Health Science 7: Policy Cycle, Public Health, and Obesity Analysis

This assignment delves into key concepts in health science, examining the policy cycle as a tool for analyzing policy development and forecasting future changes, including problem identification, implementation, and evaluation. It differentiates between health policies, which aim to achieve specific health goals, and government policies, which address broader societal concerns. The assignment also contrasts the old and new public health paradigms, highlighting the shift towards a more integrative approach that considers environmental and social determinants of health. Furthermore, it explores social determinants of health, such as poverty and education, and their impact on individual and community health outcomes. Finally, the assignment addresses the issue of obesity, discussing its causes and the need for national health campaigns, including policy considerations for effective interventions.

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Health science 1
Question 1
Policy cycle refers to the tool, which is used to analyse all the development that take
place within the elements in policies (Vedung, 2017). It is also known as stage approach. This
tool allows forecasting all the changes as well as events that are going to take place in near
future. Along with this, the cycle involves many stages, which enable the organisation to
perform multiple tasks under one single process. Further, this helps all the policymakers in
sensing continuous flow among all the elements of the policy-making cycle.
However, it neither describes what is happening during the policy-making process nor
it tells the future events but it provides hints about these events, which is helpful for the
government to develop an action plan. It includes all the steps that the policy makers will take
in order to overcome upcoming vibes that have negative impact over them.
Stages that are involved in policy cycle are its major strength. Every stage helps in
identification of problems, identification and evaluation of alternative plans and upon its
basis, most appropriate evaluation approach is selected. A comprehensive policy cycle
comprises of problem identification, implementation and evaluation (Althaus, Bridgman &
Davis, 2013). The fundamental of all the policy theories comprises of two major elements.
Firstly, limits of the people and secondly, different ways used by the policymakers to
overcome all the limits which can be used to take appropriate policy decisions (Wallace,
Pollack & Young, 2015).
This cycle also helps in taking rational decisions. The process of making policy
involves interaction among different individuals, parties, researchers, government and many
more people. As different people possess different views on the issues that arise at the time of
policy formulation, there are chances of conflicts between them; however, if they use policy
cycle, then all these problems can be easily be solved as the cycle provides the chance to
analyse views of all the different people in order to develop the best strategy. Due to all the
above reasons, government use policy cycle as an appropriate tool for developing new
policies.
Question 2
According to WHO, health policy refers to decisions, plans and actions that are
undertaken to achieve specific health care goals within the society. On the other hand,
government policy can be defined as all the public and social policy, actions, plans, as well as

Health science 2
interventions designed by the government, which includes different aspects of population
(Briassoulis, 2017). In some nations, health policy announced by the minsters and they refer
to the system, which involves principles that helps in taking decisions in order to attain
rational outcomes. Therefore, it can be stated that both are very different from one another.
The health policies involves all the decisions as well as actions that are taken in order
to attain a specific health goal. It also enables the organisation in establishing targets and
roles that different individuals have to play in order to attain different health care targets.
However, the policies that are made related to health are quite complex; therefore, many
countries have included human rights in health care policies. According to the WHO, in every
country minimum one right is related to health. All these policies are developing with the
motive of improving health (Blank, Burau & Kuhlmann, 2017).
However, all the government policy documents are officially published by the
government agencies and include rules, regulation and code of conduct. These documents
enable the government in identifying all the areas in health sector where improvement is
necessary.
Wide range of topics are covered under health policy such as finance, mental health
and quality of attention paid by the health care organisation over their patients, health equity,
availability of health services, safety standards and specific disease control programmes.
Considering the fact that countries find it difficult in managing all these things, which is
difficult to measure, policy makers and the members of states have become more and more
aware in keeping records of available resources. However, government policies are the kind
of statements, which are developed, with an objective of identifying all the threats to health
of individuals. Further, government in order to overcome all the threats establish goals for the
nation (Briassoulis, 2017).
Some major examples of government policy include education and training, social
service, employment, immigration, health, foreign policy and economic policy. Economic
policies are developed with the motive to keep record of all the taxes levied by the
government on the citizens. These policies can also be divided into two major parts: fiscal
and monetary policy. Government use such policies in order to control the situation of
inflation or recession in the country.
However, health policies may include distributors and regulators. Considering the fact
that there are still few countries where people have to face the problem of discrimination,

