Obesity & Public Health: Assessing the Impact of Change4Life Policy

This report provides an in-depth analysis of a contemporary public health policy, focusing on the 'Change4Life' initiative in the UK, which aims to address the growing issue of obesity. It begins by outlining the background of obesity as a public health concern, highlighting its prevalence and associated health risks among children and adults. The report then delves into the specifics of the Change4Life policy, exploring its goals, strategies, and effectiveness in promoting healthier lifestyles through improved nutrition and increased physical activity. It examines the policy's impact on population health, particularly in relation to obesity-related diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular issues. Furthermore, the report discusses the various stakeholders supporting the policy, including government agencies, local councils, and healthcare professionals, and addresses debates surrounding the causes of obesity, such as the role of eating disorders. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of public health policies like Change4Life in addressing the complex issue of obesity and improving the overall health and well-being of the population.

Aspects of a contemporary
policy related to health
promotion and/or public
health

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................3
Background....................................................................................................................3
Policy.............................................................................................................................6
Conclusion ....................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Public health defined as boosting healthy lifestyles, to investigate about disease
and injury hindrance, detection and reaction on infectious disease (Weine, Eisenman
and Polutnik, 2017). Therefore, public health is taken up with aim of providing protection
to health of entire population.
In this report, the public health issues will be considered as lack of Nutrition,
physical activity that leads to obesity. In order to overcome the obesity issue, the policy
will be consider as “Change for life”. As per the health survey in England, estimate
28.7% of adults in England are obese and further 36% are overweight but not obese.
Therefore, obesity defined as to have body mass index of 30 and its above.
Obesity is defined as an important issue and also a serious health concern as
this is connected with poor mental health conditions, reduction in quality of life that
leading cause of death in UK. Obesity is factor that leads to ill health to an individual.
The rate of obesity is continually enhancing in children, adults and old age people within
United kingdom. Thus, it has adverse impact on mental health of children. However,
this has long term potential consequences on their educational attainment and lifetime
achievement.
Furthermore, report will lay emphasise on to provide public health information on
issues as Obesity in UK. Henceforth, background information will be provided on
political and policy connected to issues as obesity. Thus, study will cover that why
obesity is a public health issue impact the health of population. Lastly, report will
examine the supporting authority that supports public health.
Background
Obesity is serious health concern specially for children living in the UK. Thus, it
can be stated that obesity and overweight are two significant health issue for adults
across the life course in old age. Thus, excess weight of an individual has varied
implication on mental and physical health of children. However, adults mat faces the risk
of various disease that can impact on their physical condition in future. As per the
survey of National Health and Nutrition Examination surveys the approximately 69% of
the adults are overweight or obsese and more than the 78% adults considered to be

obsese ( Beard, Officer, and Thiyagarajan, 2016). From the past 30 years, the
prevalence of childhood obesity has been doubled among the children ages 2 to 5 and
recently this has nearly tripled among the youth ages 7 to 11, and has more tripled
among the adolescents ages between 12 to 19.
Illustration 1: Body mass index
(Source: Obesity Statistics, 2019)
As per the health survey of England 2017, estimates as 28.7% of adults in UK
are facing the issue of obesity. However, 35.6 are overweight not are suffering from
obesity. Thus, Obesity defined as having body mass index nearly or above 30. On the
other hand, men are facing the issue of obesity more than the women (Friedman, and
Vears, 2017). Thus, individual who aged 65 to 74 are facing serious health concern due
to obesity.

