Health Promotion and Obesity in Australian Children

The assignment explores the issue of obesity in Australian children, examining trends in prevalence over time and the impact of socioeconomic status on body weight. It also discusses the role of health promotion in addressing this problem, citing examples of successful programs such as Get Set 4 Life. The Ottawa Charter is referenced as a key framework for promoting healthy behaviors and preventing disease.

Child And Adolescent
Health And Care

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Selecting health promotion activity........................................................................................1
Need for promotion activity and its potential impact.............................................................1
Outlining the potential impact of the activity, care and education........................................2
Implementing the care and education activity.......................................................................4
Critically evaluating the effectiveness of care and education...............................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
As the rate of diseases and issues are increasing day by day, involving some preventive
measures to ensure providing proper care and support to the person is very important. There are
various factors that are needed to be ensured while managing the health of the children as well as
adolescents. The report involves discussion about the rising issues of obesity in children. Also, it
includes its relationship with the Ottawa charter. Obesity is considered as one of the leading
issues through which people are suffering, especially the children. It is responsible for causing
various different issues further and one of the major factors is considered as the fact that it can
lead to death as well. So in this current essay we would be learning about how obesity is
effecting children and their health what are the potential need of promotional activities or what
would be its impact. Also, the report includes providing care for the children who are above the
age of 6. So, health promotion activities along with its potential impact will be based on the
same.
Selecting health promotion activity
There are enormous number of factors that cause the issue of obesity in younger ones
such as the children want to eat more junk food these days rather than the healthy food that is
being prepared at home and is healthy. Obesity in children can turn fatal because it further leads
to various diseases such as type 2 diabetes. There is a small difference in between staying
healthy and getting obese. So, one can ensure taking a balanced diet in order to gain a healthy
weight rather than having extra fats that are of no use and causing further damages to the body.
There are various health promotional activities but the recent one that can be associated with
analysing obesity in children is care and education provided to the child group of more than 6
years.
Need for promotion activity and its potential impact
There are enormous number of health promotion activities that can be used while making
analysis about the rate of obesity in children such as healthy food environment, providing care,
etc. But, in this case, care can be considered as the most suitable and relevant health promotion
activity. It is because; usually children are more prone to have interest in eating junk food, etc.
They also prefer cold drinks and shakes that contain high amount of sugar in them. A maximized
amount of sugar can also prove to be harmful for the person as it provides extra fat to the person,
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resulting in obesity. So, care has been chosen because if some ways and methods will be
involved on an basis, there might be the possibility that the issue can get controlled. So, here
care can refer to involving exercises on a regular basis, taking a healthy and a balanced diet etc.
It is because; if one involves these factors in his daily routine, it can actually help in controlling
issues like obesity. Also, it is important as w if obesity will not be controlled, it can further lead
to various other diseases such as diabetes, thyroid, etc.
Children these days prefer to eat the junk food outside more as compared to the home
made eatables. These retailers usually make use of MSG that is considered as an additive
component. So, the food stall owners make the involvement of MSG because of which it seems
tasty enough and the children feel the need of eating more. There might be less taste in the home
made food but it is even healthy and full of nutritional values that are essential for coping the
needs of the body. In the junk food, what children eat is not healthy and contains unnecessary
fats as well. Therefore, care and education can be considered as a beneficial factor that the
parents can make sure to involve in their children's life so that they may not have to face from
any such further issue.
So, the children from smaller age only can involve in any physical activities such as
running, jogging, gym, etc. so that they can stay fit and healthy enough. People who lack in
physical activities are more prone to risks such as obesity. It is because; after eating and
consuming the food, it is very important to involve any physical activity so that the energy can
get distributed to all parts of the body. If the person after consuming food does not get involved
in any of such activity, then there are chances that he will not be able to contribute the amount of
energy equally, then it can store at some point in the body, which in turns results in getting
obese. So, it can be said that care and education can actually have a positive impact that can help
in reducing the rate of obesity in children, thus, promoting a healthy development. Also, a health
campaign program has also been developed, Get set 4 life. The initiate of developing this health
program was done by CSIRO (Common wealth scientific and industrial research organisation)
by the government of Australia. This health program helps in providing all the information in a
practical way so that it can stay easy enough for further implementations etc. In this, the role of
family members, school teachers etc. play a very important role. So, the parents can make sure to
make an action plan, involve the whole set of activities etc. that are to be included in the daily
routine of the child.
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Outlining the potential impact of the activity, care and education.
Ottawa charter could be included as health promotion campaign or an international
agreement which was signed by World Health Organisation (WHO) in First International
Conference on Health Promotion that was held in Ottawa Canada (World Health Organization,
2008). Mainly there are 5 action areas of this charter including building healthy policy for
public, strengthening community actions, reorienting the healthcare service in way of prevention
of illness, creating supportive environment and then developing personal skills. Then coming on
to its strategies which includes advocate, enable and mediate they were all at priority in Ottawa
charter. Under this healthcare promotion would be including that part which is telling public
about how to improve their health and how to increase control over this in order to reach
complete physical, social and mental healthcare.
