 2001) Based on a study, most of the people who are obese are experiencing a very low quality of life. (Kolotkin et al., 1995) With the use of HADS as a tool for identifying the level of patients’ anxiety or depression (Zigmond & Snaith, 1983), the study of Tuthill et al. (2006) reveals that as high as 60% of women and 42% of men as well as 48% of both men and women have experienced anxiety disorder and depression related obesity respectively. It has been known that the common causes of their anxiety and depression in men are associated with obesity’s negative impact over their personal sexual lives, work and public distress; whereas in women, the main causes are related to poor sexual life and low self-esteem. Aside from other health diseases that could lead to a high rate of morbidity, the estimated number of people who dies from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) around the world is approximately 16.7 million each year. (WHO, 2003) In UK, approximately 216,000 deaths occurred in UK back in 2004 (British Heart Foundation, 2006) and 20 million people survive strokes and heart attacks each year which requires expensive continuity of clinical care. (WHO, 2006) (See Appendix IV – Classification of Body Mass Index and the Relative Risk of Morbidity on page 22) Economic Consequences of Obesity Considering the growth rate of obesity in UK, obesity is now being considered as a costly epidemic which will require as much as $90 billion fund each year by 2050. (CBC News, 2007) These are also the group of individuals who are likely to take more than one type of drugs as compared with individuals who has a normal weight. (Counterweight, 2005) In line with this matter, tthe cost of treating diabetes as well as its complications in UK alone already accounts for 9% of the total health costs run by the National Health Services (NHS). (Currie et al., 1997) According to the House of Commons health committee, another point of consideration is the indirect opportunity lost related to work absences and deaths which roughly costs between $ 6.6 to $ 7.3 billion in annual earnings each year. (CBC News, 2007) In line with this matter, the National Audit Office (2001) reported the estimated cost of obesity in England is approximately 18 million sick days and 30,000 incidence of death yearly. More or less, both the direct and indirect opportunity loss in relation to the total earnings related to sick leaves and premature deaths in UK is estimated to be £ 3.3 – 3.7 billion. (House of Commons Health Committee, 2004) In line with the direct opportunity loss by 2010, NAO (2001) reveals that their estimated forecast on the said cost to increase to £ 3.6 billion. Promotion of Organic Foods in UK The problem with the traditional farming is the fact that farmers are highly dependent with the use of health hazardous chemicals such as synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and/or pesticides. In line with the use of these chemicals in the production of foods, the general public have become much aware of the importance of food safety as well as the chemicals’ harmful effect towards the quality of our environment. Back in 1999, the UK government’s desire to combat the problems related to health concerns and a possible inadequate food supply makes them willingly allocate as much as £ 6.5 million annually to farmers who are growing organic foods. (BBC News, 1999) The environment minister Michael Meacher declares that there is a need to promote organic food throughout UK schools and hospitals. (Organic Consumers Association, 2003) As of 2003, the Soil Association has been successful in promoting the benefits and importance of organic food and farming to the public from its current network of 40 organic farms. (Organic Consumers Association, 2003) Each year, the local UK organic farms attracts more than 300,000 visitors. Social, Health and Economic Benefits of Organic Food Production Unlike the traditionally grown foods, a research study shows that organic food is safer for ingestion because of its faming method that strongly prohibits the use of pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides that could contaminate the food grown. (Heaton, 2001) The absence of using toxic chemicals in food production does not only reduce the health risks of a person but also degredation of our environement. Organically grown foods are better than the conventionally grown foods because of its higher cancer—fighting antioxidants that are commonly found in organic foods. (Byrum, 2003) Particularly the organically grown corn contains 58.5% higher anti-oxidants than corn that is grown in a traditional method. Likewise, organically grown strawberries contain 19% more antioxidants than the conventionally grown strawberries. Aside from the high anti-oxidant content found in organic foods, a literature review which includes a total of 41 studies and 1,240 comparisons concluded that there is a statistically significant difference in the content of nutrients found between an organically produced foods and a conventional crop such that organic foods contain more vitamin C, iron, magnesium and phosphorus with significantly less nitrates that can be harmful towards one’s health. (Worthington, 2001) In line with good health and social well-being attached with the consumption of organic food products, the indirect economic opportunity loss related to work absences and premature deaths will decrease over time. Organic Food Promotion Strategy Most of the professional public health researchers as well as the clinicians