Nursing Practice and Australian Obesity Policy Analysis Report

This report analyzes the Australian health policy addressing obesity, emphasizing its implications for nursing practice and the healthcare system. It begins with an introduction to obesity as a significant health concern and its impact on chronic diseases. The report examines the policy's role in defining obesity, diagnostic methods, and contributing factors, including individual, societal, and environmental influences. It highlights the importance of nurses' knowledge of obesity prevalence across different cohorts, including children and adults, and the associated health burdens. The policy's evidence-based strategies, such as modifying laws, tax and price interventions, community-based interventions, and health promotion, are discussed in detail. The report emphasizes the importance of inter-sectoral collaboration and nurses' roles in advocating for patient needs, ultimately aiming to prevent obesity and improve public health outcomes. The report references the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) policy, "A picture of overweight and obesity in Australia 2017", to provide a comprehensive overview of the issue and its management.

Running head: POLICY ANALYSIS
POLICY ANALYSIS
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POLICY ANALYSIS
Introduction:
Obesity is considered one of the most concerning health concerns that are acting as
one of the most important health burden on the nation in the present. Studies opine that it has
become the main risk factors contributing to various chronic disorders like that of diabetes,
cardiovascular disorders, some form of cancers as well as some musculoskeletal conditions
like that of osteoarthritis (Laws et al., 2015). Data taken in year 2011 had stated that 5% of
the total disease burden in the nation of Australia was attributable to that of overweight and
obesity. In the year 2014-2015, about 28% of the Australian adults were found to be obese.
Even, it is found that one in every four children aged 2 to 17 were overweight or obese in the
year 2014-2015. Therefore, it becomes an important responsibility of the nursing
professionals to develop a good amount of knowledge of the issues of obesity, which is
gradually taking the shape of an epidemic in the nation. They need to implement preventive
strategies by which they can help people prevent the disorder in comparison to that of
curative services (Grant et al., 2017). People need to be made careful before the
complications of obesity affect them, as this would cause preventable and avoidable pressure
on healthcare resources of the nation (Wakefield et al., 2017). Therefore, the policy named
“A picture of overweight and obesity in Australia” by the Australian Institute of Health and
Welfare (AIHW) in the year 2017. This policy would be extremely helpful for the nursing
professionals not only in developing an idea about present concerning situation, but would
also included guidelines and intervention strategies that nurses can use or advocate to solve
the present issues in the nation. This would also help in reducing the prevalence of obesity in
the nation making the nation a better place to live.

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Developing a detailed idea about the concept of diabetes among nurses:
The first part of the policy had been dedicated about a detailed definition and scenario
of the condition of obesity in Australia. After description of the contributing factors that
result in development of obesity in brief, the policy makers had focused on the ways by
which obesity can be diagnosed and measures in different citizens. Nurses attending the
primary healthcare centres need to be well aware of the various methods that they can adopt
in order to ensure that the patient is having a health concern of obesity (Renzaho et al., 2018).
Hence, correct methods of identifying, assessing and diagnosing the problem are extremely
important for proceeding with the treatment and intervention strategies (McHugh et al.,
2016). The policy is found to be extremely helpful regarding this section, as they have
developed a very beautiful poster like presentation with cartoons and diagrams that can easily
help nursing professionals to develop a detailed idea about the measurement and screening
methods of diabetes among vulnerable people. Studies opine that posters, presentation as well
as diagrammatic representation has better learning impact helping in developing a quick but
detailed overview about issues represented in posters (Moors et al., 2018). Hence, the policy
makers had commendable job by incorporating such ideas in the policy published on obesity
issues in the nation.
Development of knowledge of the nurses regarding the contributing factors:
Overweight and obesity can be found to be influenced by a complex interplay of
different types of factors like that of individual, societal as well as environmental.
Development of knowledge about these would help in providing an opportunity to the
nursing professionals to target their interventions at multiple levels. The policy makers have
very well described the various types of food that contribute to weight gain and cause obesity.

