Obesity- An Australian Health Problem

Running head: Obesity- An Australian Health Problem
Australian Public Health Problem
-Obesity
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1Obesity- An Australian Health Problem
Contents
Introduction- Obesity and its prevalence in Australia:..........................................................................2
The Health Promotion Plan:..................................................................................................................2
Target Group and Community:..............................................................................................................3
How the health promotion is beneficial to the target group:................................................................3
Goals/Aims of the health promotion plan:............................................................................................4
Public Health Promotion Management Perspective associated with the selected health promotion
plan:.......................................................................................................................................................4
Who are the stakeholders involved in the plan and why?.....................................................................4
What community consultation would be utilized in the plan and why?................................................5
The Health Promotion Message............................................................................................................6
The Health Promotional Activity and its promotion in the community:................................................6
Evaluating the success of the health promotion:...................................................................................7
Conclusion:............................................................................................................................................8
References:..........................................................................................................................................10

2Obesity- An Australian Health Problem
Introduction- Obesity and its prevalence in Australia:
According to the World health Organization, Obesity is defined as an abnormal or excessive
accumulation of fat in the body, to an extent that can cause health risks. A crude measure for
obesity is the Body Mass Index (BMI) which is the weight of the person (in kilograms) divided by the
square of their height (in meters), where a BMI above 30 is considered as Obese and BMI between
25 and 30 is considered as Overweight. Obesity is significant risk factors for a number of illnesses,
such as Diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, kidney diseases, chronic obstructive
pulmonary diseases and cancer (Rebello et al., 2014; Guh et al., 2009). As of 2016, 650 million
people, or 13% of the world population were diagnosed as being obese, and the number of obese
cases tripled between 1975 and 2016 (World Health Organization, 2016a; 2016b). The prevalence of
obesity is more in high income and upper middle income countries, compared to lower middle and
low income countries. Amongst the high income countries, Australia has one of the highest rates of
obesity and is ranked 30th out of 34 (making it one of the bottom 3 performers among OECD
nations). According to 2016 statistics, 27.9% adults in Australia are Obese which includes a
staggering 41.7% of the indigenous population (Tolhurst et al., 2016).
The Health Promotion Plan:
The health promotion plan would be aimed to increase the awareness about the adverse
health effects of obesity as well as educate the target population on strategies to prevent obesity.
The Promotional plan will therefore involve various types of education and awareness campaigns
and workshops conducted by health educators, healthcare professionals with the support of key
stakeholders (Eldredge et al., 2016). Awareness of the adverse health effects would be imparted
through seminars and presentations that would outline the various diseases and health conditions
that can be caused because of obesity, and how that can affect the health, wellbeing and quality of
life of people. Statistical data on the prevalence of obesity and the healthcare costs as well as clinical
complexities caused by Obesity would be delineated to the target population (Edelman et al., 2017).

3Obesity- An Australian Health Problem
To educate of preventative strategies, key aspects would be focused on, such as 1) Selection of a
healthy diet, 2) Increasing physical activity and 3) Reducing the time spent in front of TV or time
spent sedentarily (Malik et al., 2014; Naidoo & Wills, 2016).
The program would mainly aim to promote self control, self regulation and self management
to reduce the risks of obesity.
Target Group and Community:
The health promotional plan would be targeted for adult Australians (above 18 years), who
have been diagnosed of being Overweight (that is, a BMI between 25 and 30), and are therefore at
highrisk of becoming obese (BMI above 30). The health promotion plan can be utilized for both
indigenous as well as non indigenous population.
How the health promotion is beneficial to the target group:
The health promotion would be aimed to both increase the awareness towards the adverse
health effects of obesity for high risk population and also educate them on strategies to prevent the
onset of obesity among them. Such a strategy can have a dual effect of helping to develop and
understanding on how obesity can adversely affect the health, and educate individuals at high risk
on strategies to prevent them, thereby empowering them with the knowledge to make informed
decisions about their lifestyle, diet and health (Martin & Nahar, 2017). The importance of such a
strategy is underpinned by the high prevalence of Obesity among the adult Australian population,
especially in the Indigenous (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) communities, as well as a high
prevalence of other risk factors which increases the risks of obesity, such as the excessive
consumption of alcohol (18.2% of the adult population in Australia), insufficient physical activities
(44.5%), energy intake from junk and unhealthy food (34.6%), consumption of excessive sugar
(47.8%), heavy episodic drinking (26.4%), and high blood cholesterol (32.8%). Moreover diabetes is
one of the leading causes of illness, disability and mortality in Australia apart from cancer and