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government should safeguard the public from the same. The government develops such
policies so that equal health care is provided to all the people.
Question 3
New public health is the integrative approach, which aims to protect and promote the health
status of an individual and the society. The old public health paradigm is focused on the
biological determinants of health. It encompasses clinical treatment and direct methods of
treating community diseases.
Old public health approach focuses on
sanitation and waste management
It aims to provide clean water and sanitation
It focuses on large population area,
implementation of infrastructure, sanitation
and biological causes of diseases
New public health approach
More environmental and social approach to
treat disease
It emphasize the complexity of public health
by elaborating on environmental and social
factors such as education, employment,
environment and accessibility
Under this approach main focus was laid on
cleanliness consideration the fact that clean
surrounding will promote good health.
(Baum, 2008, p.37)
This approach involved contemporary
presentation of wider range of evidences
commonly based on scientific, mechanical
as well as proper management system used
for improving health of the people.
In old health care policy many communities
were set up by for providing and generating
awareness related to primary health care.
So, that people living within the society can
understand that they should keep their
surrounding clean in order to safeguard
themselves from cholera which arises
because of the waste generated by the
industries.
New health approach was adopted with the
aim of improving overall health as well as
wellbeing of different individuals despite of
discriminating people on the basis of caste,
colour or sex. In order to increase awareness
among the people many programmes have
been introduced by the government in
schools apart from this special focus is laid
on the proper availability of resources
whenever the need arise (Brownson et.al.
2017).

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In the earlier times people do not get sick
because of the food they intake or their way
of life styles but only due to the waste
material in their surroundings. In order to
overcome this problem sanitation problem
was started in Europe in year 1820s (Blank,
Burau & Kuhlmann, 2017).
In this new health system approach focuses
on providing facilities for different type of
patients. Major focus is laid on problems
caused due to smoking, inadequate diet,
cholesterol and many others as, they give
rise to serious health problems like stoke,
kidney and heart diseases.
However, it can be said that with the passage of time many things got change due to
change in lifestyle as well as edible habits of the people. Therefore government had
introduced many policies along with some interventions to encourage health living among
people (Paton & Johnston, 2017).
Question 4
Social determinants of health, refers to all the economic and social conditions and
different ways in which they affect individuals on a group of people who may differ in their
health status. A social issue involves all those problems that are affecting the people living
within the society. These includes only those issues that are being faced by particular group.
These problems affect personnel life (Best, 2017).
Sometimes, community may also have impact on the health. Evidences have shown
that in some communities, people have built belief that no doctor can improve their current
situation and such orthodox views lead give rise to major health issues.
Social determinants given by Wilkinson & Marmot may include poverty, childhood,
education, social mobility, overall working condition of different individuals, unemployment
level and many more (Berkman, Kawachi and Glymour, 2014). Among all poverty and lack
of education are the key factors among that determine person’s state of health (Charter &
Tischner, 2017).
Although the government has made many laws and policies order to improve overall
health of the people living within the society, only those people can avail the medical benefits
that have knowledge related to the government interventions. Therefore, maximum of the
time it happens that all those who actually need care remains deprived of the benefits.
Apart from this, poverty also determine state of heath. Evidence have shown that in
countries like India, which are facing the problem of unemployment due to the lack of money

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is unable to provide proper amenities to common man. These countries are unable to provide
good food, which is essential to stay healthy apart from this if they get ill these people do not
have enough money to get good treatment, which results in more health issues (Cockerham,
2014). The global hunger index (2016) states hat about 795 million people still face hunger.
Several regions in Latin America and Caribbean shows high level of hunger (Westcott,
2016).
As most of the people are actively involved in business expansion; therefore, it can be
said that migration also influences health. Facts derived from the researched shows that more
than 14% of population face health issues because of migration (Berkman, Kawachi &
Glymour, 2014).
Question 6
Obesity refers to the situation, in which a person gets over weight due to excess
intake of fast food, lack of exercise, tension and many more things. It has become one of the
major problems in teenagers ,because of which they have to face many health issues. Special
plans as well as campaigns are started by the government, which include given to medical
industry, free education to family members so that they at the initial stage control the
situation (Malik & Hu, 2017).
National obesity health campaigns are necessary because of the rising figure of the
obese people all across the globe. It provides people as well as seniors, access to obesity
therapeutic tools, which can help them loose and manage weight ad provide counselling to
the trained health care professionals. These tools include, but are not limited to diet, exercise,
and surgery (Walls et al., 2011).
The government is implementing several strategies such as social media campaigns
and broadcast marketing. However, the efficacy of these campaigns is doubtful as they focus
on the ability of the public to understand the harmful effects of obesity. However, a better
way of intervention is the enactment of high-level policy and legislative changes, which
increase the healthy food and increase in physical activity (Walls et al., 2011).

Health science 6
Policy considerations that should be included in a national obesity health campaign
may include- establishing balance in quality care services as well as efficacy is essential in
order to overcome many problems that are likely to be faced by health care department due to
the problem of inequality being practised in many parts of the world.
Many people face problems due to lack of availability of medicines as well as people
who are ready to donate their organs. So it’s important to lay more focus on ease in
availability of medical tools such as exercise and consultation of health care professionals
essential for the survival of individuals.
Now a days as the problem of obesity have become very common due to increase in
the intake of fast food, drinks and many other things so, government must take initiate to
aware people so that they can make correct food choice (Lang & Heasman, 2015).
Apart from this all those who are presently facing the problem special proper diet
programme must be designed for them so, that they can intake only that food stuff which is
good for them (Bombak, 2014).

Health science 7
References
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Unwin Australia.
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