Obesity and the social burden caused by obesity
Obesity is defined as a health problem which is increasing rapidly in Australia. Obesity is occurring in people, and children due to many environmental factors such as lack of physical activities, eating of fast foods, and lack of exercise. There are many diseases occurs due to obesity such as diabetes, blood cancer, heart attacks, and other infections. According to the world health organization, obesity is defined as overweight or more body fat that impacts on human’s health. There are some psychosocial factors that increase obesity in children and adults such as bullying and stigmatization by peers. According to data from 2008, worldwide around 205 million men, and 297 million ladies were obese due to overweight, and lack of exercise. In Australia, a number of woman’s are obese as compared to a number of men’s. According to a report of global trends, in 2030 around 1 million individuals will suffer from obesity and other diseases (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2017). This research essay is about obesity, cause and prevention of obesity, the impact of obesity on Australian people, and different types of policies to reduce obesity and other diseases.
Obesity is a complex problem for adults, and children through whom many diseases occur such as cancer, heart attacks, and diabetes. From the year of 1980 to 2008, the prevalence of obesity has doubled and in 2008, almost 1.5 billion adults and children were obese in which around 500 million people classified as obese (Bell et al. 2008, 329). In Australia, the number of obese children is more than the number of obese adults, between 1985 and 1995 obesity in children doubled. There are many methods through which weight of any person can be calculated but body mass index is a common method which is used to measure a weight of any person. BMI is a useful process to determine population, and weight of men’s, women’s, and adults. For individuals, BMI is not the best process because it does not provide body fat distribution, and health risks (Colagiuri et al. 2010, 260). Body mass index is calculated by dividing the weight of any person by height in meters. According to the WHO, BMI is divided into three categories such as persons with a range of 25 to 29 are considered in the overweight category, persons with a range of 30 to 40 are considered in obese, and above 40 BMI persons are considered in unhealthy category. There are many diseases occur due to obese people such as high blood pressure, II-diabetes, heart attacks, joint problem, and cancer. Obesity is also considered with psychosocial conditions such as depressive, low esteem, and stigmatization by peers (Donath, Susan, and Lisa 2008, 165). According to the KPMG report, it is estimated that the direct and indirect cost of this diseases in the year of 2009 is around $37.7 billion. In Australia the proportion of obese males and obese females has increased in last few years, in 1995, 64.9% of men and 49.4% of women were obese due to overweight (Freeman et al. 2012, 12). However, in the year of 2015, the 70.8% of men and 56.3% of women were obese. According to data from ROY Morgan, in 2014 almost 11 million people in Australia are currently obese. Poor diet and high BMI are the main key factors of obesity in Australia that lead to many diseases (Nielsen, Danielsen, and Sørensen 201, 80). According to recent research on cancer, it is found that obesity increases almost 13 types of cancer in which breast cancer and colon care are very common types of cancer. It is calculated that in 2025 around 83% of men, and 75% or women will be obese and the main reason of this diseases is that lack of physical activates (Gill et al. 2009, 146). This would impact on chronic diseases, quality of life, and health of humans. The total cost of overweight diseases in Australia in 2012 has been calculated that to be around $8.6 billion, in which $3.8 billion for direct costs, and almost $4.8 billion for indirect costs. It is estimated that the cost of obesity will improve and maybe double, and the main reason for this increment is that prevalence of diabetes (Hocking, et al. 2009).
Prevalence of obesity and related diseases
In 2008 government of Australia broadcasted a program which is used to develop strategies and action plan to reduce diseases and infection that caused by obesity, diabetes, and tobacco. After that, the government of Australia released different policies for the prevention of obesity and other diseases such as
- Reducing the use of unhealthy food and fast food for children’s
- Developing the health rating system
- Improve diets and healthy food
- Promote exercise and physical activities in schools
- Create target for nation dietary and improve quality of food
- Reduce use of sugar in all products and beverages
In the year 2011, around 10% of the burden of infection in Australia was increased due to dietary, unhealthy food, and lack of exercise (Huse et al. 2018, 30). Obese children and adults increase many chronic conditions such as cancers, asthma, blood pressure problem, cardiovascular, and diabetes. In 2014, Australian obese people reported a large rate of chronic conditions as compared to normal weight persons. In 2011, around 7% of the weight of disease in Australia was due to obesity and in which a number of the obese males are higher than a number of obese females (Keating et al. 2015, 555). There are main two dietary factors that increase obesity in people such as the low use of healthy foods, and high use of unhealthy foods. Health foods consist of fruits, milk, nuts, vegetables, and fatty acids and unhealthy foods consist of salt, sugar, beverages, and meat. However, unhealthy foods are the main cause of obesity and diabetes in Australia. A healthy diet plays an important role to reduce obesity and other diseases (Koye et al. 2017, 65). Healthy diets consist of 5 food groups such as grains, vegetables, fruit, milk, and lean meats. There are many advantages of exercise and healthy foods such as reduce weight, reduce diseases and obesity, improve metabolism of the body, and reduce other diseases. To reduce obesity in Australia physical activities play an important role, there are two main physical actives are used such as exercise and yoga. For this, the government of Australia released policies to avoid obesity for which they promote physical activities and healthy diet in schools and provide a proper list of healthy dietary to reduce obesity and other diseases. The national nutrition survey and found that many Australian did not meet 5 foods groups and around 4% of people consume healthy foods and vegetables (Meldrum et al. 2017, 835).
