COD504: Policy Brief Analyzing Obesity Policy Challenges in Australia

This policy brief, prepared for COD504, examines the challenges faced by the Australian federal government in addressing obesity. The report identifies issues within the current National Obesity Strategy and Obesity Policy Coalition, including ineffective approaches, lack of awareness, unclear roles of stakeholders, and the absence of consideration for demographic and geographic contexts. The brief highlights social challenges such as complex implementation, insufficient resources, and conflicts between federal, state, and local authorities. It proposes alternative policy options such as developing local-level policies, modifying the current federal approach, setting goals based on specific levels, promoting good health, and implementing health-related campaigns in coordination with NGOs to improve policy effectiveness and achieve desired outcomes. The paper emphasizes the need for collaboration among central and state levels to effectively tackle the obesity crisis.

COD504 Community, Policy
and Change: Study guide
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Table of Contents
Purpose of policy brief.................................................................................................................3
Summary of concise policy challenge.........................................................................................3
Identification of some policy options..........................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6
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Purpose of policy brief
A policy brief is written to advise government or an organisation to make changes in
policy and focus on specific issue. Also, it provides some suggestions as well to change policy
approach. Besides that, it gives insight on issue that occurs. With help of policy brief it is easy
for government to take effective decision (Keohane, 2018). Thus, a new policy is formed by it.
Similarly, the Purpose of writing this policy brief is to make changes in current policy of
reducing obesity. Here, the intended audience is The federal government of Australia relate to
the issue of policy on reducing obesity and promoting healthy life. The policies followed in
Australia is National obesity strategy. It focuses on finding out factors leading to obesity and
preventing it. Another policy is Obesity policy coalition. It was formed with aim of influencing
change in policy and regulation to support obesity prevention. Also, to identify and analyze
evidence-based policy and regulatory initiatives to reduce obesity at state national and local
level. Thus, the paper will show give insight to authority on what changes are needed and how it
will be effective in attaining goals and objectives.
Summary of concise policy challenge
It has been analysed that there are some issues faced by federal government to reduce
obesity. This has highly impacted on people lifestyle. Among various issues obesity is major
challenge for government to tackle it. Thus, the federal government has formed a policy to
reduce obesity and promote good health. The policy is applied by state and local authorities.
However, there are certain social challenge within policy which makes it difficult for
government to implement it. The major challenge is approach included in it ineffective and
complex. So, it leads to non-proper execution. Moreover, the resources and guidelines are briefly
defined. Hence, it does describe about roles of NGO's and care homes about what actions or
measures are to be taken. It has been identified that there is lack of awareness among people.
They are not aware about symptoms of obesity and benefit of having healthy food (Mitchell, De
Lange and Moletsane, 2017). Therefore, policy is not executed at individual level.
In addition to this, the roles and responsibilities of local and state government officers such
as health department officers who are involved in implementing this policy is not properly
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defined. Due to it they are not able to do task effectively. Alongside, decisions taken by them
must be discussed with central.
Another social challenge of policy is that the policy is not developed by taking into
consideration of demographic and geographic context of people in different states. It becomes
difficult to execute it those areas where there are large number of people suffering from obesity.
Then, the authority has to develop their own policy and inform to federal. Furthermore, they
have to use their own resources. Thus, this leads to rise in burden on them as Federal government
does not provide any support. Often as well it leads to conflict between them. Therefore, federal
monitor closely on it and if possible, policy is discarded. Moreover, state and local is not able to
work freely with them. The roles of NGO’s are not specified clearly so it does not clarify what
they must do and how. Alongside, no time frame is mentioned in it in which monitoring, and
reporting is to be done (Queirós, Fernandes and Lynam, 2018). Australian government apply
some other policies that like tax, regulations, subsidies and funding that help to decrease the
level of obesity and more health promoting among people and create the healthy environment.
Thus, these are some social policy challenge been faced in obesity policy. It has highly
impacted on working of health government officers local to follow rules and guidelines in it. So,
it is difficult to set strategies and plans for it. Apart from it, the challenge must be solved so that
policy can be implemented at ground level. it will led to generating desired outcome by working
in collaboration with federal and other authorities.
Identification of some policy options
It has been identified that there are some alternative policy options as well which can be
applied by Australian government. Here, first is they can develop policy at local level by
identifying demographics of people suffering from obesity. Moreover, the approach in current
federal policy can be modified. They can divide policy into several stages and design a proper
framework to monitor its implementation. Apart from that, goals and objectives can be set on
basis of certain levels like for state and local it must be different. In addition, emphasis can be on
promoting good health rather than reducing obesity. The other policies are health promotion.
Another option that can be followed is e of policy with some health-related campaign. In
this government can implement this policy with help of campaign. Moreover, federal
government can work in coordination with NGO’s as well. So, for that they can redesign this
policy and make some changes in it. Thus, it will allow in assigning roles of NGO and providing
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them essential resources to achieve goals of policy (Sabo, Flores and Ingram, 2017). Through
that it will be easy for both state and federal government to solve social issue.
Hence, these alternative options can be followed in order to implement policy and solve
challenges. This will enable in making significant changes in policy and enforcing it in more
effective way. It will result in obtaining desired outcome by working in collaboration at central
and state level.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Keohane, R.O., 2018. The new European Community: Decision making and institutional change.
Routledge.
Boyd A Swinburn, Obesity prevention: the role of policies, laws and regulations WHO
Collaborating Centre for Obesity Prevention, Australia and New Zealand Health Policy.
doi:10.1186/1743-8462-5-12
http://www.anzhealthpolicy.com/content/5/1/12
McCollum, R., Otiso, L. and Taegtmeyer, M., 2016. Exploring perceptions of community health
policy in Kenya and identifying implications for policy change. Health policy and
planning, 31(1), pp.10-20.
Mitchell, C., De Lange, N. and Moletsane, R., 2017. Participatory visual methodologies: Social
change, community and policy. Sage.
Queirós, A.M., Fernandes, J. and Lynam, C.P., 2018. Climate change alters fish community size‐
structure, requiring adaptive policy targets. Fish and Fisheries, 19(4), pp.613-621.
Sabo, S., Flores, M. and Ingram, M., 2017. Community health workers promote civic
engagement and organizational capacity to impact policy. Journal of community
health, 42(6), pp.1197-1203.
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