Mod004061 Contemporary Thames In Healthcare Assessment Answers

Using the University’s e-Library facilities, identify 6 academic articles about the incidence and management of childhood obesity in the UK. Your essay should then summarise the articles and make recommendations for practice in relation to reducing childhood obesity.

From the reviewed six articles, the first common theme discusses is the factors causing obesity. It was a common ground from these articles that obesity is caused by various factors including environmental factors contributing obesity and commercial factors contributing to obesity. It was understood from the articles that obesity is a problem embedded on several factors, that is, the interaction between behavior, biology, and the environment. However, recent research the key role connected to obesity as the environmental factors. Some of these environmental factors that most individuals habituate consciously or unconsciously include: consumption of high-fat foods; high-calorie foods, images and offers of high fatty foods; and an increasing trend in fast food consumption (Burniat, Cole, Lissau and Poskitt 2006). On the other hand, the commercial factors contributing to obesity include such commercial factors as adverts for nutritious foods. This is one of the factors highly linked to childhood obesity in the UK.  

Theme 2: Serious Health Concerns Resulting from Obesity

 It was also a common theme from the six articles that childhood obesity in the UK imposes serious health concern resulting from obesity.  All the articles agreed that obesity is never a cosmetic problem but a condition which puts its victims at the disposal of other health problems. The common health problems associated with obesity from the six articles included: coronary heart-disease; high blood-pressure; stroke; diabetes (type 2); colon, breast and gallbladder cancer; and reproductive problems especially amongst women.

Theme 3: Policy Initiatives to Reduce Childhood Obesity

The six articles also in unison appreciated the imperative role that the UK government had in management of childhood obesity.  It was a common ground from the six articles that the UK policymakers have a great role to play towards the reduction of childhood obesity in the UK. The policymakers have attempted to implement different policies in response to obesity. The notable initiatives from these articles included: improvement in diets; exercise and taxing soft drink industry. It was clear from the articles that a great percentage of these policies are entrenched on the improvement of healthy food consumption and regulating physical activities amongst individuals. An increase in provisions and taxes on calorically sweetened beverages was outstanding across the articles as some of the most common policies that have been used to reduce obesity by limiting the soft drink products consumption.

Theme 4: Barriers to Healthy Eating

This was another them capture in one of the article and this is the difference. This article sought to showcase that preventive health strategies integrating views of target participants have enhanced the probability of success in reduction of childhood obesity. The article used a qualitative study purposed at eliciting child and parents viewpoints about the social alongside environmental obstacles to eating, physical activity as well as childhood obesity prevention programmes, acceptable foci as well as suitable modes of delivery. The article identified nine themes including info and awareness; lifestyle balance, contradiction between behavior and knowledge, local environment, contradictory messages, roles of family and schools, myths, timing, prevention strategies content for childhood obesity. The article concluded that food “healthiness” awareness stood higher, nonetheless, “healthiness” perceptions of certain activities (sedentary) which are else of great benefit including reading remained indeterminate. The contradictory messages received by kids was recounted as a barrier to a healthy lifestyle. The recommendation by parents about timing alongside content of childhood obesity prevention strategies remained consistent with quantitative research.

Theme 5: Role of School and Family

From the articles, it was a common theme that both schools and families showcased critical responsibilities or role to play in the childhood obesity reduction. For example, parents identified consistent separate yet complementary roles of families and schools in the encouragement of healthy lifestyle alongside prevention of obesity. It was acknowledged by the parents a considerable time kids spend in school alongside the stronger interactions’ with peers’ influence in learning institution. Parents expect institutions of learning to assume a central role to set a best examples for their kids, via educational messages offered via general policies as well as school setting. Nevertheless, school’s role stood regarded subordinate families’; primary duty for healthy-lifestyle endangering was observed to be under the docket of parents.  

