Prevalence of Childhood Obesity in Australia
Disucuss about the Obestiy.
Obesity is one of the biggest public health issues that are concerning communities and families across the country. In about 70% of the countries, obesity has become an epidemic and rated as one of the priority health issues worldwide (Flegal and Ogden 2011). In the last decade, national obesity rate has increased especially among the age group 4-17 year olds referred as childhood obesity as compared to adult population (Smith and Smith 2016). In Australia, childhood obesity rates have increased with an estimated rate of 18.5% among children although rates vary among different age groups and rising along with age (Swinburn and Wood 2013). Obesity rates have tripled among children as compared to adults and countries are developing strategies to counter this public health issue. Children are consuming high calorie foods and beverages more than body consumption along with less physical activity that is resulting is extra weight gain over time. Eating, physical activity behaviours, metabolism, short sleep and community design contribute to childhood obesity. Obese children are at high risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, sleep apnea eating disorders, cardiomyopathy that greatly influence their physical and psychological health (Lloyd, Langley-Evans and McMullen 2012). Obesity prevention is important, as childhood obesity is associated with poor academic performance and increasing risk for depression. There is need for healthy lifestyle and plenty of active play so that children grow and learn to their full potential. Therefore, the following essay focuses on childhood obesity as a public issue and established government strategies addressing it along with role of nurse in implementing this strategy for childhood prevention while working with modern families and communities in Australia.
There is increasing rates of childhood obesity witnessed in Australia where every one in four children is obese or overweight. For Australians children between the ages 4 to 17 years, obesity is a serious and concerning conditions, that is affecting their physical and psychological well-being due to poor self-esteem and stigmatization. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Australians ranked 10 out of 40 countries where children are obese accounting for 24% of obese children (Millar et al. 2011). Childhood obesity is associated with long-term effects that hinder longevity of individuals and predispose to serious diseases during adulthood. The causes of childhood obesity are a combination of socio-environmental as well as individual choices along with genetic factors. According to the Australian Health Survey, genetics play a vital role in the determination of genetics as 90% of Australians were at risk of obesity as their mothers had epigenetic modifications at the time of pregnancy (Sanders et al. 2015).
Causes and Effects of Childhood Obesity
The reason for childhood obesity being a serious public issue faced by modern families is that it is greatly influenced by diet and parents. Parents and teachers play an important role in influencing children to develop liking for food and unhealthy diet can have negative effect on their growth and development during the early years (Mitchell et al. 2013). However, the scenario is different; as parents do not motivate their children to develop an intrinsic for healthy foods rather they prefer to eat high carbohydrate content foods. As a result, they are predisposed to sedentary lifestyle and increased risk of overweight or obesity. In Australia, more than 1.2 million children between the ages 3 to 17 years were obese especially prevalent among low socioeconomic groups with 34.7% obese children as compared to 22.3% in high socioeconomic groups (Schultz 2012). Furthermore, obesity rates are high among the indigenous children in Australia contributing to 10% as compared to 6% non-indigenous children. This statistics illustrates that overweight and obesity is prevalent among children belonging to socioeconomic disadvantaged areas observed by the remoteness of the area (ncci.canceraustralia.gov.au 2017). Therefore, there is need for strategy to address this issue that is faced by modern families in Australia.
Groups like Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (TSI) tend to have higher number of overweight children as compared to non-indigenous people accounting to 20% to 25% of the total population (O’Dea and Dibley 2014). This statistics highlight the fact that disadvantaged area in Australia need to be targeted as prevailing overweight condition among indigenous children can increase the chances of developing medical conditions like diabetes, breathlessness, tiredness, exertion, flat feet and heat tolerance. As a result, children are vulnerable to decreased self-confidence and self-esteem having a negative impact on their proper growth and development. The Australian government need to understand the consequences of increasing rates of childhood obesity faced by modern families and reset their understanding regarding normal weight as there is a disconnect in the society of what normal weight means. It is difficult to raise healthy weight within the modern Australian families, as they are unable to understand the negative impact of overweight or obese condition on the physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing of their children (Rawlins et al. 2013).
