Purposes of a Health Promotion Program - Essay Example

Describe the concept and purposes of a health promotion program. Examine a current health promotion program, which is based in Australia on a theoretical basic Jenny Craig Health Promotion Program Introduction: In Australia obesity has gained enormous proportions and the conditions afflicts all – adults; including both men and women and children too. According to Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) as per the mid-nineties statistics 16% of girls and 15.3% of boys were overweight, and that was nearly 33% more than the mid eighties. (AIWH, 2006). These children, by now, would have presumably grown into obese adults. On a historical note, obesity has been termed as an epidemic in Australia, a country that ranks 21st in the list of most obese nations the world over. What is very astounding and alarming is that obesity in Australia has more than doubled preceding the year 2003. Word Health Organization estimates that more than 67% of Australian men are obese, which is as much as two times than that of 1995 statistics. First generation Australians are said to have contained obesity among themselves to a great extent as compared to Australians of foreign ancestry or while Australians. This paper is going to discuss in detail obesity among Australians; including men, women and children; how the condition has progressed over the years and how weight control programmes and measures have been brought in, implemented, succeeded and failed with special emphasis on Jenny Craig Health Promotion Program. Consequently millions pay to join a commercial weight loss program. There are plenty of programs from within which this choice is to be made: these include Jenny Craig, Optifast, Medifast, Health Management Resources (HMR), Physicians Weight Loss centers, diet center, united weight Control Corporation, Nutri/Systm, Herbalife, Dick Gregory’s Bahamian Diet, Slim Time and Weight Loss Centre among many others. Obesity is one of the primary problems with respect to the management of public health, given the fact that the obesity epidemic as it is better known, has been widely acknowledged as a problem. People who are overweight are usually associated with problems like type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke hypertension, dyslipidemia, sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis (Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, McDowell MA, Tabak CA, Flegal KM, 2006). Numerous approaches have been used to manage the disease without much success. The lifestyle management of obesity has been shown to be efficacious for successful weight loss and maintenance (Tyler, Johnston and Foreyt, 2007). Diet, physical activity, and behavior modification are the key strategies used in lifestyle programs.   The following analysis will bring forward the many facets that are attached to one of the better known and more successful weight management programs around the world-with a presence in over 6 countries and over 800 outlets promoting the business. The Jenny Craig Weight Loss programme is one of the most used and talked about weight loss programmes in the world. The discussion will analyse its many aspects. Jenny Craig Weight loss: The program As the prevalence of obesity reaches epidemic proportions in the developed countries of the world backed by lifestyles that favor junk food over healthy eating habits. Also where pizzas and burgers are an accepted dinner, the need for effective methods of inducing and maintaining weight loss for the reinforcement of a healthy lifestyle becomes evident (Goldstein, 1992). The Jenny Craig program is in the promoter’s own words, "a weight-loss program that involves nutritional guidance, pre-packaged food, exercise and behavior modification” (BusinessWeek Report, 1999). Research studies have found over the years that the Jenny Craig program when instituted through a randomized controlled trial have indicated that Jenny Craig participants lost 7.1 per cent of initial weight after a year, compared to 0.7 per cent in the usual care group. It is in the context of this research that one can assume that the program along with some other programs might be an appropriate first step for individuals who have failed to reduce on their own with diet and exercise. A substantial minority of individuals can even be expected to lose 5 per cent or more of their initial weight, a loss that could prevent or ameliorate health complications. (Peter Kopelman, 2009) Jenny Craig, Inc. is a member of the Partnership or Healthy Weight Management founded in 1983 (Stern and Kazaks, 2009). It is the second largest non-medical commercial weight loss program in the United States. Internationally, there are over 600 Jenny Craig Weight Loss Centers. The diet plan offers programs of different durations with costs that vary accordingly. Unlike members of Weight Watchers, which is another programme, who participate in group meetings, Jenny Craig clients meet individually with a consultant (Wadden and Stunkard, 2002). The consultant is a layperson trained by the company who might or might not have personal or