Recommendation/Key Messages: From the information in the six article, it is clear that notwithstanding the high degrees of kids as well as parents’ knowledge regarding healthy foods alongside physical activities, such a knowledge was never largely translated into evidence of unswervingly healthy conduct or behavior. It remains vital that significance of lifestyle (healthy) for every child stay precisely comprehended by their parents as most in these studies, whereas recognizing obesity problem atrociousness for kids overall, had never adopted the concern as a pertinent to own children and families (Larrier, Bakerson, Linton, Walker and Woolford 2011). Children and families remain enthusiastic as well as amenable to inventive strategies that override obstacles to a healthy-lifestyle as well as making it effortless in guaranteeing healthy food as well as physical activity selections. The context of education is but among the platforms whereby the practical strategies development for the prevention of childhood obesity.

It is probable that simultaneous and inclusive strategies have to be formulated crossways a range of setting to guarantee reliable messages are conveyed to our kids alongside corresponding parents (Siriwardena et al. 2011).  It is recommended that the UK government must be able to rule what private and cooperates businesses do so as to regulate unhealthy eating habits and to get rid of innutritious types of foods. The contradictions in implicit and explicit messages received by children around diet alongside physical activities should be avoided. Ongoing and consistent promotion of health food alongside activity choices crossway setting is key to population prevention programmes for the childhood obesity.    

Management/ Theoretical Approaches

This section details the key management and/or additional theoretical approaches that I use in analyzing the issues raises by the six articles including leadership, health system, and historical approaches among others. It then presents a conclusion drawn from these identified approaches.

Leadership

The leadership approach is effective in analyzing the issues raised in the six articles. For example, the lack of better policy initiatives to tackle the childhood obesity can best be understood from the leadership point of view. Effective leadership would mean better policies which can mitigate the problems associated with obesity whereas wrong leadership would lead to higher prevalence (Ehtisham, Barrett and Shaw 2000). Leadership is also relevant in schools. Where schools become the best role models, children will have better healthy behavior and hence a reduction in childhood obesity in UK. Also, leadership will also be important in political arena whereby better legislations and programmes will be adopted to prevent obesity in children. Bad leadership would mean bad governance whereby politicians will only be wanting to serve self-interests by promoting conflict of interests. In this case, policies adopted will fail to mitigate childhood obesity. For example, thy will try to thwart down the levy on soft drinks industry or accept it but fail to channel the revenues to proper usage.

Historical 

Historical approach is also effective in analyzing issues raised in the articles. For example, we have seen that the lack of proper exercise leads to obesity. This explains the reason as to why it was a common understanding from all the article that there is a need to promote physical exercise to reduce obesity. We have seen that prevalence of obesity amongst the children is declining with the uptake of physical activities in the recent past unlike in the past where there was no exercise and hence more prevalence and incidences or poor management. Also, historically, no attention had been given to tackling the childhood obesity and associated health problems unlike in the present whereby energies are focused or directed towards addressing the obesity and the related problems in a multidisciplinary manner (Wang, McPherson, Marsh, Gortmaker and Brown 2011). Thus, historically, we able to understand why there is a declining trend in obesity due to the increase in information and awareness of healthy eating habits and exercise unlike in the previous.   

Health Systems

Health system is another key management or approach that can help as dig deep into the issues arising from the article. For example, the current health system has been advanced unlike the previous ones (Kumar 2011). The management of childhood obesity is currently undertaken using different ways including healthy eating habits, exercises, frequent weight checkups and even treatment. Unlike before whereby health systems were more of reactive, the current health systems is an integrated one and more proactive mainly focusing on prevention measures. This explains why there is a decline in obesity in the recent past.

Conclusion:

From the above three identified approaches, it can be clearly stated that childhood obesity can best be understood using these approaches. It is crystal clear from these key management or theoretical approaches that issues raised in the articles are understood to enable effective recommendations.

Government’s Policy Initiatives 

This section builds from a reflection on the messages from the 6 academic articles to present a detailed discussion of the array of UK government’s policy initiatives that are attempting to deliver a reduction in childhood obesity. It then presents an evaluation or appraisal of these initiatives to give a position on whether they are sufficient and effective.  