Another reason for selecting this topic is that obesity treatment is not equitable in Australia. There is an insidious problem that is associated with obesity crisis is the uneven distribution of prevention and treatment of obesity especially among children belonging to disadvantaged groups. This fact illustrates that Australia is facing the most significant health issue as obese children predispose to become obese adults and it is greatly required to normalize weight and inculcate healthy eating among them (Pulgarón 2013). Healthy practices that would be established during the early years of their life like physical exercise and balanced diet continued through adolescence and adulthood can help in preventing and reducing the risk of developing chronic disease conditions. It is important to identify and reverse this condition before the children reach adulthood as obesity has serious negative impact on how children view themselves and interact with their peers in turn influencing their aspects of life like competency at schools and friendship development. Through this assignment, serious health issue of childhood obesity can be highlighted faced by modern Australian families and better support through established government strategy involving the role of nurses in the implementation while working with them.
Unequal Distribution of Obesity Prevention and Treatment
Considering the greatest public health issue of childhood obesity confronted by Australia, the government has developed a national strategy of National Prevention Health Strategy, Obesity in Australia: a need for urgent action by National Preventative Health Taskforce in May 2009. This Taskforce provides initiatives and recommendations along with actions that can contribute to informing and enhancing work of The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) National Partnership on Preventive Health in the targeted area that in turn provide effective and sustainable national response to obesity and overweight in Australia (health.gov.au 2018). The main target area is prevention of obesity in Australia, although there is no singular approach or simple solution to prevent it (Sallis, Owen and Fisher 2015). Learning by doing approach or staged trialling that comprises of interventions followed by monitoring and evaluation can be helpful in preventing childhood obesity. Another approach is behaviour change that acts as essential component in fighting childhood obesity, however it is a complex process for children as it extends beyond their education and information provision.
The aim of this national strategy is to reverse and halt the rise in obesity and overweight condition in Australia with a purpose of establishing Healthy Australia by 2020. There are ranges of targets that have been agreed by COAG relevant to childhood obesity that are routinely monitored, evaluated by the Taskforce with appropriate interim and long-term targets under this strategy. The Agreement has set medium to long-term goals for preventing obesity in Australia. The target audience of this strategy are children, parents, guardians and teachers in schools along with healthcare professionals including nurses. The strategy is aimed at increasing the proportion of healthy body weight by 3% among children and adults within 10 years. It also sets to increase the proportion of physical activity and healthy eating by 15% among children and adults within 6 years (health.gov.au 2018). Furthermore, the strategy aims to assist Australian children to lead a healthy life from the start of life that includes positive parenting and community support putting an emphasis on newborns as genetics play an important role in overweight due to epigenetic modifications in pregnant women.
The first key area of this strategy is to reshape the supply of food towards low risk products and encouraging physical activity among children for a healthy living. For this, the Australian government is reviewing the taxation system for enabling access to active recreation and healthy foods. The government is increasing tax breaks for fitness products and recreational activities at schools and workplaces along with providing healthy foods. Disincentives are provided for unhealthy foods as they have increased the taxes for energy-dense foods. This strategy can be helpful as it makes manufacturers to change production processes in order to reduce sugar, fat or salt content for maintaining their market share. There is also regulation of amount of saturated fats, trans fats and sugar content available in the foods along with subsidization for fresh food transportation in remote and rural areas. This can be helpful in promoting healthy living among Aboriginals and TSI as they have poor access to nutritious foods and obesity treatment (health.gov.au 2018).
National Prevention Health Strategy
The second key area is protection of children from inappropriate advertising and marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages. Inappropriate advertising and promotion of unhealthy foods prohibition during children hours from 6:00am to 9:00pm along with reduction or removal of advertisements in other media like internet, print, radio and in-stores (health.gov.au 2018).
The third key area is development of adequately funded, effective and long-term public education campaigns for improving levels of physical activity and eating habits through targeted public education and media advertising for targeted populations. A national system of food can be helpful in enhancing food labelling supporting healthy choices and providing comprehensible information on saturated and trans fats, sugar and fat content and standard serve sizes. This can be applied at food halls, restaurants and takeaway shops (health.gov.au 2018).
Another key priority area is reshaping of urban environments towards active living and healthy eating. School communities need to be encouraged to support initiatives like healthy breakfast and lunch, walking to school bus and removal of junk foods from vending machines. Development of evidence-based guidelines like policy development towards healthy eating, cycling, walking, using stairs can help to encourage active living among children (health.gov.au 2018).