Figure: Proportion of obese kids whose aged between 2 to 17.
(Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2017)
Health promotion plays an important role in the prevention of obesity and it provides a platform to reduce obesity, diabetes, and other diseases (Foss, Brynjar, and Dyrstad 2011, 8). It is defined as a process which is used to improve health or people and improve quality of life. Health promotion is also promoted physical activities and healthy food which is used to reduce many diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and heart attacks (Kurth, Barbel, and Ute 2008, 406). The main objective of health promotion is to improve the health of humans by providing healthy dietary and exercise. It includes many events such as education, physical activities, healthy diet, communication, and policies to prevent obesity. Nurses also play an important role in the prevention of obesity and promotion of a healthy diet that reduces obesity, and overweight problems. Nurses should promote to children and families to take part in physical activities, and exercise that reduce many diseases and improve quality of life. Nurses also promote a healthy diet for pregnant women’s and children’s; therefore they know the role of physical activities in the reduction of obesity.
Impact of obesity on Australian people
There are many factors that lead to obesity in Australia such as food and nutrition, physical activities, and obesogenic environment. Overweight is caused by a continuous energy imbalance that can be inclined to environmental aspects. The term obesogenic is used to determine an environment which encourages obesity among people and children. It involves physical, social, economic, and political factors (Shi et al. 2010, 609). Every day, individuals communicate with different services such as schools, organizations, industrial workplaces, and other communities which are influenced by the government strategies and policies. These factors can balance the energy of the human’s body by promoting a healthy diet, and other physical activities. Schools and teachers play an important role to change the behaviour of children because students buy fast foods and snakes from the canteen that increase obesity and body fat. However, teachers provide a proper training to promote healthy food, and physical activities that will help to reduce obesity, and diabetes in children. There are some workplaces factors which can effect on the health of adults such as food outlet, vending machines, public transport system, and catering system (Lee, Colagiuri, and Flack 2018, 19). Advertising and media are also responsible for obesity and other infection they promote unhealthy food and beverages to children and adults. The rate of obesity increased from 57% in the year 1995 to around 61 percentages in the year 2008.
The impact of obesity on lifestyle can be reduced by improving the quality of food, and promoting healthy dietary. Governments, schools, workplaces, and industries must work together to reduce the impact of obesity, and other diseases by promoting healthy behaviour and healthy diets. COAG released a benchmark to improve the proportion of children and individuals in Australia at body mass by 5% at the end of 2018 (Mechanick et al. 2013, 20). According to 2016 report, Australia is on the path to encounter this target for kids but not for men’s. To improve quality of life there are some tips that can be used such as use bicycle for walking, avoid fast food, and beverages, avoid the use of the elevator and walking daily at least 1 Km. Through these steps children and adults can reduce many diseases such as obesity, overweight, heart attack, and blood pressure. It is clear that society and families are required a platform to support children and adults to avoid obesity and other diseases. The government of Australia focused on programs by encouraging healthy dietary, and exercise in adults, children, workplaces, and schools. The NCOF is a community which provides reports related to national and international obesity in individuals and also provides a solution regarding obesity, and other diseases (Meldrum, et al. 2017). According to NHS, around 25% of children whose age between 5 and 18 years were considered in an unhealthy category in which almost 18% or kids were overweight, and 7% of children were obese. In a simple way, obesity is increased due to an imbalance of energy in the human body, and the use of unhealthy foods and beverages. According to research, there are some factors that increase the risk for human’s health such as stress, lack of green space, use of unhealthy food, lack of healthy diet, lack of health care services, and poor sleep. According to a review of the research paper, change in the food system is the major key factor to increase obesity and other infections during the last 3 to 4 decades (Hocking et al. 2017, 510). However, changes in national and environments produce high obesity in children and adults. According to WHO, the main concern of arising obesity, and overweight is that rise in the percentage of adults.in the year of 2014 almost 63.4% of adults and 27.6% of kids in Australia were obese due to lack of physical activities and use of unhealthy foods. Between the year 2007 and 2015, the rate of obesity and overweight rose from 64% to 66% and a number of obese children rose from 24% to 27.7%. In the years of 1995 and 2011, the commonness of weight and obesity expanded from 19.1% to 27.2%. In 2011, the commonness of class I, II and III stoutness was 19.4, 5.9 and 2.0 for every penny separately in men, and 16.1, 6.9 and 4.2 for every penny individually in ladies. One in every 10 individuals was extremely obese, expanding from one of every 20 out of 1995, and ladies were disproportionally spoken to in this populace. The WHO describes three classes of overweight and obesity such as –
