My Msc Specialist Community Public Health

According to Gostin (2000), public health focuses on the health of populations. Populations are used in public health because it is done collectively to prevent and promote health. Also, it is not easy to separate individuals in a community. This is largely due to the methods that are utilized in public health. I agree because statistical methods are used for detecting disease outbreaks and clusters, the use of survey methods, interpreting time trends and geographic patterns, exploratory statistical analysis of surveillance data, and web-based health reporting systems for the rapid detection of public health problems. Epidemiologic methods are also used to monitor health patterns in populations and it has been a long-standing focus on public health (Brookmeyer & Shroup, 2003; Gostin, 2000).

I write to you today in order to urge you to do more about the rising problem of childhood obesity. Until now, Australia has completely underestimated the role and scale at which obesity is at work in our country, not only with our adults, but also, and especially, with our children. From 1985 to 1995, we witnessed a large increase in the number of obese 5-6 year olds alone, from boys jumping from 10.7% to 20.5% and girls from 11.8% to 21.1%. Between 1995 and 2007-8 there was only a slight increase from 21% to 22%. In 2011-12 the number was 26%. Many statistics show that from 1996 onward, the childhood obesity rates in 5-6 year olds have plateaued. However, this does not mean Australia is doing enough. While there has been only slight increases over the years and nearly unnoticeable change, the rates remain high and cause concern, and therefore must be addressed accordingly.

Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic. The UK has estimated through their schools’ National Child Measurement Program that one-third of the children there are overweight, and by 2050 that number could rise to an alarming two-thirds (Phillips 2).

The prevalence of obesity in England has more than tripled in the last 25 years. (Department of Health 2012) largely due to dramatic changes in dietary/lifestyle trends with attributing factors such increasing use of transportation, sedentary lifestyles, wider food choices, availability of cheap convenience foods in times of economic decline and also powerful food advertising through media coverage and the increase in fast food restaurants and larger portions; all of these factors have led to a dramatic rise in obesity in the UK, leaving the government with a major public health dilemma due to its

From 1985 to 1995 the number of overweight 7-15 year olds almost doubled. The numbers of obese children has more than tripled 20 years on from that. At the current rate, it is predicted that 55 per cent of young Australians will be overweight or obese by 2020. This is a disturbing trend that needs resolved as soon as possible as it places a huge risk for future generations. Studies have proved that if a child is obese, and has obese parents, there is a high likelihood that the child will be obese as an adult. This is so because kids tend to share eating lifestyle habits with parents. If the upcoming challenge of obesity defeats the young people today, future generations will be hampered by medical and physical disadvantages. Are you starting to see why Australia is in desperate need to advance with this

Childhood obesity is rising worldwide in an alarming rate. New Zealand Health Survey results in 2012/2013 showed that one out of nine children (2-14 years) was obese and it was 11 per cent of the total children population1. Obese children are more prone to have cardiovascular disease, psychological morbidity, asthma, Type 1 diabetes, and early mortality2 sooner or later in their life. Adverse effects of childhood obesity not only affect the current or later health status of children but also the country’s productivity and economy. Therefore it is very important to break the obesity viscous cycle in order to have a healthy nation.

There is a new concern that arises daily regarding healthy lifestyle choices. The rates of hypertension, strokes, cardiovascular disease and diabetes have all increased. The increasing numbers of these chronic diseases closely correlate with increased rates of obesity. Every year this growing epidemic progressively victimizing society’s youngest people – our children. Obesity is currently one of the greatest concerns

approximately £15.8 billion per year with £4.2 billion in cost to the NHS. Obesity is a

Public health is the combine organised efforts from different sectors (public or private) within the society that help people to become healthier or less sick, promote health, prevent illness and prolong life. Its focus to promote good health practices on the population; therefore their involvement is more on populations wellbeing physical and mental health than individuals cases.

Obesity levels in the Untied Kingdom have reached an all time high with one in every four adults suffering from obesity. Childhood obesity has also drastically increased with 25 percent of boys and 33 percent of girls aged between two and 19 years being overweight or obese. There is little sign of this upward trend in obesity stopping, and it will have a significant impact on the state of the country. It will negatively affect the UK 's economy and more importantly negatively affect the health of the UK 's 63 million people.

Globalisation has created conditions, which contributes to the consumption of high-energy foods. In addition, the availability of cheap fast food from all around the world with the advertising from multinationals such as McDonalds has resulted in pressures which have led to a growth in the consumption of energy-rich food among the poor. It is difficult to argue that obesity is a social condition, which negatively affects those in low paid and short term jobs. It is obvious to say, obesity does have a significant biomedical component. What happens inside the body after you have eaten your Big Mac clearly requires psychological/biochemical explanation. Thus, to conclude, there has been a combination of both social and biological factors which have contributed to the growing cases of obesity which is putting a strain on our health budgets (ten percent of the total NHS budget is allocated to obesity and related illnesses), creating many early deaths, and even lowering peoples self-esteems. By 2060, sixty percent of men, fifty percent of women, and twenty-five percent of children are likely to be obese. Obesity is a worldwide epidemic which needs to be dealt with appropriately. There are many ways to tackle obesity. The WHO’s 1997 interim report argues that it is not enough to tackle obesity at individual level and that a society-wide public health approach needs to be employed. This includes better and much improved medical profession, the government working with the food industry to promote a healthier diet for everyone from childhood to adults, and also more information provided to the public about illnesses such as obesity and ways of maintaining weight loss by promoting sustainable changes

In 2007 the estimates of the NHS costs of treating obesity and other overweight related disease in England were £4.2 billion and it was estimated to go up to £6.3 billion and the modelled projections of indirect costs of obesity could be as much as £27 billion (year 2015) and the same experts estimates that by 2050 the total costs of obesity and other overweight diseases would be £49.9 billion (at 2007 figures) http://www.noo.org.uk/LA/impact/economic

Another obesity strategy has been published in October 2011 ‘Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A call to action on obesity in England’, with a new target in reducing excess weight of the adults by 2020. The strategy stated

Public health is the science of protecting the safety and improving the health of communities through education, policy making and research for disease and injury prevention (publichealth.pitt.edu). The definition could mean different for every person. According to our reading, it is a course of action adopted and pursed by a government, party, statesman, or other individual or organization. Public health incorporates the interdisciplinary approaches of epidemiology, biostatistics and health service.

It is also a field that is concerned with limiting health disparities and a large part of public health is the fight for health care equity, quality, and accessibility. The field of public health is highly varied and encompasses many academic disciplines. However, public health is mainly composed of the following core areas: