Social Determinants of Healthcare Delivery Service - Essay Example

Problem Solution Essay: Prevention of Obesity The social determinants of health encompass the conditions in which people live and work (WHO). These conditions are shaped by a variety of factors such as the socio-economic status of the people, allocation of resources and distribution of power and money at the national and international level; this distribution is further dictated by the policies made. It has been seen that the social determinants of health are the prime reason for health inequities, defined as the unjust and preventable differences in health conditions present within and between countries (WHO). Social determinants of health can be regulated to improve the health conditions of countries. Through the adequate distribution of resources, the government can ensure that people have awareness about their health and have access to health care whenever they require it. Effective management and distribution of health care resources not only entails the treatment of a disease, but also its prevention. Preventing the occurrence of a disease can save a lot of resources not only financially, but also in terms of the staff, hospital resources and time that are spent on treating it. Obesity is becoming a serious health condition in the US and is starting to be referred to as an epidemic (Mechanic 112). Obesity is a global problem and more than 1.6 billion people all over the world are overweight. Of these figures, 300 million people are considered to be clinically obese, with a large proportion of overweight and obese people living in developed countries (Oxford Business Group 187). The obesity epidemic is at its very worst in the in the US (Plunkett). In the US, one person dies due to a health condition associated with obesity (Ayres). The US government spends $2 trillion annually on healthcare; about 76% of this sum is spent on the treatment and management of chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases and strokes. All of these diseases are linked to obesity. In an article published by Why, an organization working for the elimination of hunger and poverty in the US, it was reported that two-thirds of the Americans are overweight, and one-third are obese (Ayres). The annual health care costs of obesity have doubled in the past ten years in the country. A recent research conducted by the government documented that the costs of obesity are as much as $147 billion a year (Ayres). Moreover, it has been reported that the number of obese children have increased very rapidly and this has had profound impacts on their health. In fact, according to a research study, there has been a sharp increase in the numbers of obese children in the past three decades and the resulting effects of obesity will make the lifespan of these children lesser than that of their parents (Ayres). Each time that obesity was surveyed since the 1980s, its prevalence showed an increase. Moreover, not only there are now more overweight children, but those who are overweight have gained yet more weight, with the number of obese children becoming greater than overweight children (Poskitt and Edmunds 1). Even in a developed country such as the US, health inequities are present. Many underprivileged people in rural areas or even in cities do not have access to fresh healthy food such as fresh vegetables. These people buy food from ubiquitous convenience stores, gas stations and fast food restaurants, where food is inexpensive yet unhealthy. The food that children get in schools is also not hygienic, since they are saturated with sugars and fats, which contribute greatly to the increase in the weight of the children. Statistics report that obese Americans spend almost twice more on health care than their normal weight counterparts (Ayres). In fact, poverty, little or no access to healthy food and the administration of an unbalanced diet during early childhood years and adolescence are largely responsible for the aggravation of the national epidemic of obesity (Ayres). In schools, children have access to junk food. Cafeterias offer pizzas, burgers, fries with salads and soft drinks; this junk food contributes greatly to the malnutrition in children, causing an excessive intake of sugars and fats that get deposited in the subcutaneous tissues of the body (Mechanic 112). The media has also brought into limelight the role of schools in the passive development of obesity. One of the major issues that have been highlighted is the excessive advertising of high-calorie food, creating an appeal for its consumption in children. One of the endeavours for can he treatment and prevention of obesity in children was by the Surgeon General’s 2001 Call to Action. This message delivered dealt with the rising obesity in children and how this will impact the health of the children when they grow up (Buchwald, Cowan and Pories 62). It has also been documented that schools have contributed to the development of obesity in children by providing high-caloric, cheap meals and by allowing fast-food outlets to sell their products in schools. Furthermore, many schools in districts, because of low funding, have finished physical education programs. Instead of providing children