- Class-1 BMI: 30 to 34 kg per m2
- Class-2 BMI: 35 to 39.8 kg per m2
- Class-3 BMI: above 40 kg per m2
Policies to reduce obesity and other diseases
In which obesity is defined in class-2 and class-3 that means if any person with BMI from 30 to 40 than he is considered in obesity and overweight category. According to WHO report, between 1980 and 2000 year the rate of obesity rose from 10% to 17.2% in male and 8.7% to 19.4% female whom aged between 25 to 65 (Shepherd 2009, 51). During that time rate of class-3 obesity rose 4.7% in the female, and 2.5% in the male. It is calculated that the other type of diseases such as II-diabetes is rose in Australia and through which many people died. Globally, it is estimated that around 1.46 billion people worldwide were overweight, and almost 502 million people were obese. There are many other diseases and problem occur due to obesity such as II-diabetes, cardiovascular infection, depression, stress, cancer, high blood pressure, and chronic diseases (Morawski 2017, 145). The occurrence of obesity and overweight has doubled to 65% of the total population in a world where the number of obese people is more as compared to healthy persons. Interventions, as well as prevention, are key factors to reduce the effect of obesity and diabetes. According to the national and international promotion of health, encouraging a healthy diet, and physical activity in society can reduce obesity in children. According to studies, it is estimated that obesity in children increases if they have a close friend which is obese and more body fat (Puhl, Rebecca, and Chelsea 2009, 945). There are many environmental factors that lead to obesity such as car fumes, lack of a playground, low pieces of equipment and a lack of parks. Young individuals become obese due to main two reasons such as lack of physical activities, and use of unhealthy foods. There are few steps through which obesity can be reduced in children and adults such as –
- Change daily routine and eating habits
- Be a role model
- Promote physical activities
- Reduce time in front of the computer, laptop, and TV
- Promote to kids to eat food when hungry
- Avoid use of fast food and beverages
- Eat fruits, and vegetables daily
- Promote kids to drink soft water as compare to beverages
Obesity is a complex epidemic for adults and children. The rate of obesity is increasing with the rise in the prevalence of overweight those involving metabolic and chronic diseases. Prevention of obesity and overweight in adults and children is a big issue, for this government of Australia is promoting physical activities, and healthy dietary in schools, workplaces, and in many communities. Nutrition, healthy diet, and physical activity play an important role in the prevention of obesity and other diseases. Sleep is another risk factor of o obesity; however, teachers and nurses promote healthy food and exercise to improve quality of life and reduce other diseases. Many biological mechanisms have been developed to link sleep duration with obesity (Olds et al. 2010, 57). Therefore, the government of Australia released many policies and action plans to reduce obesity from children such as they promote healthy diet and physical activities in schools, reduce the use of sugar in all products, improve health care services, and encourage healthy food and exercise.
Therefore, obesity in children and adults is a major problem which is increasing day by day. In Australia, a number of obese women’s are more than the number of obese men and the main reason for this problem is lack of physical activities. According to NHS, in 1995, 64.9% of men and 49.4% of women were obese due to overweight and more body fat. Obesity is essential for community health services and health promotion. Obesity increase many other diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart attacks, and high blood pressure. There are many risk factors that raise obesity in children such as environmental factors, social factors, and chronic conditions. All these factors explained in this research essay and the role of nurses in obesity are also described in the above research. Nurses require focusing on the prevention of obesity and promoting a healthy diet, physical activities, and exercising to children, and families. Nurses communicate with families and adults across health care services so they can help to the avoidance of obesity, and other diseases. This research essay identified important data related to obesity and other diseases in Australia. It is very important to understand the role of healthy diet, and exercise to reduce obesity, role of educational approach, and nurses to reduce obesity. This essay also explained the different policies and action plan of the government of Australia to reduce obesity. To reduce obesity in children families and society want to change daily routine and food system. Therefore the government and nurses should introduce mare policies, and action plan, promote healthy dietary and physical activities in schools, encouraging the use of healthy food.
Health promotion and the prevention of obesity
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