Additionally, in the most deprived areas of England presence of excess weight is
11% that is higher than the least deprived areas of United Kingdom. In the year 2017,
the 64% of adults in UK were overweight and facing issue of obesity. So, from the year
1993 to 2017, the proportion of adults has significantly increased who are overweight
and facing the issue of obesity.
(Source: Obesity in adults, 2015)
From the above graph, it has been clearly mentioned that the proportion of
overweight and obesity within the adults has significantly increased steeply between the
year 1993 and around 2000, there was slower rate of enhance after that. It has been
between 61% and 63% in 2004 and was 64% in the year 2017. Henceforth, this can be
stated that obesity and overweight enhance the risk of developing health problems and
there are different risk associated with the obesity and overweight that affects the
physical conditions of an individual (Bray, Frühbeck and Wilding, 2016).
Additionally, obesity and overweight are interlinked with an increased risk of
disease and death. This is very major concern as this is growing problem and rivalling
Illustration 2: Overweight percentage

world hunger in number of people rates are continually enhancing with 61% of adults at
the nationwide level. Hence, it can be stated that the rate of obesity have similarly
increased in United Kingdom since the 1980. Thus, current trends shows around 8% of
1-2 year old obese children will become obese adults.
As per the public health responsibility deal, businesses and enterprise can make
easier for everyone. This authority is taking actions to help people to eat more healthy
things that encourage people to eat more fruit and vegetables, putting information about
the calories so that look over their daily intakes and eat fewer calories and more protein
in their daily diet ( Skinner and Armstrong, 2018). Additionally, local council are also
working with the enterprise for working with other organisations to improve the health of
individuals living in their areas. This allows to meet the services that aids to meet out
the health requirements of local community. Thus, local council are also taking
initiatives to provide health and well being board to create an environment that make
people to eat more healthier ingredients.
The issue of obesity is also closely linked with addiction of tobacco, this is
defined as major concern that occupies a secure place on the agenda of policy. Also, it
is major public health disease with high degree of regulation. Henceforth, it can be
concluded that obesity is termed out be political issue that surpassed the obesity as
health issue within an individual's.
Policy
Issue as obesity
Change4life is public health programme in UK that came into force in January
2009 and run by public health England. Therefore, this is policy that aims to assist
families to make small , sustainable improvement to their diet so that nutrition level can
add to their daily diet. Thus, this policy uses the slogan as Eat well, move more and live
longer. Obesity is considered as abnormal accumulation of body fat and it may have
adverse impact on the heath of an individual (Sahoo, Sahoo, Choudhury and Bhadoria,
2015.). It highly impacts the quality of life that leads to psychological consequence such
as poor self esteem and depression. However, the issue of obesity can be caused due
to consumption of fatty and sugary foods, high calories intakes and by spending a lot of
time sitting down at desk etc.

In the UK, there are number of individuals who are overweight and obese. It is
inclusive of 61.9% of adults and 28% of children that aged between the 2 to 15.
Henceforth, individuals who are overweight have high risk of getting type 2 diabetes,
certain cancers and heart disease. Thus, excessive weight can make more typical for
individual to find and keep work and this also has adverse impact on self esteem and
mental health of individual. Excessive fact in body have adverse affect on the health of
individual and it is rapidly growing public health concern. Thus, obesity tracks through
with help of childhood and adolescence.
Being obese and overweight is linked with adverse health conditions in both long
term and short term. Overweight children are more likely to suffer from issue as ill health
and are also increased risk of potentially condition of fat such as sleep apnoea and
asthma. Thus, long term consequences can be noticed if an individual mental health
affected and it leads to reduce the self esteem as a consequence of weight stigma.
Why it is public health issue and might impact on population health-
The obesity is considered to be as public health issue. Overweight and obesity
have been found to be linked with morbidity and mortality. With morbidity there is rising
steeply in individuals whose Body mass index is 30 and above of it. Henceforth, obesity
is considered as one of the most crucial dietary risk components for range of chronic
disease that are as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer. Thus, smoking
has been found as one of the major cause of obesity (Sahoo, Sahoo and Bhadoria,
2015). Among all of these, diabetes is one of the most serious disease that impacts the
health of individual.
There are varied components that leads to diabetes but findings has been
suggested that obesity increases the risk by about 3 times over the period of 20-70.
Additionally, the risk is less for the individuals who are not called in the category of
obesity. Change4life is effective as this consider on prevention and aim to change the
behaviours and circumstances that aids to add nutrition level to daily diet of individuals.
This assists families to lead healthier life by eating well and moving more.

