HLTH 1306 Health Practitioner Practice For Physical Exercise

1. Based on the topic content through lectures, readings, policy and tutorials identify and justify how your ideas, values and beliefs about the population health group or theme have been confirmed, changed or challenged. 

2. How will this information impact the way in which you practice professionally. 

1. The following write up is my reflection on lectures, tutorials, policy, and readings about obesity, physical activity, and nutrition. This will involve identification and justifications of my ideas, beliefs, and values on obese population as they have been confirmed and others changed or challenged from the study. The write up will also contain my application of the information gained to my professional practice.

that obesity is caused by indiscipline of an individual in regard to eating habits and physical exercise. Obesity was caused by overeating fast food that amounted to high level of fats and calories in the body and the body was not using all of it in physical activities or exercises leading to accumulation. This idea was confirmed in the lecture that personal irresponsibility and lack of concern to one’s weight leads to obesity. Individuals who do not mind or take responsibility of their own weight are likely to suffer from obesity. I did not know that obesity can be genetic. I believed that obesity was for careless eaters and did not depend on individual’s genetic make-up (Lacy et al, 2015). From the study, I have learnt that the genetic makeup of an individual can increase the risk of a person being obese. I also learnt that the environment of an individual can lead to obesity. The social environment can stimulate or encourage under exercising or overeating behaviours. A social environment with plenty of fast food can encourage people to eat a lot of fat and high level calories disregarding the body activities (Bolton et al., 2017). Therefore, I was able to learn two other social and genetic cause of obesity in the population.

Before the study on obesity, I viewed obese people as lazy, irresponsible and as people who lacked good parental care and guidance. I thought that obese people should take responsibility of their own body and reduce the burden to both the economy and public health sector. This meant that they should focus on their behaviour change in controlling body weight. After the lecture, I realized that I had a bad perception toward obese people and it increased discrimination and stigmatization among people living with obesity (Sugiyama et al., 2015). I learnt that obesity is not only caused by individual behaviour that has changed my understanding and attitude to obese population. From the studies, I have learnt that obese control and treatment should take a broader approach that includes social and environmental determinants and not only change in behaviour. I have also learnt that people living with obese require support in the health care system that include being nonjudgmental and respectful (Kirk et al., 2015). 

2. From the information in the topic of obesity, physical activities, and nutrition, I have gained knowledge, skills, and have a change in attitude on the obesity concept that will positively impact my professional practice. First, I will take a broader approach to controlling obesity. This will include considering other contributing factors such as social determinants rather than just considering behaviour change. Secondly, I will offer support to obese patients. I will ensure that obsess people are respected and not judged to enable them get the required support in the health care system (Kirk et al., 2015). Lastly, I will focus on educating people on causes, effects, and ways to control and minimize obesity prevalence. This will include advocating the need to being rational eaters and taking responsibility of one’s weight. I will encourage people to be mindful, control their behaviour, and engage in physical exercises (Sugiyama et al., 2015). I will also educate people on the contributing determinants of obesity to change stereotyping and avoid discrimination and stigmatization among obese people in the society.

In summary, I have acquired skills, knowledge and changed my attitude on obesity, nutrition, and physical exercise. This has enriched my ability to perform effectively in my profession in regard to obese population.  

Reference List

Avsar, G., Ham, R. and Tannous, W.K., 2017. Factors influencing the incidence of obesity in Australia: a generalized ordered probit model. International journal of environmental research and public health, 14(2), p.177.

Bolton, K.A., Kremer, P., Gibbs, L., Waters, E., Swinburn, B. and de Silva, A., 2017. The outcomes of health-promoting communities: being active eating well initiative—a community-based obesity prevention intervention in Victoria, Australia. International Journal of Obesity.

Kirk, S.F., Price, S.L., Penney, T.L., Rehman, L., Lyons, R.F., Piccinini-Vallis, H., Vallis, T.M., Curran, J. and Aston, M., 2014. Blame, shame, and lack of support: a multilevel study on obesity management. Qualitative health research, 24(6), pp.790-800.

Lacy, K.E., Nichols, M.S., de Silva, A.M., Allender, S.E., Swinburn, B.A., Leslie, E.R., Jones, L.V. and Kremer, P.J., 2015. Critical design features for establishing a childhood obesity monitoring program in Australia. Australian journal of primary health, 21(4), pp.369-372.

Sugiyama, T., Howard, N.J., Paquet, C., Coffee, N.T., Taylor, A.W. and Daniel, M., 2015. Do relationships between environmental attributes and recreational walking vary according to area-level socioeconomic status?. Journal of Urban Health, 92(2), pp.253-264.