Aspects of a contemporary policy related to health promotion and/or public health

Aspects of a contemporary policy
related to health promotion
and/or public health

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Background.................................................................................................................................3
Policy...........................................................................................................................................6
Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Public health defined as boosting healthy lifestyles, to investigate about disease and
injury hindrance, detection and reaction on infectious disease (Weine, Eisenman and Polutnik,
2017). Therefore, public health is taken up with aim of providing protection to health of entire
population.
In this report, the public health issues will be considered as lack of Nutrition, physical
activity that leads to obesity. In order to overcome the obesity issue, the policy will be consider
as “Change for life”. As per the health survey in England, estimate 28.7% of adults in England
are obese and further 36% are overweight but not obese. Therefore, obesity defined as to have
body mass index of 30 and its above.
Obesity is defined as an important issue and also a serious health concern as this is
connected with poor mental health conditions, reduction in quality of life that leading cause of
death in UK. Obesity is factor that leads to ill health to an individual. The rate of obesity is
continually enhancing in children, adults and old age people within United kingdom. Thus, it has
adverse impact on mental health of children. However, this has long term potential consequences
on their educational attainment and lifetime achievement.
Furthermore, report will lay emphasise on to provide public health information on issues
as Obesity in UK. Henceforth, background information will be provided on political and policy
connected to issues as obesity. Thus, study will cover that why obesity is a public health issue
impact the health of population. Lastly, report will examine the supporting authority that
supports public health.
Background
Obesity is serious health concern specially for children living in the UK. Thus, it can be
stated that obesity and overweight are two significant health issue for adults across the life
course in old age. Thus, excess weight of an individual has varied implication on mental and
physical health of children. However, adults mat faces the risk of various disease that can impact
on their physical condition in future. As per the survey of National Health and Nutrition
Examination surveys the approximately 69% of the adults are overweight or obsese and more
than the 78% adults considered to be obsese ( Beard, Officer, and Thiyagarajan, 2016). From the
past 30 years, the prevalence of childhood obesity has been doubled among the children ages 2 to

5 and recently this has nearly tripled among the youth ages 7 to 11, and has more tripled among
the adolescents ages between 12 to 19.
Illustration 1: Body mass index
(Source: Obesity Statistics, 2019)
As per the health survey of England 2017, estimates as 28.7% of adults in UK are facing
the issue of obesity. However, 35.6 are overweight not are suffering from obesity. Thus, Obesity
defined as having body mass index nearly or above 30. On the other hand, men are facing the
issue of obesity more than the women (Friedman, and Vears, 2017). Thus, individual who aged
65 to 74 are facing serious health concern due to obesity.
Additionally, in the most deprived areas of England presence of excess weight is 11%
that is higher than the least deprived areas of United Kingdom. In the year 2017, the 64% of
adults in UK were overweight and facing issue of obesity. So, from the year 1993 to 2017, the

proportion of adults has significantly increased who are overweight and facing the issue of
obesity.
From the above graph, it has been clearly mentioned that the proportion of overweight
and obesity within the adults has significantly increased steeply between the year 1993 and
around 2000, there was slower rate of enhance after that. It has been between 61% and 63% in
2004 and was 64% in the year 2017. Henceforth, this can be stated that obesity and overweight
enhance the risk of developing health problems and there are different risk associated with the
obesity and overweight that affects the physical conditions of an individual (Bray, Frühbeck and
Wilding, 2016).
Additionally, obesity and overweight are interlinked with an increased risk of disease and
death. This is very major concern as this is growing problem and rivalling world hunger in
number of people rates are continually enhancing with 61% of adults at the nationwide level.
Hence, it can be stated that the rate of obesity have similarly increased in United Kingdom since
the 1980. Thus, current trends shows around 8% of 1-2 year old obese children will become
obese adults.
Illustration 2: Overweight percentage

As per the public health responsibility deal, businesses and enterprise can make easier for
everyone. This authority is taking actions to help people to eat more healthy things that
encourage people to eat more fruit and vegetables, putting information about the calories so that
look over their daily intakes and eat fewer calories and more protein in their daily diet ( Skinner
and Armstrong, 2018). Additionally, local council are also working with the enterprise for
working with other organisations to improve the health of individuals living in their areas. This
allows to meet the services that aids to meet out the health requirements of local community.
Thus, local council are also taking initiatives to provide health and well being board to create an
environment that make people to eat more healthier ingredients.
The issue of obesity is also closely linked with addiction of tobacco, this is defined as
major concern that occupies a secure place on the agenda of policy. Also, it is major public
health disease with high degree of regulation. Henceforth, it can be concluded that obesity is
termed out be political issue that surpassed the obesity as health issue within an individual's.
Policy
Issue as obesity
Change4life is public health programme in UK that came into force in January 2009 and
run by public health England. Therefore, this is policy that aims to assist families to make small ,
sustainable improvement to their diet so that nutrition level can add to their daily diet. Thus, this
policy uses the slogan as Eat well, move more and live longer. Obesity is considered as abnormal
accumulation of body fat and it may have adverse impact on the heath of an individual (Sahoo,
Sahoo, Choudhury and Bhadoria, 2015.). It highly impacts the quality of life that leads to
psychological consequence such as poor self esteem and depression. However, the issue of
obesity can be caused due to consumption of fatty and sugary foods, high calories intakes and by
spending a lot of time sitting down at desk etc.
In the UK, there are number of individuals who are overweight and obese. It is inclusive
of 61.9% of adults and 28% of children that aged between the 2 to 15. Henceforth, individuals
who are overweight have high risk of getting type 2 diabetes, certain cancers and heart disease.
Thus, excessive weight can make more typical for individual to find and keep work and this also
has adverse impact on self esteem and mental health of individual. Excessive fact in body have
adverse affect on the health of individual and it is rapidly growing public health concern. Thus,
obesity tracks through with help of childhood and adolescence.

