Relationship Between Health, Environment, and Obesity in New Zealand

This report provides a concise overview of the relationship between human health and the environment, with a specific focus on environmental factors and obesity in New Zealand. The introduction establishes the interconnectedness of human health and the environment, defining health in its broader sense as encompassing physical, mental, and social well-being. The report then delves into the factors affecting personal health, categorizing them into internal and external factors, and discusses various environmental hazards such as physical, chemical, and biological hazards. It highlights the impact of infectious diseases, malnutrition, food adulteration, and radiation on human health. Furthermore, the report examines environmental factors contributing to obesity in New Zealand, including food choices, activity levels, and sugar consumption. The conclusion emphasizes the need for governmental policies and strategies to prevent obesity and promote a healthy environment. The report references relevant literature to support its findings and conclusions.

Running head: Health and environment
Health and environment

Health and environment
Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3
Relationship between human health and environment..............................................................................3
Environmental factors and obesity in New Zealand....................................................................................4
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................5
References...................................................................................................................................................6
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Introduction
The report presents a brief overview of the environmental factors and obesity in New
Zealand. It also explains the relationship between human health and environment. It explains that
how socio cultural environmental factors affect the health of people.
Relationship between human health and environment
There is a close relationship between human health and environment. Health is the level
of metabolic competency and efficiency of the person. In human, it is the common condition and
form of people, body, mind, spirit. It means people free from injury, pain, and illness. The world
health organization has explained and defined the health in its broader sense in 1946 as “a state
of inclusive mental, physical and social well being, free from disease, injury, and illness”. A
disease is an abnormal and unusual condition which affects the body of the person. It caused by
the external/ exterior factors like infection or it may be caused by the internal/ interior
dysfunction such as autoimmune disease and illness. Therefore, disease and illness refer to any
circumstance which is the reason of dysfunction, distress, pain, social problem of an individual.
The person health is affected by many factors such as biological, nutritional, psychological and
chemical (Walls, Walls & Loff, 2012). The factors which affect the personal health are divided
into two categories. They are discussed below.
Internal or intrinsic factors: The factors which malfunctioning and broken the body parts,
malfunctioning of genetic disorders and immune system and abnormal imbalances, are called
intrinsic/internal factors.
External and extrinsic factors: Diabetes, cataracts, kidney failure and heart attack are the external
factors are the example of extrinsic factors. The factors like malnutrition, microorganism disease,
and environmental pollutants use of alcohol, tobacco, narcotics, which exist exterior/ outside the
individual body. These factors are called external factors. The diseases which are caused by the
outside factors can be alleviated and cured by granting clean environment, extensive food and
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social therapies which promote good habits (Liaw & Peplow, 2016). The three health hazards
and exposures are discussed below.
Physical hazards: Global warming, noise, UV radiations and chlorofluorocarbons influence
physically the health of the human.
Chemical hazards: The chemical hazards include the pesticides, industrial effluence, burning of
fossil fuels and heavy metal.
Biological hazards: The biological hazards include the parasites, bacteria, and viruses.
Infectious and contagious organisms: The infectious diseases are also called communicable
transmissible diseases. The infectious or communicable pathogens involve some bacteria,
viruses, fungi, parasites, unusual proteins (Beaglehole, Bonita & Magnusson, 2011). These
pathogens are the reason of illness epidemics. Infectious pathogens can occur through various
ways like vector organisms, physical contact, and body fluids. The transmittable organisms also
cause of gastrointestinal illness ( cholera, diarrhea, dysentery) and respiratory
diseases( influenza, pneumonia, tuberculosis).
Malnutrition: Malnutrition occurs through overabundant or inadequate food eating, imbalance
and inequality in dietary nutrients and inability to absorb or digest. Malnutrition food adversely
affects the human health and body. A well-balanced diet and nutritious food are important for the
good health and body.
Food adulteration: The food adulteration also affects the health of the people. The food
adulteration generates many health issues in humans. The health hazards include body ache,
belly ache, paralysis, Anemia, tumors, abortion and skin problems.
Radiation: High doses of emissions and radiation are very harmful to the health and boy the
people. Sometimes, people suffer from diarrhea and fever (Zealand, 2010).
Environmental factors and obesity in New Zealand
Obesity is a particular condition where a person has accumulated too much fat which
might have adversely affects the health of a person. If an individual body weight is higher than
20%, then it should be considered obese (Ruben, 2009). If the body mass index is between 25
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and 29.9, then he and she are considered overweight and if he and she BMI is higher than 30,
then he and she are measured obese. Environmental factors like sugar drinks, food, and activity
level also give contribution in obesity in that country. Environmental factors refer to the various
things such as, type of food people eat, how much foodstuff people eat, vegetables and fruit
consumption, physical activity, computer, television use, and amount of sugar which is
consumed by the people affect the obesity in New Zealand. Now it is concluded that human
health and environment are interconnected with each other. The environment also influences the
health of the people. Obesity increases the various diseases like heart disease, high blood
pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol. Therefore, people should increase the physical activity and
cut out sugar drinks to reduce and prevent obesity in the country (Bowie, Beere, Griffin,
Campbell & Kingham, 2013).
Conclusion
Now it is concluded that environmental factors influence the health of people. Therefore,
these factors should be controlled by the government and people. Various policies and strategy
should be made to prevent obesity and overweight in New Zealand.
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References
Beaglehole, R., Bonita, R., & Magnusson, R. (2011). Global cancer prevention: an important
pathway to global health and development. Public health, 125(12), 821-831.
Bowie, C., Beere, P., Griffin, E., Campbell, M., & Kingham, S. (2013). Variation in health and
social equity in the spaces where we live: A review of previous literature from the
GeoHealth Laboratory. New Zealand Sociology, 28(3), 164.
Liaw, J. J., & Peplow, P. V. (2016). Effect of electroacupuncture on inflammation in the obese
Zucker fatty rat model of metabolic syndrome. Journal of acupuncture and meridian
studies, 9(2), 73-79.
Ruben, A. R. (2009). Undernutrition and obesity in indigenous children: epidemiology,
prevention, and treatment. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 56(6), 1285-1302.
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Walls, H. L., Walls, K. L., & Loff, B. (2012). The regulatory gap in chronic disease prevention:
A historical perspective. Journal of public health policy, 33(1), 89-104.
Zealand, S. N. (2010). Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs.(2010). Education and pacific peoples
in New Zealand.
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