Obesity and Health Promotion Program - Essay Example

Health Promotion Program Health Promotion Program 1 Introduction 1 Health Promotion Program 2 Obesity and Health Promotion Program 3 Theoretical Basis for the Health Promotion Program 4 Programme Objective 5 Obesity: Causes 6 Age groups and Target Audience 9 Demographics and Cultural appropriateness 9 Program Development: Management 10 Effectiveness of the Program’s strategies 12 Reference 13 Introduction Health is an important issue, and the role that the health sector has played in the maintenance of the society has increased in the past century. The state today is getting more and more involved in the promotion of the health sector among the citizens, and there are various diseases that are emerging as global threats. Thus, the promotion of the health organization today is of great significance to ensure that these can be dealt with, so that a more healthy society can be established. It has been seen in the recent study of the society that the various sectors are developing faster as the demands for services are increasing rapidly. Promotion of health programs is important in the current global scenario as most of the individuals reflect the signs of some disease of the other without realizing it, and it is only through the establishment and promotion of various health programs that the individuals can be made aware of these problems and there can be ensured that these can be addressed. This holds true to almost all the spheres of public life including medicine. Due to the changes that have occurred within the society which today functions as one global unit it has been seen that there is an increasing trend of adopting the method of Epidemiological analysis for diseases that affect a large population so as to ensure that proper health care facilities are developed and more efficient medicinal practices can be established to ensure patient security, etc. Epidermiology is a practice which looks into the various factors that affect the fitness and illnesses of populations (pages 222-226 cited from Circulation Journal, 2006). It helps analyze and establish methods of preventive medicine which are based on logical research made on the basis of mass well being. Health Promotion Program Health promotion, as mentioned in the above section is an important part of the role that is today played by the state to ensure that a healthy society can be maintained and developed. The World Health Organization clearly defines health promotion in its Health Promotion Charter for a globalised world which was adopted by it in the year of 2005 at its Bangkok meet as “the process of enabling people to increase control over their health and its determinants, and thereby improve their health.” It is believed that the primary method through which this can be achieved is through the development of public policies which promote better life styles among the people (Lucas K, Lloyd BB, 2005). In the following paper there shall be conducted a detailed discussion on the development of a health care program in the country to address the growing problem of obesity in the nation (Ejerblad E, Fored CM, Lindblad P, Fryzek J, McLaughlin JK, Nyrén O, 2006). The Australian society has in place a highly developed institution that looks into the promotion of health, the Australian Health Promotion Association. The AHPA was incorporated in the year of 1988, and it functions as a professional body. It has under it a number of health promotion programs which deal with various problems including, heart diseases, obesity, abuse of alcohol, use and abuse of marijuana, and other problems that are wide spread in the Australian society. There also in place a number of other organizations in the society including the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation, the Australian Capital Territory Health, and other bodies. In fact in the year of 2008, the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission released a paper recommending a national health promotion agency. Obesity and Health Promotion Program Obesity is one of the most important threats that are facing the human society in the world today. Obesity has emerged as a strong reason for concern in the 21st century and is directly related to a number of other diseases, like heart problems, high blood pressure and diabetes. The problem is being faced by almost all nations around the globe, but its incidence has increased alarming in the countries of the United States of America, United Kingdom and Australia (Neovius K, Johansson K, Kark M, Neovius M, 2009). The word that is being used more and more often by doctors to describe the existence of obesity in our society is Epidemic. The health crisis can be easily recognised by the fact that the number of incidences of the disease that have been recognised in the country have increased by almost double since the year of 2003. The pace at which the cases of obesity are increasing has caused alarm among the health organizations and most of the organizations today are developing and establishing programs to ensure that this growing problem is being addressed and that its spread can be contained. Theoretical Basis for the Health Promotion Program In the following paper there shall be developed a well researched program that looks into the existing problem of obesity in the Australian society. Obesity is a medical condition in which the human body gathers an excessive amount of fat. It is usually calculated on the basis of the Body Mass Index of an individual. The Body Mass Index, the BMI that is, is calculated by the measurement of the weight with the height of an individual (Oreopoulos A, Padwal R, Norris CM, Mullen JC, Pretorius V, Kalantar-Zadeh K, 2008). If for an individual the BMI is higher than 30 kg/meter square then the person is considered obese. Obesity is problematic as it not only has a negative effect on the health of the individual but it also increases the chances of incidence of a number of diseases such as heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, breathing