professional experience with weight loss. During the initial visits the consultant creates a structured menu of Jenny Craig foods (1, 000-2, 3000 kcal/day) including vegetarian or low carbohydrate meal plans if desired, and creates a walking program tailored to the individual (Jenny Craig, 2000). Clients are encouraged to increase their baseline activity levels with programmed walking and taught to modify behavior such as by eating smaller portions. Upon reaching their goal weight, clients may continue to attend Jenny Craig for weight maintenance. (Thomas A. Wadden, Albert J. Stunkard, 2004,) The company itself functions through a chain of outlets that range from being company owned to sub-let franchises spanning a global empire with a presence in countries like United States of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Puerto Rico. Jenny Craig also provides weight loss manuals and other diet materials, plus, by joining the Jenny Direct Community clients can find a weight loss buddy via the company's online bulletin boards. (Anne Collins, 2010) In a given week, around 150, 000 unique customers follow a Jenny Craig program. The add on factors that the program includes are made of information that is available to customers on personal weight tracking, lifestyle planning and selected recipes through the company’s myJenny online services. (JennyCraig.com, 2010) The website also features 80 popular food products such as Jenny’s cuisine breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack items as well as sauces, dressing, 13 cookbooks and exercise videos. The company also produces and markets DVDs, journals, CDs and workout accessories. The YourStyle program offers a flexible customized weight management plan with a greater variety of menu choices (Kopelman, Caterson and Dietz, 2009). In July, 2008 the firm signed an exclusive global license agreement to use Dr Barbara Rolls’ proprietary Volumetric Approach to diet and weight loss (Plunkett, 2009). The company also offers its employees life and AD&D (Accidental Death and Dismemberment) insurance in terms of an employee assistance program, medical, dental, prescription and vision insurance, long term disability insurance and company discounts. The various manner of being a part of the Jenny Craig program therefore are inclusive of steps such as attending a Jenny Craig Center, by joining the Jenny Craig Direct At-Home Program, planning the Calories and Weight Loss, reading up and incorporating menu plans as an everyday part of the eating menu. One of the positives of the program is that the menus are health-balanced in accordance with the recommendations of the USDA Food Guide Pyramid and U.S. Dietary Guidelines. The food that is supplied as part of the program is shipped via UPS taking a usual time ranging 5-7 days to reach a given household. (Jenny Craig Diet Review, 2010) The Jenny Craig Program is based on the consumption of pre-packaged meals. This is very convenient to begin with but this close dietary supervision can cause problems once the diet ends. The dieter may not be ready to "go it alone." To put it another way, short-term weight loss goals take priority over the need to learn new eating habits. The Jenny Craig Program requires clients to purchase Jenny Craig food products, which are more expensive than the pre-packaged meals in a standard food store. Phase One of the program requires clients to purchase a set number of meals, which can cost up to $400. The issue of costs is not helped by the Jenny Craig web site, which appears to offer almost no hard information on costs. (Anne Collins, 2010) Theoretical basis of the program Jenny Craig incorporates cognitive behavioral strategies including realistic goal setting, tracking of food intake and activity, controlling environmental cues that promote unplanned eating, problem solving, dealing with emotional eating and cognitive restoring (Fletcher and Wyatt, 2007). The greater goal of the Jenny Craig Adolescent Program is to help participants develop healthy attitudes around food and physical activity versus loses a specific amount of weight. Objectives of Jenny Craig program: The stated objectives of the Jenny Craig program are backed by the need to promote a healthier lifestyle in keeping with healthy eating habits and the adoption and integration of an exercise plan within the individual’s daily routine. The program objectives are mired deep within the fact that it the individual be able to set a realistic weight-loss goal and then help the individual in crafting a plan to successfully achieve that goal. The program is not just a weight loss plan but its stated objectives are on training people on the management of food, feelings, and fitness. (JennyCraig.com) Program objectives as stated on the company website state that the plan uses a comprehensive food/body/mind approach to long-term weight management by helping clients create a healthy relationship with food, build an active lifestyle and develop a balanced approach to living. (JennyCraig.com). Target audience This whole section maybe reduce The program has tried to institute a certain level of change where