opportunities to participate in physical activities and to gain more knowledge about healthy nutrition so that they engage in healthy activities throughout their lives, and giving them school lunches that conform to the recommendations of the Food Guide Pyramid, schools have played a major role in the development of obesity in children (Buchwald, Cowan and Pories 62). In fact, a report published in 1997, only 1% of the American children had access to foods that met the guidelines of healthy nutrition as proposed by the Food Guide Pyramid. It was also reported that the US children ate foods in which half of the calories that they consumed were from fats and sugars (Buchwald, Cowan and Pories 62). Tackling the problem of obesity requires a multidimensional strategy that is not only planned out meticulously but is also well-resourced (Mechanic 112). In response to the widening social inequities, the WHO formed the Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) in 2005. One of the goals of this Commission is to improve the daily living conditions of the people so that the health inequity gap decreases (WHO). In the US, childhood obesity is being taken very seriously and policy makers are gravely concerned about the implications of not taking concrete steps to curb it. In February 2010, the First Lady Michelle Obama started a campaign by the name of Let’s Move. The campaign aims to eliminate childhood obesity within a generation (Holt). Michelle Obama has come out with the message to move America, particularly to get the American children to engage in greater physical activity. One of the aspects of the campaign is to get children away from television and to take them to the park, so that they participate in greater physical activity. There is a “folksiness and a do-it-yourselfness” about the project that aims to motivate people to control their weight (Wildman). Despite the fact that the government is taking steps to root out obesity, there are mixed messages that are present at the level of the states. The message that the executive government is putting across is at a clash with what is happening at the federal level. The state governments, as a consequence of economic limitations, are cutting down educational programs for kids, aimed to help them in decreasing their weight (Holt). Therefore there is a need to synchronize the health campaign at both the federal and executive level. The Campaign to End Obesity is also concerned with the elimination of the costliest disease in America. The leaders of the Campaign are of the point of view that it is necessary for change to occur in order to reduce the prevalence of obesity in adults and children. The Campaign brings together the community, institutions and individuals for fighting of the obesity epidemic (The Campaign to End Obesity). Since 2003, there has been a surge in the coverage of obesity in the media. In fact, 2003 was known as the year in which the television industry “discovered” obesity (Buchwald, Cowan and Pories 62). The increasing awareness amongst the population about the advertising of high-fat foods and their availability in the market has made many large food manufacturers in the US to reevaluate their products and to decrease the fatty and sugary content in them. In 2003, a Bill by the name of Improved Nutrition and Physical Activity Act (IMPACT), addressed the issue of the rising obesity figures in the population. Although the Bill did not become a law in 2003, the Bill is representative of the efforts that the government is taking to counter obesity. The Bill was focused on the launch of a Youth Media Campaign that was aimed to prevent obesity by community-outreach programs and programs focused primarily on the elimination of obesity at the school level. Also, companies are working to reduce the incidence of obesity. 19 of the Fortune companies including Pepsi Company, IBM and Honeywell, are members of the Director’s Board of the Institute on the Costs and Health Effects of Obesity (Buchwald, Cowan and Pories 62). Thus, one can conclude that the issue of obesity is being taken very seriously in the US and not only the government, but all involved parties are working on the reduction of the obesity figures. Works Cited Ayres, Bill. Fat Food Nation: The Connection Between Obesity, Hunger and Healthcare Reform. Why, 2010. Web. 11 Dec. 2010. Holt, Matthew. A new campaign against childhood obesity. The Health Care Blog, 2010. Web. 11 Dec. 2010. Mechanic, David. Policy challenges in modern health care. Rutgers University Press, 2005. Print. Oxford Business Group. The report: Emerging Saudi Arabia. Oxford Business Group, 2007. Print. Plunkett, Jack W. Plunketts Health Care Industry Almanac 2009 (E-Book): Health Care Industry Market Research, Statistics, Trends and Leading Companies. Plunkett Research, Ltd., 2008. Poskitt, E. & Edmunds, L. Management of Childhood Obesity. Cambridge University Press, 2008. Print. The Campaign to End Obesity. About the Campaign. The Campaign to End Obesity, 2010. Web. 11 Dec. 2010. WHO. Social determinants of health. World Health Organization, 2010. Web. 11 Dec. 2010. Wildman, Sarah. Michelle Obamas Anti-Obesity Campaign is OK, but What About Health Care? Politics Daily, 2010. Web. 11 Dec. 2010. Read More