What is the global strategy on diet, physical activity and health?
The World Health Assembly (WHA) endorsed the World Health Organization’s (WHO), Global Strategy on Diet and Physical Activity and Health, henceforth referred to as the Strategy, in May 2004. (1) The Strategy was a result of a resolution created by Member states at the 2002 World Health Assembly to address the globally increasing prevalence and consequences of chronic disease. (1, 2) This was the first attempt of WHO to take an integrated and collaborative approach to address chronic disease. (2) The strategy was developed through extensive consultation with Member states and relevant stakeholders. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and WHO expert report on Diet, Nutrition and Prevention of chronic disease was the scientific basis behind the Strategy. (3)
Overall, the Strategy addressed a number of areas related to diet, physical activity and health. The recommendations included limitations on intake of foods high in saturated fats, trans fats, sugars and salts. It also recommended increases in levels of physical activity. Additionally, the Strategy included policies on implementation processes and surveillance, roles of government, industry and civil society as well as taxation, marketing, labeling and advertising of products. (1, 2, 4)
Who were the key stakeholders?
I will conduct a brief stakeholder analysis on the development of the strategy. Stakeholders are
The relationship between diet and chronic disease made the federal government to issue dietary guidelines for Americans since1980 and publication of dietary guidelines were made every five years. The dietary guideline is in response to the public’s desire for authoritative, consistent guidelines on diet and health (Slavin, 2012). One of the reasons for developing the dietary guidelines was to provide science based advice for two years old or older to help prevent chronic diseases and promote health. Another reason why dietary guidelines were created was to lay a good “foundation for federal nutrition programs and nutrition education programs and serve as a basis for research gaps and priorities” (Slavin, 2012). Also, the government wants to make sure the
A stakeholder analysis is a process for providing insights into, and understanding of, the interactions between a project and its stakeholders. It is a powerful tool to help project members identify and prioritise stakeholders who can have an impact on project success. It can prompt thinking about the type of influence individuals have and in what way they might be an asset (or hindrance) to achieving successful outcomes. It is an essential starting place for understanding critical stakeholders and is the first step for developing engagement strategies for building and maintaining the networks that are necessary for the delivery of successful project outcomes.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans,2010 contains recommendations for healthy food choices and physical activity for the nation. This report is updated and issued every 5 years by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The information that is presented is fostered by the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee which consists of scientific experts. The goal of the document is to increase knowledge and to put what is learned into action by facilitating heathy eating as well as regular physical activity, with its latter purpose of improving the health of all Americans ages two years and older.
We could institute a national, comprehensive program that would make us a world leader in preventing chronic or “lifestyle” diseases, which for the first time in history kill more people than communicable ones. By doing so, we’d not only repair some of the damage we have caused by first inventing and then exporting the Standard American diet, we’d also set a new standard for the rest of the world to follow (Bittman 299).
The main aim of the policy is to shape individuals ' eating methodologies, as Americans ought to give more attention to the sustainability of the food they eat. Though there are many guidelines published on Dietary issues, people couldn’t find much information on the type of foods, which keeps them healthy. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans: 2015-2020, eighth edition, which was released on January 7, 2016, was very resourceful.
The office of disease prevention and health promotes is a federal agency that promotes a healthy lifestyle and lifestyle choices through endeavors such as health education as well as other activities such as setting health goals. The two initiatives that I looked at ere the Dietary guidelines and the physical activity guidelines. The dietary guidelines are updated every 5 years and use scientific knowledge to recommend healthy nutritional choices for all people. The current guidelines on their website are from 2010 and contain 3 major goals which are to get people eating healthier foods like fruits and vegetables, to get people to stop eating unhealthy foods like junk food and processed foods that are high in unhealthy additives,
Today in the Western Hemisphere, many chronic health problems result from bad eating habits. There are a mix of people who are over-nourished, malnourished, or both. We eat chemically altered, high-fat toxic foods that do not provide a sufficient amount of essential vitamins and
The nutrition transition and the increasing westernization, urbanization and mechanization occurring in most countries around the world is associated with changes in the diet towards one of high fat, high energy-dense foods and a sedentary lifestyle (Popkin, 2001). This shift is also associated with the current rapid changes in childhood and adult obesity. Even in many low income countries, obesity is now rapidly increasing, and often coexists in the same population with chronic under nutrition.
For this task I have been asked to discuss the stakeholder’s aims and objectives of my two businesses. It is important for stakeholders to have an influence as they can offer ideas and anything the company is doing is in their interest.
For this reason, I believe there is great need to campaign for new legislation and social programming that addresses the following supportive evidence for obesity resolution. According to Frieden, Dietz, and Collins, implementing legislation that heavily taxes unhealthy food will help reduce consumption of these foods. Decreasing the cost of healthy foods, subsidizing farmer’s markets in underprivileged areas, creating zoning legislation that prohibits the building of fast food restaurants in the vicinity of schools and recreation areas, prohibition of unhealthy food advertisements directed at children, requiring restaurants to offer healthy food options for kids with the nutritional information listed on the menu, increase active transportation and recreation, and improve physical activity programs will also reduce childhood obesity (Frieden, Dietz, & Collins, 2010). The difficulty in implementing these solutions is monetary and political. The businesses negatively affected by these changes will fight against them and the cost of subsidizing groceries for the impoverished areas will cost.
This topic of obesity has been a rising issue for many years. There are many different reasons and predictions as to why the number for this disease is rising in America. Recent epidemiologic studies of diet and health outcomes including obesity have changed the focus to the overall diet quality and dietary pattern instead of single nutrients, such as dietary fat (Hu et al, 2000; Fung et al, 2001a, 2001b). The process starts with the lack of physical exercise and the food that people eat. As Americans, we need to picture more healthier foods to eat, have more physical activity to help food digest easier and faster. According to Campbell “to date, interventions have focused on improving the more amenable determinants of obesity: physical inactivity
Equally alarming is the information the authors conveyed regarding the government’s repudiation of information presented by the Surgeon General as well as the World Health Organization expressing that a healthy diet assists in the prevention of obesity related illness. It was surprising to learn that the government would question the viability of these reliable institution’s findings. I have to question my faith in the integrity of our nation’s most influential health organizations at the hearing of this information. I agree with the Surgeon General and the World Health Organization; healthy diet definitively aids in well-being and deterrence of obesity linked maladies. As my father has a formidable relationship with unhealthy food his health has been plagued with diabetes as well as significant heart problems; these illnesses are notably linked to poor diet choices. Conversely, my father-in-law was diagnosed with prediabetes and upon hearing the news promptly changed his eating habits to include the elimination of sugar; in a few short months his grim prognosis was transformed. It is my belief that the foods an individual chooses to consume can have vast repercussions, good or bad, on health.
You have a choice to use either an existing company or a fictitious company. In either case, the Project is to complete a written plan that will suggest a practical Strategic Direction for the company.
It is important to consider stakeholder perspectives due to the amount of importance they have in keeping society safe which is the focal duty of
Individuals are educated on the right feeding habits that are likely to result in the most beneficial health implications for the entire population. As a result, the audience gets the right education regarding the cross section of strategies that valuable to the wellbeing of individuals through a quality application of the right dietary patterns (Popkin, 2006). Public health officials will therefore come up with an understanding of the necessary changes in people’s feeding habits for the advancement of the necessary behavioral changes with respect to the health matters. The educational campaigns are focused on the identified areas that are considered a health risk to most of the