problems, and others. Before the health program to deal with the threat that obesity poses to the health of individuals in the Australian society is detailed and developed, there has to be studied the basis on which this program is being built on. Firstly, the threat and its extent have to be established (Goodman E, Adler NE, Daniels SR, Morrison JA, Slap GB, Dolan LM, 2003). There have been a number of studies that have been conducted, which clearly reflect that the cases of obesity have increased sharply in the Australian society in the past decade. In fact, the survey that was conducted by the World Health Organization in the year of 2007 clearly reflects that 67.4 percent of the Australian population was over weight. Australia is the third in the western world in the ranking of the population suffering from obesity (World Health Organization, 2005). Thus, it is of great importance that this growing problem is addressed. In the following section the program to address this will be developed. Programme Objective At the beginning of all programs there has to be clearly identified the various objectives that the program is looking at fulfilling. These then act as the directives on the basis of which the whole program is structured. The identification of the objectives is also important as it allows for the program to develop in a well structured manner with out any loss of direction. The objectives that the program looks to fulfil have been enlisted below: The first important objective that the program looks to fulfil is to identify the reasons for the existence of obesity and the causes of increase of incidence of obesity among the Australian society. The second objective that the program looks to fulfil is to establish the various methods through which the problem of obesity can be addressed; It also looks to ensure that the various life style changes that should be incorporated to develop a more healthy life are recognised and established; The program also aims at spreading awareness among the Australian society about the disease and its various effects on human beings; These are some of the objectives that the program aims at fulfilling so that a more health life style can be promoted among the Australian population. Obesity: Causes One of the most important objectives that have been recognised by the program is to clearly identify the reasons and causes of obesity among the people and establish the reason for the increasing incidence of obesity among the human population. In the following section of the paper these have been established and listed in a systematic order: One of the main reasons that have been recognised that leads to occurrence of obesity is the diet that is followed by an individual. There have been various studies that have been undertaken which clearly state that individuals who follow a diet which is high on the intake of empty calories (Ecosys Health, 1999). Studies have reflected that as the society became more energy dense and with the promotion of fast food meals, there was observed an increase in the fast food consumption which has a clear association with the increase of obesity. In fact it has been clearly stated that with the increased incidence of consumption of sweetened drinks has had a direct effect on the rising rates of obesity. Another important factor that has been recognised as a contributant to the increasing levels of obesity among the individuals is the development of a more sedentary lifestyle (Olsen NJ, Heitmann BL, 2009). There have been made a number of advancements that have been made in the technological field due to which the amount of strain that an individual had to undergo to complete takes has reduced considerable. Most of the individuals today face a lifestyle which is more mentally challenging but requires a minimum physical effort. Due to the development of such work place practices, where individuals have to sit at there work stations for hours there is very little physical movement which has lead to a decreased level of physical activity (Rosenheck R, 2008). Due to this the amount of calories that are burnt has reduced, which has lead to an increase in the body mass of individuals. Genetics has also seen to play an important role in the incidence of obesity among individuals. Scientific studies have reflected that there are certain individuals who are naturally heavier due to the fact that their genes are more prone to preserve the fat in the body and develop adipose tissues (Schmidt DS, Salahudeen AK, 2007). As is true with almost all medical conditions that are reaching epidemic levels in the world obesity is the result of the interplay that takes place between the genes of the individual and the environment. Polymorphisms in various genes controlling appetite and metabolism predispose to obesity when sufficient calories are present (The World Conference, Health Conference, 2005). As of 2006 more than 41 of these sites have been linked to the development of obesity when a favourable environment is present. There has to be realised that lifestyles also have a direct effect on the cases of obesity. In fact most of the scholars believe that the above stated factors are not as crucial to the increase in the cases of obesity in individuals as due to the adoption of unhealthy lifestyles. It has been clearly realised that the newly developed lifestyles that are becoming more and more prevalent in the society has led to the increase of obesity (Dunn A, 2003). These include habits like smoking, suffering from hyper tension, environmental pollutants, increased usage of medicines and others all contribute to an increase in weight among the individuals. These are the various causes that have been identified by the program which cause the increase incidences of obesity among the Australian population. Age groups and Target Audience To ensure that the program is a success there has to be ensured that there is a clear recognition of the target audience of the program. The fact is that the program will only be as effective as its ability to reach out to the