However, before coming on to these it is important that there must be having some
prerequisites for health which is called to as resource for everyday life of human without which
they would not be able to do their day to day work (Eriksson and Lindström, 2008). The major
fundamental conditions or resources for healthcare or promotion of this would be including
peace, shelter, education, food, income, social justice, stable ecosystem and sustainable
resources. All these things must be having before they are doing healthcare promotion which is
also laid down within Ottawa charter. So this is necessary that at stage of life only child is been
taught about importance of their healthcare and education including that of obesity. If this
activity of healthcare promotion is been selected then this would be enabling children to learn
about some special and important facts.
If children are been taught about causes and effects or obesity at starting stages of their
life and education then this would be helping them to analysis that they should be avoiding food
like that which are having high cholesterol within them. If food which could cause them fat
which may lead to obesity must not be consumed rather they should be eating healthy and
nutritious food. This education should be given them in life care of their life stating that they
could be having knowledge about what type of food must be included in their diet and which
they must be avoided. It is always included that good health of person is major source of social,
personal and economic development which furthermore would be important pillar for their
quality of life.
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Health promotion activity would be enabling them to achieve equity in health and then
reducing difference into their current status of health and giving them equal opportunity to grow.
However, all these things would not be in hand of healthcare sector alone but all the other sectors
especially government organisations must be putting their efforts within generating higher
knowledge in children at age (Potvin and Jones, 2011). So if children are having knowledge
about what is obesity, what are its cause, how it could be prevented and how it could be causing
problems in later age. Then it would be easy for them to analyse the effect and hence decrease
the cause of this problem.
The Get set life 4 which is guide for the habits in children is founded by Commonwealth
Scientific and industrial research organisation (CSIRO) under the supervision of Government of
Australia (Get Set 4 Life. 2018). There are many areas which this is covering including regular
exercise, oral health, healthy eating habits and hygiene related problems mainly in children
which are at their early stage. The Guide has been produced as an intelligent guide that gives
down to earth data to help guardians/carers to collaborate with their kid in creating and fortifying
the significance of building up solid life propensities. A rundown of valuable assets for
guardians/carers to acquire additional data with respect to the well being and advancement of
their youngsters is given at the back of the Guide. The Guide is currently accessible in 6 group
dialects – Arabic; Traditional Chinese; Greek; Italian; Spanish and Vietnamese on Enhanced
Primary Care Program (EPC) site. The Get set 4 Life – propensities for sound children Guide is
given to guardians/carers as a major aspect of the Healthy Kids Check for every one of the four
year old youngsters who are for all time occupant in Australia or who are secured by a
Reciprocal Health Care Arrangement.
Implementing the care and education activity
care and education means involving all the necessary and preventive measures in the
age so that the fact can be ensured that the child in their future phases may not have to undergo
any such complication or issues such as obesity. Also, the schools and centres where the children
go for their academics can also involve some factors for a healthy living such as they can make
sure to keep different juices in place of soft drinks etc. in the canteens so that whenever they feel
like to drink soft drinks etc., they think of drinking juice as well. Also, ensuring the food items
that are being prepared are healthy and fresh enough so that it cannot affect negative on the
health of the children (Leech, McNaughton and Timperio, 2015). Also, the schools can educate
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them about the side effects of the fast food items and the ones that can cause obesity. Prior
knowledge about these can help the children also to understand the difference between what is
good and what is not, so that on the basis of that, they can consume the food items.
This will help them in staying healthy and fit enough. Also, they can jog, run, or get
involved in any such physical activity so that they don't get obese and stay healthy. Also, the
parents can take preventive measures as they can try to involve different dishes in the lunch,
breakfast and dinner, so that the child may not feel bored while eating the home made food
because if such factors happen, then the child can try to prefer the junk food that is made outside.
So, the parents can make sure to involve different types of food in their routine, because by this
way, the child will also enjoy eating the home made food. They can make the routine of the child
that after waking up, running for hour an hour is necessary because it will help in keeping them
fresh enough and also, they will stay fit and healthy. So, it can be concluded that in providing
care, various factors are involved such as involving physical activities, exercises, having a
healthy diet, educating the children about drawbacks of the factors that cause obesity and then,
further problems etc.
Critically evaluating the effectiveness of care and education
Although there are enormous number of health promotion activities but care and
education can be considered as the most suitable and relevant because if the children, their
parents and guardians make sure to involve some factors in their life, then it can actually help in
minimizing risks such as obesity etc. because it leads to a healthy living (Garnett, Baur and
Hardy, 2016). There are various advantages of implementing care and education as it can
actually help in making better and positive changes to the lifestyles of the children so that they
can stay fit and healthy enough. A beneficial factor of this can be considered as the fact that
when the children will involve in various physical activities, it will help them to stay fit and
healthy. There are some other factors as well that needs to be ensured such as maintaining a
balanced diet, involving regular exercises etc. For maintaining a balance diet, parents and the
school authorities play an important role here. The parents of the children can ensure cooking
food that is healthy as well as nutritious. Also, they can add some flavours so that it can seem
tasty enough as well. On the other side, the school authorities should consider the fact that they
try to include all the healthy stuff in their canteens so that when the children will feel hungry,
they will have that as an alternate. For this, they can involve fruits, salads, fruit juices etc. Also,
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they can try to avoid drinks that are exceeded with the amount of sugar such as soft drinks etc.