strongly support the idea that obesity prevention is the best method to control and minimize the high rate worldwide obesity epidemic. (Muller et al., 2001) In line with the health practitioners’ effort on preventing obesity through health education, it is advisable to start this campaign with the younger population particularly the children since weight loss among the adults are more difficult to achieve as compared with the young individuals. (Dehghan et al., 2005) Considering that majority of the children spend most of their time in school, it is necessary to encourage each local educational institutions to positively influence the food and physical activities of these children. Identifying and modifying the obesogenic environments such as home (Dietz & Gortmaker, 2001; Robinson, 1999), school area (Chomitz et al., 2003; Dwyer et al., 1983) and the community is a good start in terms of encouraging the children to practice healthy eating and be actively involved in physical activities. (Dehghan et al., 2005) Impact of Organic Food Promotion on Our Health For many years, people are ingesting synthetic herbicides and pesticides that are present within the local foods in the market. In line with this issue, the San Francisco-based Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) released the result of their study whereby 100% of the participants who have participated in the blood and urine test contains pesticide residues known as chlorpyrifos and methyl parathion at levels much higher than the accepted levels in the U.S. (Stapp, 2004) Since organically produced food does not contain any toxic chemical compounds, we can be more certain that the probability that we could be free from numerous types of morbid diseases related to cancer can be easily prevented. Profitability Analysis, Sustainability and Yields of Organic Farming During the past two decades, the total sales of organically grown food products have been steadily increasing. (Duram, 1998) Despite the relatively small increase in the number of organic food products that are being sold in the local groceries, the trend is still continuously going up. It is believed that the consumers increasing knowledge on the benefits of organic foods contribute a lot to the success of organic foods in the UK market. Several past studies show that the practice of organic farming can be as profitable as the traditional way of food production. (Welch, 1999; Roberts & Swinton, 1996) Despite the possible profitability, there are a lot of considerations that we need to consider when it comes to the profitability of organic foods busienss. Even though the premium price paid by the consumers in exchange with the organically grown farm products could increase the profitability of the business, Welsh (1999) has discovered in his research study that ‘it is not necessary for the use of organic farming to be competitive or be more profitable than the conventional farming method because of the possible consequences that are present in the organic farming business. (p. 40) In 2003, the total number of organic foods that the UK farmers have delivered to the UK local markets increases from 72% up to 76% in 2004. (Organic Consumers Association, 2008) The significant increase in the distribution of organically produced foods in the local supermarket clearly reflects the increasing demand and acceptance of the local consumers with organic farming. Discussion: Business Opportunity in Relation to Organic Food Production Business Potential Overview Back in 1999, the major supermarkets in Britain were already selling as much as 40% of the organic product lines. (BBC News, 1999) UK households spend approximately £ 1.5 billion a week on food purchases alone. (Bourn, 2003) Roughly £ 0.8 billion of the total food purchases are spent on foods that are readily available from the local supermarkets. As of 2005, approximately 686,100 hectares of agricultural land are being managed for the production of organic food in UK. In line with the increase in demand for organic foods, the total sales has also increased from £ 100 million between the years 1993 and 1994 up to £ 1.21 billion in 2004 – roughly 11% increase since 2003. (Organic Centre Wales, 2007) Potential Consumers for Organic Foods in UK and the Rest of the World The total population of obese men and women in England has significantly increased over the years. Since 1980 up to 2002, a total of 22.9% of the male population and 25.4% of the female population are obese or has a BMI of more than 30 (BMI > 30 kg/m2). (Appendix V – Prevailing Obesity in England between 1980 – 2002 on page 22) On top of the increasing number of obesity cases in England, other countries throughout Europe also reflect a high percentage of obese individuals particularly in Albania, Greece, and Croatia. (Appendix VI – Levels of Obesity in Different Countries in Europe on page 23) During the past ten years, the rate of obesity throughout Europe has increased between 10 – 40% and has doubled in the case of England. (International Obesity Taskforce, 2008) Aside from the organic foods’ huge potential in the local market, the different types of organic food product line could also create a much bigger market globally. According to the World Health Organization (2003), there are as much as billions of people all over the world are overweight and roughly 300 million of these individuals are classified as obese. According to environment minister Michael Meacher, the continuous promotion of organic foods will increase the demand and supply by as much as 70% of