(source: Diabetes in male, 2017)
Thus, it can be said that obesity is the issue in the UK that is rising dramatically
since the year as 1980. Therefore, obesity termed out as infectious disease. As per
Health survey for England 2008, 1 in 4 adults were facing the issue of obesity. Since
1991, obesity has enhanced by 65% in men and 25% in women. Thus, Obesity is the
issue that needs to be controlled as it has adverse impact on the health of an individual.
Therefore, low levels of physical activity, increased sedentary behaviours among the
children and young people all are the core obstacles of poor diet and nutrition.
Who supports the policies?
In debate the main issue that people argued related to obesity is eating disorder.
Many were in favour that eating disorder does not lead to obesity. This is because it is
related to mental health as people eating habits are changed. So, it is not reason of
obesity. With treatment in disorder, eating habits is controlled. A short term eating
disorder will not arise in obesity. Furthermore, causes of this issue is different like
genetics, environment, etc. . It may be related to eating insufficient food. Obesity will
occur only when a person eats too much.
On contrary many people said in favour that eating disorder results in obesity. It
is because people starts eating food in huge quantity. So, it increases risk of obesity.
Moreover, eating pattern and habits are changed. Individual with bulimia nervosa BN
Illustration 3: presence of diabetes

increases likelihood of gaining weight. However, disorder remains for long time that lead
to obesity. The causes of obesity are lifestyle, age, etc.
Impact of the society on individuals with less and more power
The action is essential due to the risk it imposed on health of an individual and
impacts on NHS and economy as whole. It has more impact on the people who belongs
to low level of income. Thus, people who are from below income faces the major issues
in relation to obesity.
For example- child and women belongs in lower socio-economic group are more
likely to obese than those who are wealthier. Henceforth, this can be stated that the
income social deprivation and ethnicity has the tremendous impact on the likelihood of
the obesity.
Role and impact of policy on health service members.
Health and social care worker has significant role within the society (Sahoo,
Choudhury and Bhadoria, 2015.). Thus, by following the duties they can have positive
impact on the individuals. These defined as-:
 To provide the effective care in certain in need situation.
 To offer human development and security.
 To promote individual with help of encouraging for social inclusion and healthy
participation during the lifetime.
Conclusion
From the above aforementioned report it can be concluded that public health-
policy defined as decision, plan and action that need to be undertaken to achieve
specific health care goals. The present report is based on determine the aspect of
contemporary policy to health promotion. Henceforth, report has undertaken the policy
as “Change for life”. In this study, the issue has taken as Obesity.
Furthermore, report has covered the activities as to information on political and policy
that connected to issues as obesity. Henceforth, the report has determined the
supporting authorities that determined the public health issues.

REFERENCES
Book & Journal
Weine, S., Eisenman, D.P. and Polutnik, C., 2017. Addressing violent extremism as
public health policy and practice. Behavioral sciences of terrorism and political
aggression. 9(3). pp.208-221.
Beard, J.R., Officer, A. and Thiyagarajan, J.A., 2016. The World report on ageing and
health: a policy framework for healthy ageing. The Lancet, 387(10033), pp.2145-
2154.
Friedman, J.M. and Vears, D.F., 2017. Genomic newborn screening: public health policy
considerations and recommendations. BMC medical genomics, 10(1), p.9.
Bray, G.A., Frühbeck, G., Ryan, D.H. and Wilding, J.P., 2016. Management of obesity.
The Lancet. 387(10031). pp.1947-1956.
Skinner, A.C. and Armstrong, S.C., 2018. Prevalence of obesity and severe obesity in
US children, 1999–2016. Pediatrics. 141(3). p.e20173459.
Sahoo, K., Sahoo, B., Choudhury, A.K., Sofi, N.Y., Kumar, R. and Bhadoria, A.S., 2015.
Childhood obesity: causes and consequences. Journal of family medicine and
primary care. 4(2). p.187.
Online
Obesity Statistics. 2019. [Online] Available
through:https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/
SN03336
Diabetes in male. 2017 [online] Available through: <
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about_us/news_landing_page/middle-aged-men-
twice-as-likely-to-have-diabetes-as-women>