Health Promotion and Education - Essay Example

Health promotion and education Health is the of functionalism in the metabolic efficiency in a given organism. Commonly it refers to the general condition of the mind and body of a given person. It gives a chance to be free from illness or disease. Health promotion is an activity that gives people an opportunity to have control over their health. There are several ways in which health promotion is done. Primarily, health promotion is done through providence of public health policies that address health issues such as income, employment, quality working conditions and food security. Health promotion and education are induced in the public since it offers variety of advantage. Firstly, it creates awareness among the public to have or make better health choices.. In a population that has lost hope in their health, they never mind what they do, what they eat even if it affects their health. Additionally, they never get the importance of health. Through health promotions and education, this population finds it easy to define the key importance of health. This makes them make better choices of adhering to health policies and regulations. The world would be at a better place if everybody adheres to health policies and regulations. This is because no one would be found sick or unhealthy thus no work would be avoided or postponed just because someone is sick. If people continue working, the Gross Domestic Product of a given country increases which develops the individual, the country and the world at large (Barić, Leo and Lorraine, 2006, 456). Secondly, health promotion and education promotes community participation in health services. An idle mind is a devil’s workshop. Idleness is the key factor that brings out criminal activities in the world. For example, how will somebody who is the key provider of the family hence has no job or business to indulge in so as he/she gets income survive or provide for the family? This person has the responsibility of providing for his/her family yet he/she has no income activity. This is pressure that may lead to suicide or heart attacks, stress or high pressure which later kills him. The only means to evade this is to find a way of making this idle people busy. That is why health promotion is introduced. At least this keeps them busy and even some people are employed to provide civil education about health and health issues. At this time, no one has time to plan evil deeds against his fellow community members but has a heart of teaching and educating them (Bull, Sheana and Mary, 2011, 201). However, this approach has its own disadvantages. First of all, it is a long time approach. This approach cannot be initiated and implemented at the same time. What are the effects on the community before this approach gets strong? Despite the fact that this approach creates awareness, its slow nature would turn the community upside down. The community would have lost hope in the approach or in health by the time this approach picks up. This is because it needs strategies and methodologies which take time in implementing. Physicalactivity, exercise and fitness . Physical activity is any motion of the body produced by skeletal muscles that brings energy expenditure. Physical activity can be branched in to either occupational, sports, household, conditioning or other activities. This keeps the body muscles and hormones active for production and energy hence keeps the body active (Healey, 2007, 33). Physical exercise is a division of physical activity that has a planned, structured and repetitive schedule which has an intermediate objective of improving and maintaining physical fitness (Sadgrove, 2000, 23). On the other hand, physical fitness is a group of attributes or characteristics that are of either health based or skill based. These attributes differ in the degree of tests. Both exercise and physical fitness enhance body structure and flexibility. With this in mind, the body immune system is increased and or maintained. This helps to keep the body fit health wise and physical wise. For a person to be a healthy person he/she must observe his/her diet and most of all be physical fit by doing exercises and physical activities. This will make him/her mentally and bodily active and flexible (Libal, 2006, 56). Change for Life campaign- Advantages Change for life is a campaign that opts to help the public in building the immune systems of public members and also improve on their health. This campaign included the fruit and vegetable boost. This was a plan for 28 days that help individuals to take steps of eating more fruits and vegetables. These helped individuals to gain minerals and nutrients that are very important in the body. The campaign offered several methods or plans in undertaking this important step. The choice was laid for the individuals to pick but the individuals were advised on picking the right plan as according to their health status and other factors. This step was meant to be efficient only if the right plan was picked but choice of a wrong plan could lead to worse results. With reference to the functional perspective, the change for life campaign has its own advantages (Davies, 2001, 333). Firstly, the campaign gives healthy tips on eating diets. This is shown by the innovation of the fruit and vegetable plan. This provides individuals with tips and plans on how to consume fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables contain important vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin C and several vitamins B1 to B12 (Watson, 2001, 465). Vitamin A is very important since helps in cell reproduction. Additionally, it enhances stimulation of immunity in that it is responsible for hormone formation. It also helps in vision and promotes the growth of bones and the development of teeth. Lastly it has better effects on the skin. Vitamin C works as an antioxidant which gives a protective role to the body tissues so as these tissues are not subjected to damage. The campaign helps individuals on ways of acquiring such nutrients in the body by providing the fruit and vegetable plan (Edelman, Carole and Carol, 2001, 210). Another advantage provided by the campaign is the confidence in individuals. The term change for life builds confidence among individuals that they need change. This change is up to improving their health and life