Strengthening, up skilling and supporting primary healthcare workforce so that they encourage people to undertake healthier choices is also a key priority area. There should be proper training of healthcare professionals including dieticians and nutritionists so that they disseminate evidence-based guidelines on healthy eating and physical exercise to children and their parents at schools and homes. There should be funding of programs that educate parents and teachers about healthy eating and physical activity along with obesity and overweight management (health.gov.au 2018).
As mentioned above, genetics also acts as predisposing factor for childhood obesity due to epigenetic modifications during pregnancy; maternal health is another key concern. Targeted programs are required that encourage healthy eating among pregnant women and breastfeeding for infants. As the statistics suggests, Aboriginals and TSI are the most disadvantaged groups that experience high rates of obesity among children, therefore strategies are required for closing the gap for these marginalized groups. Tailored approaches are required that reach out to indigenous populations and low-income groups while working in partnership with local governments for promoting healthy eating environments in schools and communities (health.gov.au 2018).
Although, this strategy seems beneficial in curbing childhood obesity in Australia, there are certain barriers that may hinder its success. Australia greatly lacks a comprehensive national food strategy and policy. This sort of policy is of paramount importance in terms of preventative health and reduction of overweight and obesity in Australia. Comprehensive research at the national level is required for obesity by expanding the physical activity survey and nutrition to indigenous population ensuring inclusion of risk of chronic diseases (health.gov.au 2018). For achieving this long-term strategy along with sustainability is difficult as it is resource-intensive and time-consuming. This change cannot take place in a fortnight and require cooperative partnership between every levels of government for halting and reversing rise in overweight and obesity in Australia
Reshaping the Supply of Food
Nurses can play an important role in the implementation of this strategy through primary prevention for preventing the development of serious secondary complications during attainment of adulthood. Nurses can assist children and parents by giving nutritional advice and advocating the weight management programs. Furthermore, nurses can offer strategies to them for increasing physical exercise and decreasing calorie consumption. A whole-family approach can be undertaken by the nurses for obese children in altering their physical habits or diet that is otherwise nit supported by their families and schools. Nurses need to work in collaboration with multidisciplinary team including nutritionists and dieticians for addressing childhood obesity in schools and communities (Rabbitt and Coyne 2012). Nurses can provide additional training to children in managing their weight and training workshop for facilitating obesity prevention included in child health check up.
Nurse-led interventions can be helpful in counselling children and their parents on healthy activity and diet habits along with feeding practices changing parents’ intention. Nurses can work in partnership with community centres in disadvantaged areas in educating Aboriginals and TSI on healthy eating and physical activity interventions in their native language so that they feel respected and valued. Indigenous population in Australia are culturally sensitive and therefore, nurses can work with the local people in educating them to prepare healthy foods and adopt behaviours that align with their culture. In this way, nurses are in perfect position for helping obese children and at the forefront in better understanding of their condition. A nutritionist guided by nurse can help children and their parents in developing a meal and exercise plan in addition with lifestyle changes (Morrison-Sandberg, Kubik and Johnson 2011). Nurses have access to schools that can help in screening, diagnosis, counselling and continuum of care. As school settings provide opportunities for health information and education, it is advisable that school nurses can help children to be exposed to healthy education provided by teachers, school staffs and peers. Nurses can direct and coordinate school health programs by enhancing physical activity behaviours like walking, jogging, walking to school bus and reduction in body mass index among children especially minorities (Wright et al. 2013). Therefore, it can be stated that for the implementation of this national health strategy, nurses can play a vital role as they look holistically at the children’s condition of overweight and obesity and can work towards education and health promotion within the communities.
Protection from Inappropriate Advertising
From the above discussion it can be concluded that although, childhood obesity is a serious public health issue concerning modern families, physical activity and improvement in diet can be helpful in preventing, halting and reversing the condition of overweight and obesity among Australian communities. This involves implementation of national health strategy as designed by Taskforce in preventing obesity among children and others along with policymaking. This involves implementation of physical activity and dietary behaviours that can lead to significant decrease and prevention of overweight and obesity among children. For the implementation of this strategy, nurses can play an important role by educating and encouraging children about healthy eating and consequences of unhealthy eating that increases the risk of chronic diseases as they reach adulthood. Although, there is no such country that has been successful in reversing the rising levels of obesity and overweight, still national food strategy and policy reforms can be helpful in reducing the increasing rates of childhood obesity in Australia.
References
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