Being obese and overweight is linked with adverse health conditions in both long term
and short term. Overweight children are more likely to suffer from issue as ill health and are also
increased risk of potentially condition of fat such as sleep apnoea and asthma. Thus, long term
consequences can be noticed if an individual mental health affected and it leads to reduce the self
esteem as a consequence of weight stigma.
Why it is public health issue and might impact on population health-
The obesity is considered to be as public health issue. Overweight and obesity have been
found to be linked with morbidity and mortality. With morbidity there is rising steeply in
individuals whose Body mass index is 30 and above of it. Henceforth, obesity is considered as
one of the most crucial dietary risk components for range of chronic disease that are as
cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer. Thus, smoking has been found as one of the
major cause of obesity (Sahoo, Sahoo and Bhadoria, 2015). Among all of these, diabetes is one
of the most serious disease that impacts the health of individual.
There are varied components that leads to diabetes but findings has been suggested that
obesity increases the risk by about 3 times over the period of 20-70. Additionally, the risk is less
for the individuals who are not called in the category of obesity. Change4life is effective as this
consider on prevention and aim to change the behaviours and circumstances that aids to add
nutrition level to daily diet of individuals. This assists families to lead healthier life by eating
well and moving more.
Illustration 3: presence of diabetes

Thus, it can be said that obesity is the issue in the UK that is rising dramatically since the
year as 1980. Therefore, obesity termed out as infectious disease. As per Health survey for
England 2008, 1 in 4 adults were facing the issue of obesity. Since 1991, obesity has enhanced
by 65% in men and 25% in women. Thus, Obesity is the issue that needs to be controlled as it
has adverse impact on the health of an individual. Therefore, low levels of physical activity,
increased sedentary behaviours among the children and young people all are the core obstacles of
poor diet and nutrition.
Who supports the policies?
In debate the main issue that people argued related to obesity is eating disorder. Many
were in favour that eating disorder does not lead to obesity. This is because it is related to mental
health as people eating habits are changed. So, it is not reason of obesity. With treatment in
disorder, eating habits is controlled. A short term eating disorder will not arise in obesity.
Furthermore, causes of this issue is different like genetics, environment, etc. . It may be related
to eating insufficient food. Obesity will occur only when a person eats too much.
On contrary many people said in favour that eating disorder results in obesity. It is
because people starts eating food in huge quantity. So, it increases risk of obesity. Moreover,
eating pattern and habits are changed. Individual with bulimia nervosa BN increases likelihood
of gaining weight. However, disorder remains for long time that lead to obesity. The causes of
obesity are lifestyle, age, etc.
Impact of the society on individuals with less and more power
The action is essential due to the risk it imposed on health of an individual and impacts
on NHS and economy as whole. It has more impact on the people who belongs to low level of
income. Thus, people who are from below income faces the major issues in relation to obesity.
For example- child and women belongs in lower socio-economic group are more likely
to obese than those who are wealthier. Henceforth, this can be stated that the income social
deprivation and ethnicity has the tremendous impact on the likelihood of the obesity.
Role and impact of policy on health service members.
Health and social care worker has significant role within the society (Sahoo, Choudhury
and Bhadoria, 2015.). Thus, by following the duties they can have positive impact on the
individuals. These defined as-:

 To provide the effective care in certain in need situation.
 To offer human development and security.
 To promote individual with help of encouraging for social inclusion and healthy
participation during the lifetime.
Conclusion
From the above aforementioned report it can be concluded that public health-policy
defined as decision, plan and action that need to be undertaken to achieve specific health care
goals. The present report is based on determine the aspect of contemporary policy to health
promotion. Henceforth, report has undertaken the policy as “Change for life”. In this study, the
issue has taken as Obesity.
Furthermore, report has covered the activities as to information on political and policy that
connected to issues as obesity. Henceforth, the report has determined the supporting authorities
that determined the public health issues.

REFERENCES
Book & Journal
Weine, S., Eisenman, D.P. and Polutnik, C., 2017. Addressing violent extremism as public health
policy and practice. Behavioral sciences of terrorism and political aggression. 9(3).
pp.208-221.
Beard, J.R., Officer, A. and Thiyagarajan, J.A., 2016. The World report on ageing and health: a
policy framework for healthy ageing. The Lancet, 387(10033), pp.2145-2154.
Friedman, J.M. and Vears, D.F., 2017. Genomic newborn screening: public health policy
considerations and recommendations. BMC medical genomics, 10(1), p.9.
Bray, G.A., Frühbeck, G., Ryan, D.H. and Wilding, J.P., 2016. Management of obesity. The
Lancet. 387(10031). pp.1947-1956.
Skinner, A.C. and Armstrong, S.C., 2018. Prevalence of obesity and severe obesity in US
children, 1999–2016. Pediatrics. 141(3). p.e20173459.
Sahoo, K., Sahoo, B., Choudhury, A.K., Sofi, N.Y., Kumar, R. and Bhadoria, A.S., 2015.
Childhood obesity: causes and consequences. Journal of family medicine and primary
care. 4(2). p.187.
Online
Obesity Statistics. 2019. [Online] Available
through:<https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN03336>