Understanding Overweight And Obesity In Australian Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander People

The use of BMI to define overweight and obesity

The problem of obesity and overweight has increased significantly within the current decade. It is represented in the form of myriad health issues which results are represented in the form of increased healthcare costs. Obesity has been linked with a number of health complications such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and some forms of cancer etc [3]. Some of the reason which has been cited as the possible reason for overweight and obesity within the population are stressed lifestyle, improper diet, and lack of physical activities. The current study takes a deeper look at the problem of obesity within the Australian healthcare and the target group or community which has been chosen for the purpose are Australian Aboriginal group and Torres Strait Islander people.

The problem of obesity has been very predominant in Australia affecting a large section of the population. In the year 2014-15 1 in 4 Australian children and adolescents were found to be obese [2]. 1 in 6 children and adolescent were found to be overweight but not obese. It had been reported that 42% men compared to 29% women were found to be obese [5]. The problem had been concurrent within the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In this respect, approximately 215000 indigenous adults were found to be obese compared to national data [1]. In the year 2010, a number of cases of endometrial cancers were noted which could be attributed to overweight and obesity within the ethnic minority groups.

A number of factors have been seen to contribute to the high rate of obesity within the Australian population. Some of these are sedentary lifestyle, improper diet which produces considerable impact upon weight management. The number of obese is higher in the in the downtrodden areas, which could be related to an inappropriate eating style [8]. It had been reported though a number of studies and research methods that an excess in the stored calorie has contributed significantly towards obesity.

The socioeconomic position of an individual affects their overall health and well being. The differences in socioeconomic position have been seen to trigger events such as malnutrition. There is a misnomer which states that malnutrition is simply the lack of sufficient food [7]. On the other hand, malnutrition could be referred to as a condition where one lacks sufficient amount of nutrients in their diet.  The lack of nutrients is often replaced by street side foods or junk foods which has considerable impact upon the health and lifestyle of people.  As per national data, 61.1% of the women living in the disadvantaged areas were more obese compared to the 47.8% women living in proper cities [6]. The ones who are mostly at the risk of getting affected are children as well as the women.Within the quarter of 2012-2013, 69% of the Australian ethnic population group were found to be overweight compared to the national population. The lack of sufficient green vegetables and fresh fruits in the diet has further added up to the problem of obesity within the population. In order to cope up with the growing problem of overweight and obesity within the population a number of steps had been taken by the government such as the introduction and implementation of ‘Close the Gap’ services [12]. Some of these aim to reach out to the disadvantaged section of the population and provide them with balanced diet and proper nutrition. However, improper living conditions and sufficient support from the government often prevent the healthcare professionals in moving towards the poor or downtrodden areas. In the lack of sufficient education and awareness the problem keeps on widening within the population.

Factors contributing to the high rate of obesity within the Australian population

The target group which has been chosen over here are the Australian Aboriginal group and Torres Strait islander people. A very high number of incidents of obesity and overweight have been reported within the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Some of these could be attributed to lack of sufficient measures by the government such as organising community based health promotion programs. These are aimed at providing sufficient education to the population regarding the appropriate food and lifestyle which could help them in maintaining an effective weight.

Some of the core components of healthy weight management were physical activity, breakfast intake, fruit and vegetable consumption. Some of these activities were found to be absent or present in limited amounts within the ethnic minority groups. In this respect, the lack of physical activities has been found to be another significant factor contributing towards obesity [11]. The cultural faith and beliefs possessed by the indigenous population group also affects their lifestyle and approaches.

A number of interventions could be taken over here for coping up with the problem of obesity within the population. Some of these are  providing school based educational interventions such as the school nutrition policy initiatives  which consists of components such as school self assessment, nutrition education, implementing effective nutrition policies and reaching out to parents. A number of community based studies have been undertaken where the affectivity of physical exercises as intervention has been compared with control groups [9]. Some of these have been seen to result in significant weight reduction within the population. The school based interventions focused upon overcoming the barriers in accessing physical activity for the Aboriginal Torres Strait islander people, increasing the accessibility to fresh fruits and vegetables and increasing parental support.

A number of studies had been conducted in this regard to understand the role of the health professionals in managing the problem of obesity and overweight in the aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people. Some of the management techniques and protocols which were used by the healthcare professionals included reminder systems, training on self management of diet, inpatient care and dietician led treatments.

A number of barriers were faced in the implementation of the control methods for effective weight management. These have been further divided at the physician level and the patient level. Some of these are lack of reimbursement, inadequate training, lack of time and low self efficacy in handling of patients with excess body weight. In this respect, some of the challenges which are faced by the patient population are difficulty in accessing weight management services, lack of financial incentive, stigmatization are some of the factors [10].

Challenges faced in managing the problem of obesity and overweight in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population

In order to effectively cope up with the overweight and obesity issues within the population a number of steps could be taken such as implementing community based health checkups and educational policies implemented  in schools. A healthcare professional could work with a number of healthcare channels such as community health centres and federal government agencies to provide equal access to health services for the ones living in the downtrodden areas. The community health centres could work by providing sufficient training on self management of diet along with effective reminder systems.

Some of the public policies focused approaches which could be implemented over here are close the gap services along with obesity policy coalition which is concerned regarding managing excess weight within the population. Some of the other national policies which could be highlighted over here are overweight, obesity and chronic diseases in Australia,   Public health and well being plan 2015-2019 [7]. The overweight, obesity and chronic diseases in Australia states that an immediate comprehensive approach is required to achieve the desired behaviour change.

Conclusion 

Obesity prevention programs are crucial in reducing the health hazards associated with overweight. Some of the health issues which are found to be commonly associated with obesity are diabetes, cardiac and liver issues, polycystic ovarian disease (PCOS) and endometrial cancer. Some of the health programs which had been designed to reduce the health implications of the problem are Live Lighter, Rethink sugary drink, Parent’s Voice.  Some of these have been designed as educational interventions to educate the parents as well as the children regarding the long term health impacts of the consumption of these sugary or fatty foods.  There are a number of limitations in this regard, which is lack of sufficient funds and initiative by the government which enhances the community burden of the problem. Additionally, the fast pace of life often   result in the youth and children resorting to fatty and junk foods in their day to day life.

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