Introduction of Soft Drink Industry Levy

The UK children are consuming much calories- and, specifically, extreme sugar Teenagers in UK remain the largest sugar-sweetened drinks’ consumers. SACN (Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition) concluded lately that sugar consumption augments the risk of excess calories’ consumption, tooth decay risk, as well as that consumption of sugar sweetened beverages is linked with high levels of risk of diabetes (type 2) alongside associated to extreme weight amongst the United Kingdom children (Smith 2011). A can, 330.0ml of a soft-drink containing added sugar could immediately push a kid over required (maximum) daily sugar absorption. The initial step taken by UK government towards addressing childhood obesity is to initiate a soft drink sector level crossway United Kingdom.

In England, levy’s revenue is invested in such programmes that decrease obesity as well as inspire physical activities alongside balanced-diets for kids (school-age). It encompasses doubling up the Physical Education (Primary) alongside Sport Premium as well as placing an additional 10M pound annually into healthy-breakfast clubs in schools for the provision of additional healthier beginning among children to corresponding children’s day. The Barnett’s formula is applicable to expenditure on such novel schemes in an ordinary manner. The levy on soft drink is imposed on producers as well as importers’, but spares consumers. It is solely designed to motivate many producers to reduce sugar levels in their products. This is designed to shift consumers in the direction of healthier alternatives.

The government of UK has provided many importers and producers 2 years to reduce sugar amounts in respective drinks to avoid a levy in case desired actions are adopted by them. Several manufacturers in the UK have embraced steps to decrease general added-sugar levels in soft drinks, but the level shall establish stouter inducements to trigger actions. Besides scheme (levy), HM-Treasury are in consultation on the technical details of soft drinks sector level over the summer.  And legislating in Finance Bill 2017 will ensue.

Supporting Innovation for Healthier Products  

The UK government encourages the coming innovations generation in both technology as well as science to permit soft drink sector to establish healthier as well as increasingly sustainable commodities. The Innovate UK undertook a cooperative and collaborative Research and Development competition worth ten million pound for research for the stimulation of novel products and processes to boost healthier food alternatives’ availabilities for customers as well as opening up novel markets. The Agri-Food Technology Council (AFTC), recently established offers effective leadership in areas like health as well as nutrition alongside consumer satisfactoriness.  Further, food businesses, innovation alongside researchers are being brought together by Food Innovation Network to support and allow increased absorption of global-leading Research and Development (Kazaks and Stern 2013).   

Assisting all United Kids to Enjoy 1hr Physical Activity Daily

A robust evidence exist indicating that consistent physical-activity is directly linked to various children’s health benefit. The chief medical officers (CMOs) of United Kingdom has given a recommendation that each child and fledgling ones must involve in modest to robust intensity physical activities for a minimum of one hour per day. Various schools have offered 2 hours PE on average or additional physical activities weekly. Nevertheless, there is a need for additional hours to inspire kids to remain active on a daily basis. Each school-child (primary) must get a 1 hour minimum of modest to vigorous physical activity daily. A minimum of half an hour must be availed in schools daily via active time for break. Extra-curricular clubs, PE, active less as well as additional sport alongside physical activity events should also be availed. The remaining thirty minutes should be supported by parents and carers outside the school environment (Haines, Wan, Lynn, Barrett and Shield 2007).

Conclusion:

This section presents a recommendation for practice in childhood obesity reduction.  There is a need for the UK government to adopt the recommendation highlighted in the news article published as a Public Health report Journal in July-August 2010. This article is traced from the PMC (PMC2882598) known as “US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health”. The report has been a vocal tool based on call to action for proactive strategy. The initiative assigned specific roles to different institution and individuals. It is inspired by the need to reduce overweight and obesity based on promotion of exercise across the board. The ‘Exercise Medicine Initiative’ being a multinational and multi-organizational, is embedded on promotion of physical activities as the pillars upon which treatment and prevention of obesity and overweight are pegged (Department of Health and Human Services 2010). It culminated into immediate exercised-based actions spearheaded by close interactions amongst clinicians and patients. The report culminated into beneficial linkages between fitness professionals, the public and clinicians presenting avenues for instructions aimed at ensuring active and healthy individuals.