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In addition, they had also developed a box representation where they have advised the correct
amount and the type of food intake that had been explained by the The Australian Dietary
Guidelines (NHMRC 2013a). From such effort, it can be found that policy makers not only
showed nursing professionals about the foods that are risky for developing obesity but they
have also shown the correct guideline that needs to be followed. Nursing professionals
should need to learn about the inappropriate food that should be advised to be avoided and
then the correct good guidelines that should be educated to patients (Avsar et al., 2017).
Similar strategies had been also followed regarding the explanation of the importance of
physical activity followed by a box that contains guidelines of undertaking correct physical
activities with proper duration. Another very interesting concept that nurses need to be very
careful and be aware is the “obesogenic environment”. Studies have used the term
“obesogenic environment” as the environment that causes promotion of obesity among the
different individuals as well as the population that include physical, economic, political, and
socio-cultural factors (Phelan et al., 2015). Policy had well described how schools,
workplace, media influence, home, environment, convenience foods, and portion sizes have
been acting in ways that are resulting in obesogenic environment resulting in improper and
unhealthy behaviours making people vulnerable to obesity. Nurses should be well aware of
the the ways by which each of the aspects of the obesogenic environment is contributing to
increased prevalence of obesity and should develop health promotion strategies that control
such factors (Poitras et al., 2016). In such way, this policy would be extremely beneficial for
nursing professionals to develop a detailed scenario of the nation and work from very scratch.
Knowledge of the nurses on the prevalence of obesity among different cohorts:
The policy had provided a detailed explanation about the prevalence of obesity and
overweight among different cohorts of people like children and adolescents that include even
children and adolescence beside adults. The policy makers and healthcare researchers have

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indeed done extensive statistical research to incorporate varied details about the prevalence of
obese and overweight people that explains difference in prevalence not only by gender but
also by age cohorts. They have even given detailed prevalence of the health condition
according to birth cohort, remoteness area, socio-economic group and even ethnicity.
Moreover, they have also provided wonderful bar diagrams that result in creation of vivid
picture of identifying the cohort that remains at the most vulnerable stage. Knowing about
the epidemiology and prevalence of a disorder is extremely important for nursing
professionals for addressing the health concern (Brand et al., 2017). One of the most
important action if nursing professionals to prevent obesity in the nation is to establish health
promotion programs for educating people about the health concern and to initiate other
strategies that modify the obesogenic environment towards better (Matvienko et al., 2019). In
such situation, nurses would need to know about the most vulnerable populations in order to
set priorities accordingly about which population needs to be targeted first so that maximum
people can be saved from grips of obesity (Kable et al., 2015). In such situations, this section
of the policy would guide the nurses in details about understanding the prevalence scenario
and then setting their targets of the health promotion programs. It would also help them to
develop knowledge about the health burden created by each of the prevalence segments in
different cohorts. Separate chapters had been assigned for prevalence of adults and are
described in details that would also contribute to the development of nursing knowledge and
helping them to set targets of health population and identify vulnerable population.
Development of nursing knowledge about the impacts of the health issue:
Nursing professionals need to be well aware about how obesity and overweight affect
patients so that they can help in development of proper intervention strategies and
accordingly help people in developing better quality lives (Aoun et al., 2017). The policy had
very well provided detailed evidence based information about how the health concern

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contributes to different types of chronic ailments like “cancers, cardiovascular disease,
asthma, back pain and problems, chronic kidney disease, dementia, diabetes, gallbladder
disease, gout, and osteoarthritis” (AIWH, 2017). A graphical representation has been also
provided which shows the various percentages of obese people being affected by different
chronic health conditions. Even the health concern is also associated with higher rates of
morbidity and increased burden of disorders. To help nursing professionals, the policy
makers have also put significance on understanding of the nurses regarding the ways of
analysing burden of diseases. Analysing of diseases burden can help in development of
expertise of the nursing professional where her skills and knowledge would make her
understand how the diseases is acting as burden to nation. Moreover, the policy makers have
incorporated a separate section about the different economic impacts of obesity and
overweight on the healthcare systems in the nation, healthcare resources of organisations and
even the lives of the common people. The detailed descriptions of the various impacts of
health disorders need to be known by nurses so that they can develop proper care
interventions and strategise the healthcare promotion program aiming to prevent individuals
from facing such impacts (Hardy et al., 2019)). During educating communities and people,
nurses should discuss such information of the impacts of health disorders to patients so that
they become careful about their health (Sweeting et al., 2017). For these two reasons, the
attempt of the policy makers in conveying information about impacts of the health issues can
be extremely helpful for nurses. Moreover, nursing professionals also need to be well aware
about how obesity is resulting in economic impacts on nation and it people. This would make
them accountable and responsible of tackling the condition of obesity in the nation with best
interest as it is the duty of nursing professionals to make the nation a fitter one (Kable et al.,
2015).

