Obesity has become a global problem as the number of overweight people keeps rising drastically. There are a variety of factors that lead to the epidemic of obesity which are cultural, environmental and religious among others. The leading factor contributing to overweight is the imbalance between calories that get consumed and those that get expended from the body. Obesity is socio-culturally distributed in that the spread of the ailment varies according to social and cultural factors. Cultural factors play a major role in why some people are at a high risk of developing obesity as compared to other people of a different culture. A culture is a set of rules that are put in place to guide a certain group of people. Individuals who share the same culture share the same values and experiences. For instance, there are some cultures that value people who are overweight as such people are assumed to be wealthy and living a happy life. Such cultures believe that overweight is associated with wealth especially in cultures that deal with food scarcity.
People who share the same culture tend to stay in the same residence. The region in which such people live and the resources that are available to them could contribute to poor eating habits. For instance, people may prefer eating a lot of fast food because they are less costly and readily available in the region where they live. Such foods could be the kind of foods that they are familiar with even though they may not be healthy. Fresh vegetable and fruits which are healthier may be too expensive for some people and therefore such foods may not be included in their diet. Individuals who live in societies that are more developed economically tend to be overweight as compared to those that live in rural areas because they are exposed to already prepared, packaged and processed foods.
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There are a variety of environmental factors that contribute to obesity. This could be through the exposure to toxic environment or social economic status. The increase in the amount of processed and fast foods which are readily available in restaurants and the reduction on the cost of such foods lead to a rise in the prevalence of obesity (Drewnowski, 2004) . There is an increase to access of energy-dense foods in schools and the use of devices that save on labor which lead to a reduction in physical activities in schools and even at the work place. Such changes in the environment contribute towards the spread of obesity. There is an increase in the number of households that have two or more television sets, video recorders and computers that are used at home.
Most offices have installed computers that replace manual work whereby individuals sit behind such computers for a whole day without engaging in any form of activities. Research has it that some religious practices are risk factors that could encourage obesity in society. This is because most of the religious commitments that are supported by people in a community determine the lifestyle and moral values of such individuals. Most of the religious practices are associated with BMI and the independence of the socioeconomic status.
There are a variety of systems that have been put in place as remedy to obesity. More individuals opt for eating plans that are healthy with less calories as a way to control the epidemic of obesity. Such people are encouraged to engage in daily activities when they begin their healthy eating plan. The community has developed necessary initiatives that encourage people to change their eating habits and lifestyle in general. Such plans are meant to help overweight people lose the extra weight and improve on their general health.
Weight management programs that can be accessed by all people have been put in place whereby individuals get trained by specialists on how to monitor their weight. This is done by providing obese people with low calorie diets and physical activity platforms such as gyms. The specialists work with such individuals on site or in group sessions. People who face challenges with the journey are allowed to contact specialists so that they can be provided with the necessary encouragement.
To reduce or eliminate the obesity epidemic, the health promotion program that has been proposed aims at working together with the community in achieving one goal. The program supports healthy eating habits and an active lifestyle that involves physical activities. It is important for people to get informed about the significance of early childhood care because early education has an impact on the lifestyle of a child and their diet. It also helps in developing a foundation for healthy eating habits for the rest of their lives. There is an initiative in the community that sponsors salads in schools and this has helped children to develop good eating habits in their early stages of life.
There are initiative that promote an environment that consists of healthy food. In addition to that, there are strategies that have been put in place which encourage people to engage in physical activities. Such strategies encourage individuals to walk to their work places and schools. People should adopt healthy behaviors such as introducing physical education in schools. In addition to that, schools should come up with initiatives that encourage children to drink water regularly and should ensure that there the available food and beverage options are healthy and help children to have balanced diet food options. Moreover, the amount of time that students engage in physical activities should be increased.
There are a variety of barriers that are faced by both the population and the healthcare professionals. Most people who live in the community have limited venues for exercise and have a few stores that sell grocery and other healthy foods at an affordable price. The cost of healthy foods is extremely high as compared to fast and processed foods. There is an absence of large supermarkets within the region that sell a variety of foods for families to choose from. Those that offer a variety of food are located outside or in the urban centers. Most individuals are low income earners and this limits them from purchasing healthy foods. There is also a large number of restaurants that offer fast foods at a lower cost and such foods are composed of high calories fat and sugars. The unavailability of healthy foods and the low income levels of the population is the main barrier that prevents them from leading a healthy lifestyle.
Barriers that are encountered by healthcare professionals include factors such as communication (Robinson, 2002). Most of the healthcare professionals are not sure on how to approach a discussion about a person’s weight without making such people to feel offended. They do not have the confidence to approach individuals and convince them to change the unhealthy lifestyle. This could be due to the lack of sufficient training before they are allowed to engage with individuals in the community. In addition to that, healthcare professionals mostly indicate a fear of parental reaction when discussing childhood obesity. They get anxious with the fear that parents might take it as person criticizing their lifestyle or their parental skills. There are instances where parents react badly during such sessions and this makes the healthcare professionals to avoid the topic in order to maintain a good relationship.
Bridging education, research, policy and action as the systems to be put in place will ensure appropriate utilization of the health promotion program aimed at eradicating obesity (Eldredge et al., 2016) . Researchers who have a good understanding on clinical and policy procedures should ensure that all health professionals are provided with adequate training about obesity. They should ensure that the population understands the risk factors that are associated with foods which contain high calories and sugars. Individuals should be enlightened to have a good understanding of the causes of obesity. Healthcare facilities should be introduced in the population to help more people seek treatment at an affordable cost.
In conclusion, obesity is an epidemic that continues to spread globally. A variety of factors such as cultural, environmental and religious factors contribute towards the spread of obesity. It is an ailment that affects people of different age groups and social classes. People can lead a healthier lifestyle by engaging in physical activities, avoiding fast foods and high calorie foods and increasing water intake as possible remedies that can help in eradicating obesity. There are a variety of barriers that people in a population can face such as high poverty levels which prevents them from accessing a healthy lifestyle. Healthcare providers are as well faced with challenges such as communication problems and the fear of negative reactions that can come from people who are ailing when they introduce the topic of obesity. People can, however, be taught through training programs to familiarize them with diabetes and how to prevent or manage the condition. Schools should introduce healthy foods to students and encourage them to engage in physical activities on a regular basis. It is important for parents to introduce children to a healthy lifestyle from a tender age.
References
Drewnowski, A. (2004). Obesity and the food environment: dietary energy density and diet costs. American journal of preventive medicine , 27 (3), 154-162.
Eldredge, L. K. B., Markham, C. M., Ruiter, R. A., Fernández, M. E., Kok, G., & Parcel, G. S. (2016). Planning health promotion programs: an intervention mapping approach . John Wiley & Sons.
Robinson, M., & Gilmartin, J. (2002). Barriers to communication between health practitioners and service users who are not fluent in English. Nurse Education Today , 22 (6), 457-465.