 Actions thus emerged to proactively advocate for exercise as the new medicine for obesity. With respect to communities, schools and workplaces, physical activities have been promoted to ensure well-being and increased health stocks. Besides, policy makers have also refocused on physical fitness-attached policies (Kazaks, 2013, p.122). This has also extended to clinicians as well as fitness professionals who have subsequently incorporated exercise in their interaction with patients and clients. Media has remained the centerpiece in mobilizing the public to be educated and empowered via physical exercise consultations and counselling.

Websites have been developed to sensitize people and patients on the pros attached to this proactive approach to healthcare provision.  Patients have consequently altered their attitudes and behavior as they have been made to feel cared for and included in the society. Healthcare professional have incorporated provision of rewards among their patients who undertake exercises seriously by persuading them peddled by positive packages attached to “Exercise is Medicine Initiative”. Institution have thus incorporated various wellness programs that spearhead the initiative and which isolates specific time frame for undertaking exercise to aid in fitness and controlled weights. The proactive initiative has reduced costs associate with treatment of obesity as prevention takes the center-stage. Media needs to be credited for massive and vast coverage that has sensitized many people to advocated for and promote “Exercise is Medicine Initiative”.

References:

Burniat, W., Cole, T.J., Lissau, I. and Poskitt, E.M. eds., 2006. Child and adolescent obesity: Causes and consequences, prevention and management. Cambridge University Press.

Department of Health and Human Services (US). Rockville (MD): HHS, Public Health Service, Office of the Surgeon General (US); 2001. [cited 2010 Apr 10]. The Surgeon General's call to action to prevent and decrease overweight and obesity. Also available from: URL: https://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/calltoaction/CalltoAction.pdf.

Eckel, R. H., Kahn, S. E., Ferrannini, E., Goldfine, A. B., Nathan, D. M., Schwartz, M. W., ... & Smith, S. R. 2011. Obesity and type 2 diabetes: what can be unified and what needs to be individualized?. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 96(6), 1654-1663.

Ehtisham, S., Barrett, T.G. and Shaw, N.J., 2000. Type 2 diabetes mellitus in UK children–an emerging problem. Diabetic medicine, 17(12), pp.867-871.

Haines, L., Wan, K.C., Lynn, R., Barrett, T.G. and Shield, J.P., 2007. Rising incidence of type 2 diabetes in children in the UK. Diabetes care, 30(5), pp.1097-1101.

Heslehurst, N., Rankin, J., Wilkinson, J.R. and Summerbell, C.D., 2010. A nationally representative study of maternal obesity in England, UK: trends in incidence and demographic inequalities in 619 323 births, 1989–2007. International journal of obesity, 34(3), pp.420-428.

Kazaks, A., and Stern, J. S. 2013. Nutrition and obesity: Assessment, management & prevention. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Kumar, S. N. 2011. Can Diabetes be surgically cured?. KMJ, 229.

Larrier, Y.I., Bakerson, M.A., Linton, J.M., Walker, L.R. and Woolford, S.J., 2011. The Role of School Counselors in the Childhood Obesity Epidemic. Journal of School Counseling, 9(3), p.n3.

Siriwardena, A.N., Glazebrook, C., Nathan, D., Swift, J.A., Atkinson, P.J. and Redsell, S.A., 2011. Preventing childhood obesity during infancy in UK primary care: a mixed-methods study of HCPs' knowledge, beliefs and practice. BMC Family Practice, 12(1), p.54.

Wang, Y.C., McPherson, K., Marsh, T., Gortmaker, S.L. and Brown, M., 2011. Health and economic burden of the projected obesity trends in the USA and the UK. The Lancet, 378(9793), pp.815-825.