Obesity is defined as surplus weight for height. However, the definition although simple includes etiologically complicated phenotype related to excess body fat that may present in metabolic ways besides body size (Pietro, 2016). In most cases, obesity is identified as a BMI that is ≥30 kg/m2. Obesity has recently become a main public health concern. Obesity is declared an epidemic throughout the world. The condition is associated with risky lifestyles that people live today. It is a worldwide problem that affects approximately 300 million individuals around the globe (Pietro, 2016). In the last decade, obesity’s prevalence has rapidly increased. Due to the fact that obesity is an epidemic related to increased mortality and disease burden, effective interventions to address the problem are crucial. This paper presents a proposal to address the problem of obesity in adults.
Background
The initial signs that obesity was becoming epidemic were observed in the United States and Europe. Because of limited restrictions to access to food, obesity prevalence in the U.S has risen tremendously without being mitigated in the past fifty years. Recent statistics show that the number of obese and overweight individuals is double the number of people who have a normal weight. Over the past ten years, obesity statistics show that the upward pattern of obesity among Americans has remained at a prevalence of approximately 35%. According to CDC (2015), 78.6 million adults in the United States suffer from obesity. Studies show that obesity is linked to increased mortality and significant decrease in life expectancy. The condition is also associated with the development of some major cancers that include breast and endometrial cancers, heart disease, diabetes mellitus etc.
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Proposed intervention
The proposed solution to adult obesity is a community based approach that involves a number of components that promote healthy living. The intervention will include a support group for obese adults to reduce weight, education sessions on weight loss, physical activity and healthy eating, and media campaigns such as pamphlets, billboards and disseminating information on social media. A multi-component approach will be more effective because different areas regarding adult obesity will be addressed and at the same time wide coverage ensured. In addition, due to the fact that obesity is linked to excess energy consumption and reduced physical activity, a solution focusing on behavior change related to physical activity and food will be crucial.
Proposed timelines
The proposed solution will be implemented for a period of five years. The support groups will pay attention to the little changes that participating individuals will make on their diet and physical activities levels. Group sessions will be conducted on a weekly basis.
Associated cost-benefit analysis of the proposed solution
Social resources will be crucial in ensuring behavior change in obesity prevention and weight loss. This is why social support groups will be included in the proposed solution. This include support given by peers in the support groups, family members etc. as information, encouragement and other forms of support. Social support is known to promote health. On the other hand, social isolation creates a negative effect on health outcomes (Jane et. al, 2018). By using social media, social support in fighting obesity will be improved. Social media will increase involvement of participants in the proposed adult obesity solution. In addition, it will offer a cost-effective method to offer social support for the obese adults participating in weight management (Jane et al., 2018). Despite the fact that the solution will include a number of components as previously explained the components will not be expensive to implement. In addition, it will not only be cost-effective but also provide significant benefits related to losing excess weight such as improved blood pressure and reduced risk of developing diseases and condition related to obesity.
Stakeholder involvement
Relevant stakeholders will be involved from the implementation onset. Stakeholders will include funding agencies, community members, community leaders, state health officials and other interested stakeholders. Funding agencies/individuals will be important in the implementation process because they will be providing financial support required in running implementation activities. On the other hand, community members will be crucial in implementation because the solution is meant to benefit them. By engaging them, cooperation, smooth implementation and increased participation will be ensured.
Implementation
Community leaders will be an important part of the implementation process because they are an influence on community members and they will be important in mobilization of community members. State officials such as those in the health department will be important because they are in charge of the health system and by involving them implementation process will be smooth.
Regarding the execution of the proposed interventions, the group sessions will include provision of current nutrition, physical activity and healthy living information. In addition, participants will be positively reinforced and motivated to stick to food and physical exercise programs. Health education periods will also be conducted. They will be conducted by qualified health educators at workplaces and in community groups. During the health education lessons, presentations focusing on small and realistic changes that participants can implement in their lives will be made. A curriculum on food preparation will also be developed. The content will include aspects such as prior planning of meals and making healthy meals. Furthermore, healthy eating and exercise will be promoted by addressing personal behavior, norms in families and change at the community level.
The program will be evaluated by measuring the expected outcomes that will include reduced weight/BMI, improved physical activity levels, lifestyle change and diet etc. Data will be collected using surveys and actual BMI measurements before and after implementation.
Part B
As a detective, I used my critical thinking skills to establish that there is the problem of obesity among adults; and it needs to be addressed promptly. This was specifically realized from using my clinical imagination combined with the nursing knowledge gained to judge and establish the results of subtle alterations from expected series. As a scientist, I saw the need of examining the problem of obesity from a clinical point of view, factoring in relevant clinical interventions that can be employed. Therefore, I conducted a scientific inquiry on adult obesity and identified evidence on some of the best practices in addressing the problem. As a manager of the healing environment, I developed a proposal that considers health care policy, financial aspects and control and regulations.
References
Adult Obesity Facts | Overweight & Obesity | CDC. (0AD). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html.
Jane, M., Hagger, M., Foster, J., Ho, S., & Pal, S. (2018). Social media for health promotion and weight management: a critical debate. BMC Public Health , 18 (1). doi: 10.1186/s12889-018-5837-3.
Pietro, O. R. D. (2016). “Are we Losing the War Against Obesity in the US?” Advances in Obesity, Weight Management & Control , 4 (2). doi: 10.15406/aowmc.2015.04.00083