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Description of the strategies that can guide nurses in taking appropriate strategies:
The policy makers have undertaken extensive research and collected data accordingly
for establishment of evidence based strategies for tackling the condition of obesity. They
have detailed an area where they believe that modifying laws and regulations and making
them more stringent on different aspects of obesity is one effective initiative. The second one
where they had focused is the introduction of tax and price preventions by which unhealthy
food products and its distribution and consumptions can be controlled. Another two important
sections that are found to be extremely important are their discussion of the community based
interventions and the health promotion strategies that policy makers had introduced. The
sections have discussed about how different healthcare initiatives, programs and similar such
interventions are established that are trying to target different vulnerable population and
trying to educate individuals for undertaking better lifestyle choices. Therefore, in this
chapter, policy makers have provided guidelines about how both national and federal
government, communities, local government and various other segments like schools, private
organisations, non-profit organisations can contribute on alter the obesogenic environment
and providing better options and ways to live. Studies have already established the
importance of inter-sectoral collaboration of nursing professionals in order to manage the
health disorder and reduce impacts on people (Poitras et al., 2016). Nurses are the individuals
who are the first line of contact between individuals and patients and hence they hold higher
trusty of the patients (Brand et al., 2017). They work with patients closely and can easily
understand their needs and requirements (Hardy et al., 2019). Hence, nurses can advocate
about the issues, needs and requirements of patients to the higher concerned authorities and
accordingly work with all different governmental and non-governmental organisations
ensuring that obesity can be prevented in the nation successfully.

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POLICY ANALYSIS
Conclusion:
Obesity is one of the most important burdens of the nation affecting huge people by
disrupting their quality life. The policy namely “A picture of overweight and obesity in
Australia 2017” has shed light on various aspects of obesity and how it can be managed. This
policy can act as guideline to nurses developing their knowledge of the condition of obesity
and providing them with ways by which they can help in preventing the diseases making the
nation a healthier one.

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References:
Aihw.gov.au (2017), A picture of overweight and obesity in Australia 2017, Australian
Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), retrieved from:
https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/172fba28-785e-4a08-ab37-2da3bbae40b8/aihw-
phe-216.pdf.aspx?inline=true
Aoun, S., Sainsbury, K., Mullan, B., & Shahid, S. (2017). “Champion” behavior in a
community obesity reduction program: Feedback from peers. Journal of health
psychology, 22(2), 148-157.
Avsar, G., Ham, R., & Tannous, W. (2017). Factors Influencing the Incidence of Obesity in
Australia: A Generalized Ordered Probit Model. International journal of
environmental research and public health, 14(2), 177.
Brand-Miller, J. C., & Barclay, A. W. (2017). Declining consumption of added sugars and
sugar-sweetened beverages in Australia: A challenge for obesity prevention. The
American journal of clinical nutrition, 105(4), 854-863.
Grant, J., Lines, L., Darbyshire, P., & Parry, Y. (2017). How do nurse practitioners work in
primary health care settings? A scoping review. International journal of nursing
studies, 75, 51-57.
Hardy, L. L., Jin, K., Mihrshahi, S., & Ding, D. (2019). Trends in overweight, obesity, and
waist-to-height ratio among Australian children from linguistically diverse
backgrounds, 1997 to 2015. International Journal of Obesity, 43(1), 116.

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Kable, A., James, C., Snodgrass, S., Plotnikoff, R., Guest, M., Ashby, S., ... & Collins, C.
(2015). Nurse provision of healthy lifestyle advice to people who are overweight or
obese. Nursing & health sciences, 17(4), 451-459.
Laws, R., Campbell, K. J., Van Der Pligt, P., Ball, K., Lynch, J., Russell, G., ... & Denney-
Wilson, E. (2015). Obesity prevention in early life: an opportunity to better support
the role of Maternal and Child Health Nurses in Australia. BMC nursing, 14(1), 26.
Matvienko‐Sikar, K., Griffin, C., McGrath, N., Toomey, E., Byrne, M., Kelly, C., ... &
Kearney, P. M. (2019). Developing a core outcome set for childhood obesity
prevention: A systematic review. Maternal & child nutrition, 15(1), e12680.
McHugh, B. (2016). The childhood obesity epidemic. Journal of the Australian Traditional-
Medicine Society, 22(2), 94.
Moores, C. J., Bell, L. K., Miller, J., Damarell, R. A., Matwiejczyk, L., & Miller, M. D.
(2018). A systematic review of community‐based interventions for the treatment of
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Phelan, S. M., Burgess, D. J., Yeazel, M. W., Hellerstedt, W. L., Griffin, J. M., & van Ryn,
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patients with obesity. Obesity Reviews, 16(4), 319-326.
Poitras, M. E., Chouinard, M. C., Fortin, M., & Gallagher, F. (2016). How to report
professional practice in nursing? A scoping review. BMC nursing, 15(1), 31.
Renzaho, A. M., Green, J., Smith, B. J., & Polonsky, M. (2018). Exploring factors
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Sweeting, A. N., & Caterson, I. D. (2017). Approaches to obesity management. Internal
medicine journal, 47(7), 734-739.
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