Reducing Obesity Prevalence in UK

The provided document is an assignment that delves into the issue of obesity in the UK. It emphasizes the importance of effective policies and strategies to reduce its prevalence. The report discusses various media platforms used to raise awareness about healthy living and lifestyle choices. Furthermore, it touches on the need for a change in perspectives regarding reliable sources related to Health and Social Care (HSC). The document concludes that better policies and strategies are required to tackle obesity in the UK.

Contemporary Issues in
Health & Social Care

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1 (BROCHURE)..................................................................................................................1
TASK 2 (MEMORANDUM)..........................................................................................................1
2.1 Ways in which media can be utilised for influencing attitudes and behaviour of people
with respect to Health and Social Care........................................................................................1
2.2 To analyse the methods for accessing reliable and valid media information about Health
and Social Care............................................................................................................................2
TASK 3 (POSTER).........................................................................................................................2
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................2
4.1 Reflection of local attitudes based upon findings on national level......................................2
4.2 Evaluating validity of public attitudes and behaviour with respect to HSC..........................3
4.3 Ascertaining the possible consequences of contemporary thinking for the provisions and
services of HSC...........................................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Health and Social Care (HSC) is an important aspect that is to be focussed by healthcare
authorities of the country (Dimond, 2016). Obesity has become a worldwide epidemic and is
prevailing to a great extent in UK. The report discusses regarding various media that can be used
to convey the importance of healthy living. Moreover, the report also discusses regarding
changing perspectives of people and how their behaviour can be moulded in the manner that
ultimately leads to decreased obesity in the country.
TASK 1 (BROCHURE)
Attached in Brochure
TASK 2 (MEMORANDUM)
2.1 Ways in which media can be utilised for influencing attitudes and behaviour of people with
respect to Health and Social Care
To
Cc: [e-mail]
From: [e-mail]
Date: 18th February 2018
Subject: Information reach of health and social care
There are various ways, based on which media can be used to influence the attitude and
behaviour of people. Common method of performing this function are TV channels, newspaper,
magazines, advertisements, short films, radio talk shows, social networking websites and health
care websites (Atherton and et.al., 2015). These sources help in modifying the behaviour and
strongly influence their behaviour. Media plays an important role in shaping public opinion. It
can help in altering the lifestyle practices being taken up by them. This also helps in controlling
the condition of any disease that may be prevailing in people at a high-risk rate. Moreover, an
important role is played by media for changing perception of people.
On the other hand, media can also negatively impact the attitude and behaviour of people
which ultimately create negative opinion in their minds (Funk, 2016). It can cause panic situation
in them as well. The major impact over people cannot be defined unless and until people have
not directly interacted with people. Moreover, the changes can be brought in the practice of
media according to their reactions. Hence, it becomes important to use appropriate techniques
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that can make the information reliable and valid to be shared with the citizens of the country
(Manzi, Nichols and Richardson, 2014).
2.2 To analyse the methods for accessing reliable and valid media information about Health and
Social Care
There are various sources of information that can be used by the team of decision makers.
Some relevant sources that can be suggested are newspapers, magazines, websites and television
(Both public and commercial format). Maximum times, these media may not carry adequate
amount of information that can be informative to the people (Fitzgerald and et.al., 2015). It may
also not be educative enough that can increase awareness level regarding any stated topic. Hence,
it becomes important for the publisher to make it and reflect it valid and reliable to a great extent.
The information must be responsible, trustworthy and dependable and make the data factually
correct. It is considered to be more valid and logical (Boulware and et.al., 2016).
Health and social care reports published by the government may be effective and reliable
enough and the probability of people relying on it is quite higher. In addition to this, political
context can be defined in stating the information. Various religious agendas stated by different
religions can also change in the information making it less reliable and valid. Hence, there are
various types of pressure that lies on the media aspect, such as, ideology and political
perspectives can affect the content that is ultimately affect the information being displayed in
public (Foster and Macleod Clark, 2015). Further, a high dependence can also be found on
perception and point of view through which an individual watch the news or gather the
information through it. Hence, it is important to effectively judge the overall scenario from
media to media and then reach to the ultimate conclusion.
Undersigned
Allen
TASK 3 (POSTER)
Attached in Poster
TASK 4
4.1 Reflection of local attitudes based upon findings on national level
The main responsibility lies in the local issues that whether they will ultimately have
converted to become a national or international issue or not. The perspectives of local people
define the issues regarding HSC. Hence, a positive correlation can be derived in people with
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national attitude and local attitude. There are various factors that influence behaviour of people,
such as, social, cultural etc (Drummond and et.al., 2015). The survey conducted by National
Health Services (NHS) indicated that can persuade both negative and positive of people towards
