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Childhood Obesity in Australia

   

Added on  2021-06-16

13 Pages3262 Words28 Views
Nutrition and WellnessPublic and Global HealthHealthcare and Research
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Running head: CHILDHOOD OBESITY IN AUSTRALIA 1Childhood Obesity in AustraliaNameInstitution
Childhood Obesity in Australia_1

CHILDHOOD OBESITY IN AUSTRALIA 2Childhood Obesity in AustraliaIntroductionObesity in childhood is now one of Australia's real health problems of concern. The rising predominance rate and health impacts of obesity particularly among children in the range of 6 and 17 years have rendered it to be viewed as an issue in Australia (Magee, Caputi and Iverson, 2013). All things considered, it has now turned into a noteworthy focus of various healthadvancement campaigns formed in Australia by governmental and non-administrative offices (Denney-Wilson et al, 2013). Likewise, the predominance has set off the foundation of various health advancement programs around the nation utilizing distinctive methodologies which plan to accomplish more advantageous weight and to limit the effect of obesity in children in Australia. Besides, the part of health professionals in giving health training to guardians and groups and in setting up successful childhood obesity prevention procedures has turned out to be more essential. The paper addresses the high obesity prevalence issue in the current years among Australian children aged between 6 and 17 years. It examines and evaluates issues related to childhood obesity prevalence in Australian, prevention programs and the processes involved in planning, implementation, and evaluation, prevention strategies adopted and the role of health professional in prevention. Prevalence of obesity in childrenObesity refers to a condition resulting from an imbalance between the number of calories consumed versus calories utilized, leading to excessive or abnormal accumulation of fats in the body (Zimmet, 2014). The most accepted parameter for obesity is Body Mass Index (BMI) which is the ratio of body weight to height and helps to determine total fat of the body
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CHILDHOOD OBESITY IN AUSTRALIA 3(Wickramasinghe et al, 2015). As Zimmet (2014) explains, obesity does not happen on its own but it is comprised of different disorder expressed as the phenotype of obese. It includes complexetiological links between metabolic, neural and framework of genetic on one hand and habits in food consumptions, social-cultural factors, behavior and physical activities on the other hand (Zimmet, 2014). Therefore, obesity should not be overviewed as just a cause of poor nutrition habits or inactivity, as it is usually perceived. It should be treated like other diseases. The prevalence of obesity among Australian children aged between 6 and 17 years has been steadily rising over the last two decades. Statistics published by Australian Bureau of Statistics in (ABS) January 2013 indicate that around 25 percent of Australian children aged between 6 and 17 years (27 girls percent and 24 boys percent) are either overweight or obese (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2013). In 2012, National Children’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey indicated that 6 percent of children aged between 5 and 17 years were obese (Tseng et al, 2013). According to ABS statistics, the rate of obesity among boys in Australia aged between 6 and 12 years increased from 4 percent in 1995 to 7 percent in 2012. On the other hand, the rate of obesity among girls aged between 13 and 18 percent rose from 13 percent to 18 percent over the same period (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2013). Generally, the statistical trends indicate that the obesity prevalence among Australian children will continue increasing if no effective intervention strategies are adopted. This issue is of great concern since studies have shown that children who are obese are likely to stay obese in childhood. In this regard, obesity among Australian children can be regarded as an epidemic and a social problem that requires being addressed urgently through effective strategies.
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CHILDHOOD OBESITY IN AUSTRALIA 4Prevention programs of childhood obesityThere are three phases of obesity aversion which incorporate primary, secondary, and tertiary. The primary prevention strategies involve the evidence-based obesity avoidance program modules that are executed in healthcare clinics, preschools, community settings and in the elementary schools; this modules comprise the CATCH (Coordinated Approach To Child Health) program in the elementary schools, health matters – involving Active Communities, health promotion, and growth as well as the environmental alteration of the training programs. It incorporates approaches for counteracting weight gain or decreasing weight, for example, legitimate nutrition and physical exercises. The secondary preventive strategies involve an intensive three month phase which involves the application of the MEND (Mind Exercise Nutrition Do it!) programs in schools for pupils aging between 6 to 12 years and in preschools for children aging between 2 to 5 years, this program was coupled by a variety of community-level activities, CATCH activities. For this reason, the secondary counteractive action stage is custom fitted towards limiting the advance of obesity once it starts. This stage includes strategiesthat assist to distinguish and to treat pre-clinical obsessive changes, for example, Hemoccult stool testing and colonoscopy screening keeping in mind the end goal to avert the obesity progression (Blass, 2016). Tertiary prevention involves the strategies of; meal replacements, intake of very-low-calorie diets, bariatric surgery and weight-loss medications within a specific population in reducing and managing the hostility of obesity, especially in the children. The tertiary preventionstage focuses on diminishing the disability coming from obesity that has advanced to a severe stage. It incorporates activities concentrating on decreasing the effect of obesity, in this way
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