in general. One who had given up in life would feel alive and healthy when such a campaign is initiated. For example, those individuals who are infected with HIV/AIDS and had lost hope in life have the opportunity of believing in life again. This is because the title brings confidence in them that their health will be improved and thus has a longer life span. Additionally, the programs offered also help these infected individuals a step of improving their immune system. The program such as the fruit and vegetable is a perfect one for such individuals since they need fruits and vegetables to boost their immune system and hence elongate their life span on earth (Haymaker, Margaret, and Marion, 1991, 303). This campaign is a participatory campaign which offers the community a opportunity to take part and give thoughts on how to improving and maintaining the health status of individuals in the community. This is by calling upon volunteers in providing health advises and civil education on the programs offered by the campaign. This creates a better picture which enables the community to understand the fundamentals of the campaign. This ensures that the community provides service for itself hence making the community to believe in the programs offered. As a result of this, the community gains experience in health service and may cater for themselves in future (Pérez, and Raffy, 2008, 546). The campaign creates an opportunity where people develop their economic life. With the introduction of fruit and vegetables program, people opt to grow fruits and vegetables to make sure sufficient supply in the community. Meaning the community does not require to buy fruits or vegetables from other countries to stand for the program. Additionally, the growing of fruits and vegetables may generate income for some individuals since they may sell and gain some cash. This can be used to support families and acquire medical or health services. This means that the campaign is not close ended but it is a diverse campaign which does not only focus on health but also on the economy of the country. Change for Life campaign- Disadvantages However, this campaign also has its own disadvantages as based on the Marxist perspective. Firstly, this campaign opts to fit a certain social class. Several programs offered in the campaign supports and fit a certain lifestyle. Mostly it fits a group of individuals who have a pleasant income. But what of those individuals who have no income? They are disadvantaged since they will never feel the benefit of this program. For example the fruit and vegetable program, only well off individuals are able to buy and acquire fruits and vegetables as plan of their diet. They may eat fruits in the morning, in the afternoon and even in the evening. They have no problem when it comes to having money to buy different varieties of fruits or vegetables to sustain themselves (Pender, and Albert, 1996, 111). However, there are individuals who have no specific or even no salary at all. They may at times go a whole day without food. Now if this type of individual goes a whole day without food, where will he/she get money to buy fruits or specified vegetables? Additionally, some have little incomes and they may not be able to buy variety of fruits and vegetables like wealthy individuals. Even though they might consume fruits, they are fixed on one type of fruit which is not very healthy. This means that the campaign only fits the wealthy individuals or families. The change for life campaign is also generally expensive. The resources, materials and manpower needed to support the campaign are generally expensive. For example for the fruit and vegetable program, a professional nutritionist is needed to give guidance on how fruits and vegetables should be consumed. Here the nutritionist gives the prescription on how this fruits and vegetables should be taken in for them to be important in the body. The price of hiring a nutritionist is highly expensive. Additionally, this program needs to be advertised be it on website, radio, televisions, social sites such twitter and Facebook, posters and fliers. The price of doing such advertisements is also highly expensive. Additionally, this whole process can be done but its target may not be achieved. Despite the fact that the advertisements are made, it does not mean that all individuals access radios, televisions or the internet. Some individuals come from interior regions where access may be difficult. Somehow these individuals from interior regions are the vulnerable target group so if the information doesn’t reach this group then the campaign will not achieve its goals. Bibliography Barić, Leo, and Lorraine F. Barić. Health promotion and health education.Altrincham: Barns., 2006. Bull, Sheana, and Mary McFarlane.Technology-based health promotion. Los Angeles, [Calif.: SAGE, 2011. Chenoweth, David H.. Worksite health promotion. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 1998. Corcoran, Nova. Communicating health strategies for health promotion. Los Angeles: SAGE, 2007. Davies, Maggie. Health promotion theory. Maidenhead: Open University Press, 2006. Edelman, Carole, and Carol Lynn Mandle.Health promotion throughout the life span. Sixth ed. New York: open university press, 2001. Haymaker, Sharon R., Margaret Hayes, and Marion A. Phipps. Health promotion. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, 1991. Healey, Justin. Physical activity.Thirroul, N.S.W.: Spinney Press, 2007. "Healthy food & activity tips for you & your kids | Change4Life." Healthy food & activity tips for you & your kids | Change4Life. http://www.nhs.uk/change4life/Pages/change-for-life.aspx (accessed April 20, 2014). Koelen, Maria A., and A. W. van den Ban.Health education and health promotion.Wageningen, Netherlands: Wageningen Academic Publishers, 2004. Libal, Autumn. The importance of physical activity and exercise: the fitness factor. Philadelphia: Mason Crest Publishers, 2006. Pender, Nola J., and Albert R. Pender.Health promotion in nursing practice. 3rd ed. Stamford, Conn.: Appleton & Lange, 1996. Pérez, Miguel A., and Raffy R. Luquis.Cultural competence in health education and health promotion. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2008. Sadgrove, Judy. Exercise. Austin, Tex.: RaintreeSteck-Vaughn, 2000. Watson, Jonathan. Researching health promotion. London: Routledge, 2000. Read More