the perceptions regarding its image are concerned, this one has to understand in the context of the fact that the program is trying to graduate from a simple weight loss plan to a plan of a healthy lifestyle and a weight management. Keeping this basic change of perceptions and aims in mind the program has gone on an overdrive regarding attraction of customer through celebrity endorsements. Recently, Queen Latifah was brought on board as another company spokesperson, no doubt in an effort to reach out to an entirely new market. The 37 year old Oscar-nominated star is the latest recruit. “We are thrilled to have Queen Latifah support our mission of improving health by taking her first step toward achieving a more healthful lifestyle,” said a company spokesperson. “Queen Latifah joins forces with Jenny Craig to communicate the importance of how small lifestyle changes, in the areas of diet and exercise, can have positive effects on overall health.” (Anne Lu, 2007) This change is accompanied by a desired change in the company’s outlook in terms of what it seeks to present itself as. The idea of linking weight loss to healthy lifestyle is a novel one where Jenny Craig is concerned, and is reflective of its changing target audience. The target now is the younger group, extending to teenagers, with the on board endorsements with celebrities like Queen Latifa who talks of trying to be healthy more than wanting to lose weight. (Anne Lu, 2007) Demographics of program Not allowed to join the program are individuals that are underweight, pregnant or those below thirteen. It is also forbidden for those suffering from celiac disease, diabetes (who injects more than twice daily) or those who are under 18 years of age. Also not allowed within the purview of the program are those with allergies to ubiquitous ingredients in company food products (Thomas, 1995). Beside the purely health based perspective, the program has its basic demographic targets in the context of women that are young aged between thirty-five and forty-two. The recent additions show that there are demands within a company to extend the demographics to the younger age group such as the twenty-five-year-old group. Cultural appropriateness: The modern pop culture trained society links beauty to being thin. This is manifested in the many skinny women who walk the ramp, the many pretty faces that jump at you the minute one peeks into a fashion magazine. Being thin is considered beautiful; most of the cultural importance attached with the concept of a thin, well-toned body is one that could be understood as being far away from concerns over health and fitness. The core of the syndrome is conscientious effort at weight loss, paralleled with self-control (in resistance to food temptations) all leading to the emaciation of the body. Becoming thin becomes a personally set and obsessive goal- and yet the reaching of the goal does not liberate the person but ends up making them self punitive (Valsiner, 2005). In such a scenario, a program that advertises weight loss is often to be perceived with a pinch of the proverbial salt. The Jenny Craig program however in the recent years at least with the self-imposed graduation from a weight loss to a health management program is to be credited with the public association of weight loss with a healthy lifestyle. (JennyCraig.com). Relevance of strategies and appropriate use of resources The Jenny Craig weight loss program is based on the fulfillment of three essential criteria. One can identify strategies in this context. First, the program expects the member to cut back on calories by eating three meals a day that have been planned and made by Jenny Craig. This keeps a tab on the calories being consumed by the individual and the second aspect is to drink as much water as possible-at least eight glasses in a day. The third strategy is that of physical exercise-this could be made up of fast walks or steps climbed. The program also allows people to prepare their own meals but foods have shown to help them stick with the diet. (AARP.org, 2006) With respect to the relevance of strategies and the usefulness of resources one has to countenance the fact the program is in actuality expensive and seeks to help people in weight reduction primarily through selling food. The bottom-line in this context remains that one can control diets even if one were to prepare their own meals and the amounts that are to be spent in buying the foods comes across as a waste. One would at times then end up paying for things that one does not really need given the fact that cutting calories and need for more exercise does not for all aims and purposes require professional help. Holistic Merits Clients use several program guides to learn cognitive behavioral techniques for relapse prevention and problem management for lifestyle changes. Based in individual priorities, clients address a number of factors involved with weight management such as exercise, which is addressed through a physical activity module and a walking program. Individual consultations; group workshops are used in providing motivation and peer exchanges. The Lifestyle