people. Thus, there has to be ensured that the target audience is recognised. The program is clearly aimed at addressing the problems of those who are over weight. Thus, its target audience would be individuals who work long hours in the offices, those who are working out at the gyms, those who are frequenting fast food joints (Salmon J, Timperio A, 2007). Thus, flyers about the program can be posted at such spaces, including malls, food courts, and others. The age groups that have to be targeted would mainly be adults as studies that were conducted in the year of 2005 by the National Health Survey reflect that 53.6% of the Australian population is over weight of which almost 18 percent fall into the obese category. These include mainly the age groups between 30 years to 48 years (Shick SM, Wing RR, Klem ML, McGuire MT, Hill JO, Seagle, 1998). Thus, the Program will be targeted to addressing these individuals. The children also have to be targeted, as these have been on the increase in the new millennium. Almost 12 percent of the children have been surveyed to be obese in the year of 2007. Demographics and Cultural appropriateness The survey that was conducted by the National Health survey in the year of 2005 clearly reflects that the incidence of obesity is much higher in the urban areas than in the rural areas. Thus the area where the program will focus will mainly be in the urban areas. Also the survey reflected that the incidence of obesity was almost double in South Australia in comparison to the northern region (Gwinup G, 1987). Also it has been seen that the immigrants have an increased chance of being obese in comparison with the white Australian. First-generation immigrants to Australia have handled the rise in obesity and its related factors worse, than white Australians or Australians of foreign ancestry whose families have been in the country at least two generations (Choi HK, Atkinson K, Karlson EW, Curhan G, 2005). A study conducted by the International Diabetes Institute at Monash University showed that Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Middle Eastern immigrants who moved to Australia were diagnosed with diabetes at a higher level than the average. It is believed that this is due to the fact that they are exposed to the western fooding habits which their metabolism is not accustomed to leading to increased incidences of obesity. Program Development: Management The program will look at addressing the problem of obesity. The program will adopt the following methods to address the growing medical concern. The program will firstly look to spread information about the disease as most of the people are not aware about the disease, and its various symptoms. This can be done through printing and distribution of flyers. Secondly, there can be held work shops and health promotion programs in offices and schools so that the target audience can be accessed. At these work shops and programmes there can be discussed various methods that can be adopted to ensure that obesity can be reduced (Ryan S, Bita N, 2009). These include most importantly exercising which will help increase the metabolic rate of the individual bodies. Also, awareness about the importance of balanced diet has to be discussed and knowledge about balanced diet has to be developed among the groups. The next important step that can be carried out by the program is that they can advertise in the print media as well as through the electronic media the importance of a balanced diet and exercise so that the individuals can be made more aware. Medications that help deal with obesity can be distributed among those who have been diagnosed for free (Bigal ME, Lipton RB, 2008). These medications include orlistat (Xenical), which reduces intestinal fat absorption by inhibiting pancreatic lipase; the other is sibutramine (Meridia), which acts in the brain to inhibit deactivation of the neurotransmittersnorepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine (very similar to some anti-depressants), therefore decreasing appetite. Rimonabant (Acomplia), a third drug, works via a specific blockade of the endocannabinoid system. It has been developed from the knowledge that cannabis smokers often experience hunger. Also a number of weight loss programs can be endorsed by the program so that individuals can be motivated to loose weight including programs such as weight watchers, Over eaters, and others. These are some of the steps that can be incorporated by the program to ensure that the problem of incidence of obesity among the individuals in the society can be suitably addressed. Effectiveness of the Program’s strategies In the following section of the paper there shall be carried out a discussion on the effectiveness of the strategies that have been adopted to ensure that the spread and incidence of obesity in the Australian society can be controlled and reduced. These have been enlisted below: The first fact that has to be realised while studying and analysing the program is that it draws on the various resources that are present in the society and at its disposal (C Collegian). It makes the use of the media, the various places which are frequented by the people to help communicate to the people about the disease and make them more aware of the existing problem. The fact that the program makes use of flyers to communicate to the people ensures that a wider audience is addressed (Strieber L, 2007). It is not just confined to a certain area but is effectively reaching out to a wide mass of the Australian population. The effectiveness of the program is also underlined in the fact that it taps into the social groups that are most likely to be suffering from the disease or in the danger of exposure due to inactivity like the office going individuals and students of school. The importance of physical activity is thus communicated to the target audience in a more effective manner. Reference Bigal ME, Lipton RB (2008). Obesity and chronic daily headache. Curr Pain Headache Rep Vol 12 (1); pp 56–6. 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