UK’s organic foods is expected to be produced by the UK farmers in 2010. (Organic Consumers Association, 2003) Supply and Demand – Organic Food Business The price of organic foods in UK is a little more expensive than the traditionally grown foods. For instance, the price of organic onions in UK is 20 percent more as compared to the market price last year. (Organic Consumers Association, 2008) The reason behind the high prices on organically produced foods can be explained with the application of the basic law of supply and demand for organic foods throughout UK. As we have discussed earlier in the study, the demand for organic foods in UK has been increasing constantly over the years because of the local organic foods association and the UK government’s continuous effort on promoting organic foods in the local market. When the demand suddenly increases more than the supply, the local prices of organic foods tend to increase until it meets the new equilibrium point. (See Figure I – Increasing Demand Curve of Organic Foods in UK below) When the demand for organic food increases, the demand curve shifts to the right which makes the prices of organic foods increase. This happens when the supply curve remains the same. The only way to enable the prices of organic foods in UK to decrease is by increasing the local supply of organic foods in UK. Eventually, this strategy will reduce the total volume of organic foods that UK acquires through importation. In a situation wherein there is a high competition among the local suppliers of organic food, the market prices of different organic product lines will eventually decrease. (See Figure II – Increasing Supply Curve of Organic Foods on below) Another possible scenario is when the UK government suddenly decides to intervene with the production of organic foods. In this case, the demand for organic foods will eventually decrease from price ‘p’ down to price ‘p1’. In worst case, if the UK government totally prohibits the selling of organically grown food products in the country, then the market for organic foods will diminish. (See Figure III – Decreasing Demand Curve of Organic Foods on page 18) Strength and Weaknesses of the Study The economic theory used in the study serves as a solid foundation when it comes to understanding the organic food business in UK. However, the study fails to consider a deeper business outlook due to the lack of available data that could test a real business profitability measure. Conclusion Traditionally grown food is harmful towards the health of a person considering that these foods have pesticide residues and other toxic chemicals. Organic foods are healthier since these types of foods contain more nutrients and anti-oxidants that our body needed in order to survive. Instead of actively promoting fast foods and other commercialized food, the promotion of organically grown foods could enable us to fight obesity due to poor eating habits. In the process, UK could minimize and prevent the high cost of medical expenses that may occur due to the high rate of obesity complications. At the same time, the country could also reduce its opportunity loss due to work absences and premature death caused by being obese. Considering the increasing demand and low supply for organic foods in UK, establishing an organic food production today can be very promising in terms of profitability. The only risk attached with the organic food business is when the UK government decided to intervene and prohibits the production of organic foods. *** End *** Appendix I – Body Mass Index Body Mass Index Chart (English and Metric) To determine your BMI, locate the intersection of your weight and height. Source: www.slimfast.com. Adapted from the National Institute of Health. NHLBI Clinical Guidelines on Overweight and Obesity, June 1998. www.nhlbl.nih.gov/guidelines Appendix II – Classification of Body Mass Index and Risk of Co-morbidities Classification BMI (kg/m2) Risk of Co-morbidities Underweight Normal Range < 18.5 18.5 – 24.9 Low (but risk of other clinical problem increase) Average Overweight Obese Class I 25.0 – 29.9 > 30.0 30.0 – 34.9 Moderate Class II Class III severe (or ‘morbid obesity’ or ‘super obesity’) 35.0 – 39.9 > 40.0 Severe Very Severe Source: International Obesity Task Force in the House of Commons, 2004 Appendix III – Relative Increased Risk of Diseases in Obesity Disease Relative Risk for Men Relative Risk for Women Colon Cancer 3.0 2.7 Ovarian Cancer n/a 1.7 Angina Pectoris 1.8 1.8 Hypertension 2.6 4.2 Myocardial Infarction 1.5 3.2 Gall Bladder Disease 1.8 1.8 Type 2 Diabetes 5.2 12.7 Osteoarthritis 1.9 1.4 Stroke 1.3 1.3 Source: NAO Report Based on Review of Literature in the House of Commons, 2004 Appendix IV – Classification of Body Mass Index and the Relative Risk of Morbidity Body Mass Index (BMI) Relative Risk of Death 25 – 26.9 1.3 27 – 28.9 1.6 29 – 31 2.1 Source: RCGP in the House of Commons, 2004 Appendix V – Prevailing Obesity in England between 1980 – 2002 Male Population BMI Female Population 1980 1993 2000 2002 2002 2000 1993 1980 % % - 37.8 29.9 29.6 Healthy Weight: 20 – 25 37.4 39.0 44.3 - - 44.4 44.5 43.4 Overweight: 25 – 30 33.7 33.8 32.2 - 6 13.2 21.0 22.1 Obese: Over 30 22.8 21.4 16.4 8 - 0.2 0.6 0.8 Morbidity Obese: Over 40 2.6 2.3 1.4 - Source: Department of Health (Ev 3) and Health Survey for England Appendix VI – Levels of Obesity in Different Countries in Europe Source: International Obesity Task Force References: Alberti, K., Zimmet, P., & Shaw, J. 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