Maintenance program addresses issues such as body image and maintaining motivation to exercise. The program finds holistic appreciation given the fact that most clients are encouraged to set reasonable weight goals based on personal history and healthy weight standards. The program is designed to produce weight loss of 1-2 pounds a week. (JennyCraig.com) Effectiveness of program There have been several scientific studies that have been carried out in order to study the effectiveness of the Jenny Craig program in terms of a method of weight loss and management. In a recent survey study that attempted to research this, the 2005 North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO) Annual Scientific Meeting, found that the program had high chances of inducing significant weight loss in the initial period of the plan as compared to self-help plus brief diet counseling (Jenny Craig Report, 2005). Preliminary results showed that Jenny Craig subjects lost approximately 8% of their initial weight at 6 months, as compared to the less than 1% of initial weight loss experienced by those who had usual care alone. It was also found by the study that the program was not just useful for short term weight loss but also in promoting a healthy heart, given the fact that the program affects a large scale reduction in triglycerides and improved cardiopulmonary fitness. (Mark Cucuzzella, Peter C. Smith, Joan Nashelsky, 2004) Conclusion: In conclusion one could effectively term the jenny Craig Weight Loss Program as one of the more glamorous programs of weight loss and management that are available in an over brimming bouquet. One of the primary features that make the program appealing is its suave packaging and clever marketing promoted by astute business sense. In all objectivity one could state that with respect to its effectiveness as a program of health promotion and weight management, the essence of the program leave a lot to be desired in terms of its holistic effectiveness. The recorded high attrition rates are also proof of the fact that the program is difficult to stick to in the long term. Characterized by celebrity endorsement, it would have many sympathizers, and one would therefore conclude the discussion by stating that the plan if used for weight loss followed by constant exercise and cleaver eating manipulations could do wonders for a person’s health management plan. References: Wadden, T. A, and Stunkard, A. J, (2002). Handbook of obesity treatment. Guilford Press. Lu , A.(2007). Queen Latifa Works Out with Jenny Craig, Online at http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7009502415, Retrieved on April 25 2010 Blackburn, G. L, (1995). ‘Effects of degree of weight loss on health benefits’. International Journal of Obesity. Vol.16. 397-416 Brown, S. P, Miller, W. C, and Eason, J. M, (2006). Exercise Physiology: Basis of Human Movement in Health and Disease. Wolters Kluwer Health. USA BusinessWeek Report, (1999). How Jenny Craig Turned a Weight Problem into a Business Colossus. Retrived April 20, 2010, < http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/news/coladvice/book/bk990528.htm> Fletcher, A. M, and Wyatt, J, (2007). Weight Loss Confidential: How Teens Lose Weight and Keep It Off. A1 books. p199 Goldstein, D.J, (1992). ‘Beneficial Effects of modest weight loss’. Obesity Journal. 3(2). Pp2135-2165 Gallagher D, Heymsfield SB, Heo M, et al. Healthy percentage body fat ranges: an approach for developing guidelines based on body mass index. Am J Clin Nutr. Sep 2000;72(3):694-701. Author please italics title of the book Jenny Craig Kicks Off Diet Season with Attention-Grabbing Ads and a New Attitude. Retrieved April 21, 2010, < http://www.jennycraig.com/corporate/media/news/detail/201099> Jenny Craig Aims to Snare Early Dieters. 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Plunkett's Food Industry Almanac 2009 (E-Book). Plunkett Research. P610 Peter Kopelman, Ian Caterson, William Dietz, 2009, Clinical Obesity in Adults and Children, Wiley Books, USA Stern, J. S, and Kazaks, A, (2009). Obesity: a reference handbook. ABC-CLIO Publishing. p157 Press Note, Study Shows Greater Initial Weight Loss with Jenny Craig Program Compared to Self-Help Counseling. Retrieved April 21, 2010, < http://www.worldcongress.com/events/nw665/pdf/jennyCraig1.pdf> Thomas, P. R, (1995). Weighing the options: criteria for evaluating weight-management programs. National Academies Press. p70 The Practical Guide: Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults; NHLBI. http://www.naaso.org/information/practicalguide.asp. Nov. 2005 Tyler C, Johnston C A and Foreyt J P, 2007, Themed Review: Lifestyle Management of Obesity, pub, American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, Vol.1 No.6, pp423-429 Thomas A. Wadden, Albert J. Stunkard, 2004, Handbook of obesity treatment, Page 399 Valsiner, J, (2005). Culture and human development: an introduction. Sage Publications. Weight-loss programs, 2006. Online at http://www.aarp.org/health/conditions/articles/harvard__weigh-less-live-longer-strategies-for-successful-weight-loss_7.html, Accessed on April 25 2010 Read More