Public health policy - Essay Example

Insufficient sleep, untimely eating and excessive use of sugar-contained drinks and alcohols trigger obesity. Similarly, junk food and soft drinks, which are highly rich in sugar, are also increasing the number of obese persons in the United Kingdom. Boseley (2014) points out that more than 70 per cent of adults are either overweight or obese in England. In other words, the overweight are those who are more prone and vulnerable to obesity if they continue with the same style of eating habit and living style.

Cancer, diabetes and heart diseases are the main potentials effects of obesity (Boseley, 2014a). Boseley (2014a) further explains that the causes of cancer, which include obesity, alcohol abuse and sugar intake, will increase the cancer cases which could reach 25 million a year over the period of next 20 years as warned by the World Health Organisation. Moreover, the cases of diabetes and heart diseases will also increase as many adults do not give much consideration to their health and related issues as well.

Aggregately, their rise will put more burden on the United Kingdom’s health index and health expenditure as more and more patients will register their case and take essential medical care and treatment from the primary health care units and other health venues. Obesity and weight gain are closely linked with psychological ill health (Ternouth et al., 2009). Healthy body and mind are highly essential for performing routine personal, social and professional activities and these activities are only effectively performed if mind properly regulates the supply of energy and other food requirements of different body parts and at the same time maintains psychological balance by avoiding any disorder.

However, recent food eating habits and modern lifestyle prompt obesity and weight gain which create problems for mind and also severely affect the psychological balance. This graph clearly demonstrates the growing level of obese