Obesity is a condition that is diagnosed when a person is found to have a body mass index of above 30. This means that the obese person is extremely overweight. This risky health status has been on the rise since the 1980's. This is in part due to genetics, hormonal problems, changing dietary habits and a decline in physical activity. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control ), over 39.8% of the adult population in the US are obese. Childhood obesity has also been on the rise, with a growing number of children being treated for obesity related illnesses such as type 2 diabetes (CDC, 2018). This has adversely affected the socio-economic development of the nation. The health sector has suffered the most because the health costs of an obese individual are higher. Although many other factors contribute to the rise in obesity rates, there are solutions for the diet and activity based causes. Therefore, every extra $ 1,429 spent on additional health care could be channelled into policy development that would facilitate sustainable changes.
Exercise and dietary control are the leading solutions aimed at curbing obesity. The government has in the past established policies aimed at bringing about change in this way. State, local and federal policies on obesity have made some strides in the right direction (Pate et al., 2016). Government initiatives include the lunch initiative between the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National School Lunch Program. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program(SNAP) also increased the access of fresh fruits and vegetables to both adults and children (Dietz, 2015). Obesity in low income areas is being combated by enforcing taxes on highly processed and sugary foods (Pate et al., 2016). The result is a decline in the purchase of such foods because the taxes drive the unit price up by over 20 %. Other local initiatives include provision of recreational areas, parks and bicycle lanes to encourage physical activity.
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These initiatives have been succesful in reducing the number of people who need medical attention due to obesity related illnesses. However, the primary aim is to facilitate a suitable situation where healthy living is sustainable. The national government has shown reluctance in dealing with this on a national level. The responsibility now passes to the local authorities (Snelling et al., 2017). Each local unit can choose to support this initiative in their own regionalized way. The first move would be to create awareness on the issue. A surprisingly large number of people are ignorant on the dangers of obesity. This would help the local authority to fight the war from a place of information.
Local authorities should also do an in depth needs analysis on their populations. This will make it possible to identify the unique factors that contribute to the obesity epidemic in the region. Such information would be easy to get from local healthcare facilities and food stores (Dietz, 2015). The subsequent move would be to then collect suggestions of solutions from these institutions. The next move would be to cooperate with neighboring states and towns in order to facilitate the recommendations. An example is a purchase agreement to supply fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meat and fish from those with surplus. Other changes that could be made are on the individual level. Ethics and financial policies often hold parents responsible for the well being of their children. The same standards should apply to obesity. A parent should be able to apply for food aid on health grounds. The parent's income can be evaluated to determine whether they can afford to purchase healthy food alternatives (Allard & Long, 2018). This will go over and beyond the current policies because change will be felt on the grass roots. Such policies will improve health outcomes for all people regardless of their socio-economic background.
References
Allard, L., & Long, J. (2018). Economics of Food and Policy: Study 1: Evaluating Public Policy towards the Obesity Epidemic.
CDC (2018) Overweight and Obesity. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
Dietz, W. H. (2015). The response of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the obesity epidemic. Annual review of public health , 36 , 575-596.
Pate, R. R., Flynn, J. I., & Dowda, M. (2016). Policies for promotion of physical activity and prevention of obesity in adolescence. Journal of Exercise Science " Fitness , 14 (2), 47-5
Snelling, A., Belson, S. I., Watts, E., Malloy, E., Van Dyke, H., George, S., & Katz, N. B. (2017). Measuring the implementation of a school wellness policy. Journal of School Health , 87 (10), 760-768.
