Solution
Pratyusha answered on
Jul 29 2021
Running Head: MAKING HEALTHY PUBLIC POLICY 1
MAKING HEALTHY PUBLIC POLICY 3
MAKING HEALTHY PUBLIC POLICY
ASSIGNMENT 3: IDENTIFYING THE EVIDENCE BASE FOR A PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY
Table of Contents
Introduction 3
1. Size of the Problem 3
Illustrating the Size of the Problem 3
Most Affected Population Group due to the Problem 5
2. Cause of the Problem 7
Factors Underlying the Problem 7
Research Evidence Supporting the Factors Identified 9
Quality of the Evidence 9
3. Contextual Considerations to be considered 10
If the Evidence Local or International 10
Anything Specific to Australia to be considered 11
Missing Elements of the Evidence 11
Presenter of the Evidence 12
Quality of the Evidence 13
Conclusion 14
References 15
Introduction
The number of people inflicted by obesity or overweight indeed forms a major population of the sub-continent Australia. It can be identified clinically by Body-Mass Index (BMI) and used to caution the individuals entering from normal to overweight status. The development of obesity or overweight has resulted in the development of many secondary diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, heart failure, kidney failure and so on, as supported by Pozza and Isidori (2018). It also reduces the psychosocial health largely.
According to Rankin et al. (2016), it was observed that children suffering from obesity along with physical incapability to participate equivalently and actively in physical activities, they were subjected to psychological como
idities like poor self-esteem, mental distress and emotional disorders. Nearly 80% of these obese children continue to remain obese when they become adults as losing weight becomes highly difficult for an individual who has gained obesity.
The psychosocial disorders in an individual can also be related to childhood obesity and subsequently things related to that, as supported by Rankin et al. (2016). The economic and social costs of a nation becomes high due to people needing additional investments to combat obesity, hence it is a major problem to be urgently taken care of by the nation.
1. Size of the Problem
Illustrating the Size of the Problem
According to Prevention and Management of Overweight and Obesity in Australia Policy Statement (PHAA), Australia ranks topmost globally in having the maximum number of people affected with obesity, even a huge number of the children (5-17 years) are also found to be obese or overweight and it has increased to about 25%. The problem of Obesity has taken its toll in the last four decades and it has affected 10% of the population from previous records of affecting 5% population in the last 20 years, as supported by Hayes, Tan, Killedar and Lung (2019). The statistical representation of the problem illustrates the prevalence of obesity among all age groups in Australia.
Figure 1: Comparative study of all age groups of obese people in Australia for 2011-12 (Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2012)
Over the time, the problem of obesity has increased in leaps and bounds according to the Prevention and Management of Overweight and Obesity in Australia Policy Statement (2016), from 56% of the total Australian population in 1995 to 63% in 2007-8. Around 5.5% of all Australian disease and burden due to injury (BOD) in 2011 was resulted due to overweight and obesity. According to the reports by the 2014/15 Australian Health Survey data, by state or te
itory in determining the extent of variations in obesity in people across the sub-continent, there were indications of small i
egular differences in the frequency of overweight and obesity across the sub-continent’s states and te
itories.
The highest witnessed occu
ence of obesity and overweight statistically was found in Tasmania where percentages of obesity and of overweight and obesity combined to be 32.3% and 67.5%, respectively. The lowest occu
ence of obesity and of overweight and obesity combined (23.9% and 63.0%, respectively) was found in the Australian Capital Te
itory.
Figure 2: Prevalence of overweight and obesity amongst Australian children, by state/te
itory, National Health Survey 2014/15
(Source: Huse et al., 2018, 32)
As obesity has been identified as a global pandemic and is capable of affecting the individuals throughout the world in all socioeconomic sections. A comparative study of the food-habits and the prevalence of other different environments like macro level, social and physical aspects related to obesity among various populations in UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand had been undertaken, as these were regarded as the countries with highest records of obesity. The evidences were collected from statistical data of medical journals from 1990 to 2017 and six databases were taken for a proper study (Black, Hughes & Jones, 2018). The conclusion was that the food or local environment indeed was found to have an association in determination of Obesity.
Most Affected Population Group due to the Problem
According to Prevention and Management of Overweight and Obesity in Australia Policy Statement (2016), the lower socioeconomic group, few immigrant populations and the To
es Strait Islander and Aboriginal people are most badly affected by obesity in Australia. The effects of obesity on the lower socioeconomic group is much severe than the others. Moreover, they are at many inconsistencies due to the establishment of further chronic diseases as an outcome of obesity, inabilities to get proper health treatments and medical facilities as an outcome of unaffordable cost of these amenities and obesity indeed becomes a risk factor for them, as supported by She
iff et al. (2019). The graph below represents the frequency of obesity throughout the years from 1940- 1970 and the unequal distribution of people getting affecting by obesity between the income groups.
Figure 3: Frequency of obesity occu
ence and severe obesity for men and women
own=obesity (BMI =30- 35 kg/m2); solid bars=high SEP; hatched bars=low SEP. BMI= body mass index; SEP= socioeconomic position
(Source: Hayes et al., 2019, e026525)
In addition, immigrant populations are found to be facing such a problem in Australia. The widely affected are the Aboriginal children and obesity becomes an important contributor in existence of health gap between people of non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal people of Australia. The children and the adults of the Aboriginal population affected by obesity make up to 81% of the total Aboriginal population affected by obesity in Australia, as supported by She
iff et al. (2019).
They have an increased prevalence of having Type 2 diabetes and other...