Learning Journal Report: Health, Nutrition, and Policy Interventions

This report delves into the critical aspects of health and nutrition, emphasizing the impact of social and cultural factors on individuals' well-being. It explores the issue of obesity, attributing it to socio-economic states and personal habits, and highlights factors influencing the adoption of healthy nutrition, such as income and education levels. Furthermore, the report discusses specific policy interventions, including the Australian Dietary Guidelines and the National Quality Framework, designed to address these factors and promote healthier eating habits within the population. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of these interventions in fostering health and well-being within communities.

LEARNING
JOURNAL

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Obesity Blame ............................................................................................................................1
Factors Influencing Individual's Ability to Adopt Healthy Nutrition.........................................1
Specific Policy Interventions to Address Factors.......................................................................2
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................2
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................3

INTRODUCTION
Social and Cultural factors have a major impacts on how individuals lead their lives
(Witten, 2016). The report below is based on the health and nutrition standards of individuals,
along with factors influencing ability of individuals and intervention to address the same.
MAIN BODY
Obesity Blame
Obesity is one of the most crucial problems related to health in today's world. Moreover,
a study by Adam Drewnowski emphasised appropriately on how obesity is an outcome of socio-
economic state, surrounding an individual (Drewnowski, 2009). For instance, lower education,
along with socially deprived areas are quite prominent in witnessing obesity amongst their
society. Furthermore, the orientation of a person, such as from family and communities is a
major determinant of obesity within a person.
Thus, while a person's personal habit, will and lifestyle could be used to put the blame on
individuals for their physical state, these socio-economic factors are a major influence in
developing the personality of a person. Justification of blaming society alongside individual is
that, income level groups play a prominent role in context of the inducing obesity and moulding
lifestyle of individuals. Another factor or justification is that inequitable access to food also
forces individuals in consuming food which could make them obese.
Factors Influencing Individual's Ability to Adopt Healthy Nutrition
As per the reading of Drewnowski's work, there are several factors, which influence the
ability of an individual in context of consuming healthy nutrition (Allman-Farinelli, 2015). The
very first factor related to the same is associated with the capacity to play for nutritious food.
Belonging to higher income groups allows individuals to spend more to fulfil their nutritional
needs appropriately. Another factor which influences this ability is appropriate education. An
individual is required to know and acknowledge the health and nutrition needs and what food
items must be consumed by them in order to enhance nutrition and protein levels in their body.
Thus, in case better education is being provided to an individual, then they would be influenced
in improving their food consumption and adopt health nutrition.
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Specific Policy Interventions to Address Factors
There are several policy interventions, which are required to be involved in relation to
address the factors above (Brand-Miller and Barclay, 2017). These interventions are mentioned
below: Australian Dietary Guidelines: One of the major policy intervention in context of
addressing the factor relating to education is that, it delivers guidelines to Australian
population in relation to consuming healthy food items and nutrition consumption. This
would allow the population of different social and cultural origins within Australia to
ensure that their health standards are being met.
 National Quality Framework: This policy intervention is in context of ensuring that each
individual, society and community get effective access to high quality food items, which
contributes fulfilling their nutrition requirements.
CONCLUSION
Thus, it is concluded from the report above, that health and nutrition are quite essential
for an individual and it has a major impact in context of health behaviour and physical activity.
Along with this, it is highly dependant upon the social and cultural aspects surrounding a person.
Lastly, to address factors influencing healthy nutrition adoption, there must be compliance with
certain policy interventions related to the same.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journal
Allman-Farinelli, M. A. (2015, September). Nutrition promotion to prevent obesity in young
adults. In Healthcare (Vol. 3, No. 3, pp. 809-821). Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing
Institute.
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.
Drewnowski, A. (2009). Obesity, diets, and social inequalities. Nutrition reviews. 67(suppl_1).
S36-S39.
Witten, K. (2016). Geographies of obesity: environmental understandings of the obesity
epidemic. Routledge.
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