Health promotion-environmental health - Essay Example

t (2003) planning model will be used due to the need to design a societal structure for this intervention combined with some of the characteristics of empowerment. Obesity continues to be a growing problem for the UK and childhood obesity is no exception. The most recent survey statistics (2001) indicate that 8.5% of 6 year olds and 15% of 15 year olds are obese (Chinn, 2001). Obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes and heart disease as well as early mortality. The prevalence of this kind of obesity has increased rapidly since the 1990’s.

Studies like the one done by Donnelly, Jacobsen, and Whatley (1998) show that school/pre-school interventions work best for the population that is important for this intervention which are children ages 5-15. These studies show that these programs work best when both diet and exercise are combined in the same intervention (Donnelly, et.al., 1998). Increasing physical activity levels improves not only the obesity but the other problems that are developed early by these children such as hypertension, diabetes and heart disease.

It is shown in the reviewed literature that the need for education and activities are important but it is also suggested that those be carried into the home as many children do well in an intervention in school and destroy the gains they have made when they go home. There are many health promotion intervention programs in effect right now due to the urgency of solving the problem. In a meta-analysis completed by Harris, Kuramoto, and Schulzer (2009), 18 studies were reviewed in which 18, 141 children met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed.

The study duration lasted from 6 months to 3 years and the participants were primarily elementary school children. The results of these studies did not show improvement in BMI but there was decrease in waist size and decrease in lipids and blood sugar. There has also been the new dietary guidelines for healthy eating which was initiated by the Department