Australian Institute Of Health And Welfare

The Charter was brought in because the industrialised countries were not using the “Health for All By 2000” strategy. This was due to the fact that they didn’t like the limitations when it came to the lifestyle and behavioural approaches. In the Ottawa Charter behavioural and lifestyle approaches are considered to be part of people’s personal skills for achieving health .The charter was not just created out

Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve their health and wellbeing (Maggie & Scaffa, 2013). It has three key strategies including advocate, enable, and mediate (Tucker, Vanderloo, Irwin, Mandich & Bossers, 2014). Health promotion is through these three strategies that aim to achieve the five actions of the Ottawa Charter which include build healthy public policy; create supportive environments; strength community action; develop personal skills; and reorient health services (Tucker, Vanderloo, Irwin, Mandich & Bossers, 2014). In addition, the values of the health promotion include empowerment; equity and social justice; health as a human right; health as a holistic concept; and respect for cultural diversity (Tucker, Vanderloo, Irwin, Mandich & Bossers, 2014). There are a wide ranges of specific interventions, such as back education program for school children to improve back posture,

The Ottawa Charter for health promotion is a document developed in 1986 by the W.H.O that aims at enabling, empowering and encouraging people to improve, and increase control over their own health. In relation to road safety, all five action areas are addressed through the introduction and availability of specific services to the public by all levels of government, NGO’s, the community and individuals.

In 2015, 15% of children between the ages of 2 to 15, in Scotland, were at risk of obesity, in relation to their Body Mass Index (Scottish Health Survey, 2015). For children, the BMI ranges changes as they grow and get older, as well as being dependent on gender. For example, if a 12 year old boy and a 9 year old boy have the same BMI, and the 12 year old is classed as healthy, it doesn’t mean that subsequently the 9 year old is healthy too. It can, in fact, allude that the younger boy is overweight. Obesity in childhood can lead to a plethora of health issues in later life, and the children are more likely to be obese or overweight in adulthood. The World Health Organisation identified some of the future health outcomes of being obese in childhood. These include cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders, such as osteoarthritis, and in the worst case; death. WHO has estimated that, globally, over two million people die annually from health problems associated with being obese or overweight (WHO, 2016). There are several contributing factors to a child’s weight, including; parental weight and activity level, geographical location and deprivation.

The ‘Close the Gap’ campaign is a health promotion initiative that focuses on the lifestyle and decisions of indigenous people in Australia as well as explaining how the Australian government needs to focus on closing the gap of poor health between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. Through the ‘Close the Gap’ campaign it advocates the five action areas of the Ottawa Charter, which are of the following:

Childhood obesity is becoming more prevalent in the western world as statistics show that in Australia, one quarter of children are either overweight or obese. (Australian Bureau of statistics)

“During the past two decades, the prevalence of obesity in children has risen greatly worldwide. Obesity in childhood causes a wide range of serious complications, and increases the risk of premature illness and death later in life, raising public-health concerns.” (Ebbeling, Pawlak & Ludwig, 2002 p.471) Currently in the Australian community and schools there is an obesity epidemic in young people with many children doing less and less physical activity then advised. “In 2007-08 the National health survey, run by the Australian Government indicated that 24.9% of children aged 5-17 years old were either overweight or obese” (Healthy Active, 2009). These figures show that children are not being properly educated about healthy

The Healthy Child Programme (Rudolf, 2009) aims to provide guidance and practical direction in a strategy to reduce the risks of obesity for babies, toddlers and preschool children. For action are outlined that have the potential to encourage the development of lifelong healthy lifestyle and reduce the risk of obesity. The case for intervening in the very early years to prevent obesity is compelling. Its rationale is based on epidemiological studies that point to the high prevalence of obesity on starting school, the link between infant weight gain and later obesity, and tracking of obesity into adult life. Evidence from other sources highlights how lifestyle choice-both food preferences and physical activity - have their roots in the very

Increasing rates of childhood obesity is a current and significant health issue in Australia. In Australia alone the obesity in children have doubled in recent years with a quarter of children considered overweight or obese. Levels of childhood obesity have been rising each year and for numerous reasons some which include the fact that children have been eating food which are high in sugars and fats and spending less time on physical activity. Studies have shown that when children become overweight they are more likely to become and stay obese while moving into adulthood, children also have an increased risk of developing both short and long term associated health conditions. Some associated health conditions include cardiovascular diseases,

Like many healthcare systems around the world, Australia has a complex system in place for the funding healthcare to meet the needs of its citizens. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), in 2011-12 Australia spent an estimated $140.2 billion on healthcare, accounting for approximately 9.5% of the gross domestic product (AIHW, 2014). Australia has seen substantial growth in the cost of healthcare over the last decade due to an aging population, increased prevalence of chorionic conditions, changes in personal incomes, technology, and other economic trends (AIHW, 2014). Government sources account for the bulk of all healthcare funding, with the Australian Government contributing 42.4%, and state and territory

(Boyd et al, 2009) As health promotion is based on the Ottawa Charter, it promotes the principles of social justice; participation, equity, access and rights, and how this is applied is shown below; • Developing Personal Skills and the Principles of Social Justice o Participation example: Indigenous Health programs provide the Indigenous community with the knowledge to participate in positive health practices. o Equity example: In NSW K-12 all students, regardless of their socioeconomic status, participate in mandatory PDHPE lessons, equipping them with knowledge and skills to make positive health decisions.

Childhood obesity fast becoming a worldwide epidemic, and according to the Bureau of Statistics (cited in Browne 2012, p.20), 23 per cent of children are overweight or obese in Australia. Browne (2012, p.20) suggests that by children being weighed regularly by their doctor, just as they were when they were babies and toddlers, it will help doctors and parents to closely monitor their weight. Although obesity is caused by an imbalance of the calories consumed with the output of energy through metabolism and exercise (O’Gorman et al., 2011; Wang, 2008), the reason/s for this imbalance can arise from several of the 10 social determinants (the social gradient, stress, early life, social exclusion, work, unemployment, social support, addiction,

Childhood obesity is a medical condition defined as abnormal or excessive fat that can cause short and long term health problems to children (National Health and Medical Research Council [NHMRC], 2013). The obesity epidemic is recognized worldwide and is a fast growing concern for Australians; data from The OECD Health Data 2010 shows Australia’s obesity rate of 25% is similar to the United Kingdom and below the United States 34%, Mexico 30% and New Zealand 27% (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare [AIHW], 2010).

The Ottawa Charter first came into existence at the First International Health Promotion Conference in Ottawa, Canada 21 November 1986. Here, a never before charter of such reputed importance was forged that not only promoted health, but also implemented various strategies that an individual, group or community could adhere to in order to achieve a healthy overall well-being by the year 2000. The context in which the Ottawa Charter was created is of great significance. Essentially, the Charter was forged during the age of technology i.e. televisions/telephones etc. This enabled the Charter to broadcast Health Promotion on an international scale and thus

The increase in adults is alarming, but an increase in prevalence for overweight and obesity in children raises concern for the health of future generations. A report conducted by the Australian National Children’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey 2007 found one quarter of Australian children aged between 5 and 17 were found to be overweight or obese(Australian Government, Department of Health, 2007), a number which has been on the rise since 1985 (ABS, 2008). Obesity in childhood has been found