HSC services. There are several regions in the country where quality services are not provided to
the people. It leads to prepare it towards a national issue. Hence, the attitude of people towards
an issue also varies region to region (Popescu, 2015).
HSC is considered to be a sensitive sector as it has direct relation to the life of people.
Various plans and strategies are prepared by local government to tackle this issue. Health
promotion programs and campaigns are prepared by the government so that the issue of obesity
and overweight issue can be sort out. To ascertain the level of obesity in a particular region,
surveys are conducted in order to increase the awareness regarding obesity issue. When any
disease increases to another level, there are chances that it can ultimately affect the overall
productivity of the nation.
4.2 Evaluating validity of public attitudes and behaviour with respect to HSC
There are high chances of people overacting on HSC issues. Hence, in that case, it
becomes difficult to come up with the right kind of survey data in the end. There are various
types of issues that are present in the environment but high chances are present of occurrence of
obesity as a worldwide epidemic due to current lifestyle being followed by the people. In order
to reduce its impact to the minimum various programs and campaign are run by the government
so that sits incidence can be reduced to the minimum (White, Currie and Lockett, 2014). People
are advised to change their lifestyle and dietary aspects. Hence, campaign is prepared to increase
physical activity of people and bring them towards appropriate BMI level.
Various surveys have stated regarding services being provided by the government
regarding one or the order motive of health anted that appropriate strategies and plan for the
same can help in social care perspectives (Williams and et.al., 2014). It also stated that
appropriate strategies for one or other issue can help in reducing the probability of people going
through the issue. Another campaign that is introduced by the government of UK is anti-smoking
campaign where, people are made aware regarding negative impact of smoking on their health.
In case of obesity, campaigns have been introduced to address the issue by making people aware
regarding issues in their later life they can face due to increased body weight and decreased
physical activity.
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4.3 Ascertaining the possible consequences of contemporary thinking for the provisions and
services of HSC
Education plays an important role in dealing with the issue with respect to HSC. There are
various consequences that can be altered if appropriate changes can be brought in the overall
thinking of people towards a particular act being performed by them in their daily life. Hence, to
reflect on this issue and increase the awareness level of people towards a particular state or
disease, media has played an essential role till now. Standards of health care services being
prepared by the government help in altering the attitude and behaviour of people towards a
particular disease. Media also helps in reflecting on health equalities in different regions by
presenting the information from influential people. For instance, people residing in rural area
may not be able to get adequate health related benefits and care in comparison to the one who
belongs to urban regions (Substance, Mental and Office of the Surgeon General US, 2016).
Low education level is another important aspect that is the main result of contemporary
thinking in the country. People now tend to give more time to jobs and other coarse of their life
rather than focussing on their health and lifestyle. In this case, health care professionals and
government play an important role in developing standards that can bring knowledge and
awareness to people regarding the subject matter. These activities help in inculcating better
behaviour and adoption of better lifestyle in people.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be concluded that better policies and strategies are required to
reduce the prevalence of obesity in UK. There are various media that are commonly used such as
radio, TV, health care websites, social media websites etc. The changes are brought as per the
target audience being chosen for the campaign. Another aspect that has been discussed in the
report is regarding the change of different perspectives for reliable sources related to HSC. It
helps in bringing changes in the current strategy in such a manner that better output can be
availed from the same.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Atherton, I. M. and et.al., 2015. Barriers and solutions to linking and using health and social care
data in Scotland. The British Journal of Social Work. 45(5). pp.1614-1622.
Boulware, L. E. and et.al., 2016. Race and trust in the health care system. Public health reports.
Dimond, B. C., 2016. Legal Aspects of Mental Capacity: A Practical Guide for Health and
Social Care Professionals. John Wiley & Sons.
Drummond, M. F. and et.al., 2015. Methods for the economic evaluation of health care
programmes. Oxford university press.
Fitzgerald, N. and et.al., 2015. Alcohol brief interventions practice following training for
multidisciplinary health and social care teams: a qualitative interview study. Drug and
alcohol review. 34(2). pp.185-193.
Foster, R. and Macleod Clark, J., 2015. Moderating the stereotypical views of health and social
care students: the role of interprofessional education. Journal of interprofessional
care. 29(1). pp.34-40.
Funk, M., 2016. Global burden of mental disorders and the need for a comprehensive,
coordinated response from health and social sectors at the country level.
Manzi, S., Nichols, A. and Richardson, J., 2014. A non-participant observational study of health
and social care waste disposal behaviour in the South West of England. Journal of health
services research & policy. 19(4). pp.231-235.
Popescu, G. H., 2015. Sustainability, public health, and quality of care. American Journal of
Medical Research. 2(2). pp.211-211.
Substance, A., Mental, H. S. A.U. and Office of the Surgeon General (US, 2016. Facing
addiction in America: The Surgeon General's report on alcohol, drugs, and health.
White, L., Currie, G. and Lockett, A., 2014. The enactment of plural leadership in a health and
social care network: The influence of institutional context. The Leadership
Quarterly. 25(4). pp.730-745.
Williams, V. and et.al., 2014. Best interests decisions: professional practices in health and social
care. Health & social care in the community. 22(1). pp.78-86.
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