Therefore, then a healthy and balanced diet can be ensured for maintaining the healthy
development of the child. Involving physical activities and exercises on a regular basis is
important as well and is considered very effective (Sanders, Han and Cobley, 2015). It is because
when a person consumes the food, after getting inside the body, it transmits a sort of energy to
each and every part of the body. Get set 4 life helps in providing better methods that can be
included in the routine of the child such as oral care, maintaining a healthy and balanced diet etc.
so that they all can be very efficiently able to provide a better level of care and education to the
children of age group more than 6 years.
There is a small difference between healthy and unhealthy fats. Unhealthy fats are
considered as the unsaturated fats because they consist of the fatty acids at a huge extent. So,
after getting inside the body, it does not get converted into energy, rather it stays stored inside
the body and within a few times, that area starts getting obese (Brown, Moodie and Hayes,
2017). If one intake the food and does not indulge in any physical activity, then there are chances
that the food will not be able to convert in the energy, thus the fats will store at a place in the
body, resulting the person in getting obese. So, there is a huge effectiveness of the involvement
of the physical activities so that the conversion of food into energy can be done very effectively,
maintaining a healthy body weight. This further helps in reducing various issues such as obesity
etc. because obesity can further lead to various other issues as well such as diabetes, lack of
calcium in bones etc. So, for avoiding these, it is better to make involvement of these factors to
stay healthy and fit enough because these all factors such as balanced diet, regular exercise etc.
are considered very effective in producing a healthy and maintained weight.
CONCLUSION
It can be concluded from the report that obesity is nowadays considered to be one of the
leading causes for death. There are enormous health promotion activities that can help in
involving and implementing factors which can reduce the risk of obesity and other complications
that are caused because of this such as type 2 diabetes etc. But, out of all the health promotion
activities, care and education can be implemented as it can actually help in involving and
preventive measures that ca help in minimizing the risk of obesity and further complications.
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Various strategies associated with the Ottawa charter has also been included in order to have the
processing more easy and simple. Also, various factors of the health campaign, get set 4 life that
cats essential enough are also included in the same to provide an efficient range of education as
well as care. The potential impact of care and education along with its implementation and
effectiveness have also been included.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Brown, V., Moodie, M. & Hayes, A. (2017). The high cost of obesity in Australian pre‐
schoolers. Australian and New Zealand journal of public health. 41(3). 323-324.
Eriksson, M. and Lindström, B., 2008. A salutogenic interpretation of the Ottawa
Charter. Health promotion international. 23(2). pp.190-199.
Garnett, S. P., Baur, L. A. & Hardy, L. L. (2016). Trends in the prevalence of morbid and
severe obesity in Australian children aged 7-15 years, 1985-2012. PloS one, 11(5),
e0154879.
Hardy, L. L., Mihrshahi, S. & Mitchell, J. (2017). 30-year trends in overweight, obesity and
waist-to-height ratio by socioeconomic status in Australian children, 1985 to
2015. International Journal of Obesity. 41(1). 76.
Leech, R. M., McNaughton, S. A., & Timperio, A. (2015). Clustering of diet, physical activity
and sedentary behaviour among Australian children: cross-sectional and longitudinal
associations with overweight and obesity. International Journal of Obesity. 39(7). 1079.
Mihrshahi, S., Hardy, L. L. & Bauman, A. (2016). Eating breakfast daily is associated with a
lower prevalence of overweight and obesity and poorer dietary habits in Australian
children. Obesity Reviews. 17. 123.
O’Dea, J. A., & Dibley, M. J. (2014). Prevalence of obesity, overweight and thinness in
Australian children and adolescents by socioeconomic status and ethnic/cultural group in
2006 and 2012. International journal of public health. 59(5). 819-828.
Potvin, L. and Jones, C.M., 2011. Twenty-five years after the Ottawa Charter: the critical role
of health promotion for public health. Canadian Journal of Public Health/Revue
Canadienne de Sante'e Publique, pp.244-248.
Sanders, R. H., Han, A., & Cobley, S. (2015). Childhood obesity and its physical and
psychological co-morbidities: a systematic review of Australian children and
adolescents. European journal of pediatrics. 174(6). 715-746.
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World Health Organization, 2008. The Bangkok charter for health promotion in a globalized
world.
Online:
Get Set 4 Life. 2018. [Online]. Accessed through:
<http://www.health.gov.au/internet/healthyactive/publishing.nsf/Content/getset4life-index>.
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