The Problem of Obesity in Australia Essay Example

conditions and drugs can lead to weight gain hence causing obesity. Further, lack of enough sleep, prenatal and postnatal impacts such as smoking while further pregnant upsurges the risks of obesity. These factors have led to the complexity of the health problem. Social determinants may also increase the danger of being obese. Every individual is a member of a particular social group, and this defines people’s roles and relationships.

Such social determinants have an impact on weight control. Each has a specific role that is defined by the nature of work done, the individual’s family, and the society they live in. Doing sedentary jobs may increase the risks of being overweight (Ross, Flynn, & Pate, 2016). People also play different roles in the family. For example, a mother is supposed to cook for the family. As a result, one ends up cooking foods that the family likes rather than focusing on decreasing fat intake.

Another social determinant is education. Research indicates illiterate people are widely affected by obesity as opposed to the literate ones. Lastly, the other social determinant to obesity is socioeconomic status, and this is the worst determinant to deal with when one wants to lose weight. People who are financially disadvantaged tend to suffer from obesity as opposed to their counterparts.

This is because they lack money to buy healthy foods. These social determinants make health problem challenging and complex for public health to address. The Australian government is putting a lot of efforts to ensure it reduces obesity rates to minimum levels. Australian health care is regarded to be among the best systems internationally. This is because they have low mortality rates and high

life expectancies. These progressions have become a threat to the Australian health care that is occupied by the aging people and strain of the chronic diseases and obesity.

As a result, disparities between the most and the least disadvantaged residents have endured. Therefore, these inequalities in the health care sector have made it hard to fight obesity hence making it a complex issue. According to Puhl, Peterson & Luedicke (2012), public health has found it hard to fight obesity because of the stigma that exists among the obese people. Many people have accused the overweight individuals of their weight. Weight stigma has been viewed as ineffective health tool as far long as fighting obesity is concerned.

This stigmatization of the obese people has endangered the health and created health discrepancies. As a result, it has affected operative obesity intervention efforts. Recent research that was carried out in Australia indicated that weight stigma has increased by sixty-six percent in the previous decades (Puhl, Peterson & Luedicke, 2012).When the obese individuals are stigmatized due to their weight, a lot of risks are posed to their physical and psychological health. Due to this, weight stigma should be addressed as a social subject and given importance in the public health involvements to address obesity. This is because stigma acts as an enemy in the endeavors to fight obesity.

There is no single answer to the obesity endemic. As discussed above, obesity is a complex issue and as a result, multifaceted approaches should be adopted. People should limit taking unhealthy foods such as junk food. Further, they should ensure that sedentary lifestyles are reduced. Sedentary lifestyle was known to be among the leading

factors causing obesity among people. As a result, people should adopt lifestyles full of physical activities.

If I were responsible for creating a plan to address obesity Australia, I would raise a suggestion to the public. My suggestion to the public health would be to increase awareness to the public about obesity, its causes, and how to prevent it. In doing so, issues such as weight stigma will be addressed as a social subject and given importance in the public health involvements to address obesity. This is in accordance to the above discussion.

In the plan, I would include state and local organizations, policymakers, school, community and business leaders, and health practitioners. These parties can raise awareness to the public about the obesity epidemic. Unless people become united in fighting the obesity epidemic, obesity will continue being a complex issue.

References

1. Colagiuri, S., Lee, C. M., Colagiuri, R., Magliano, D., Shaw, J. E., Zimmet, P. Z., &Caterson, I. D. (2010).

   The cost of overweight and obesity in Australia.Med J Aust, 192(5), 260-4.

2. Puhl, R., Peterson, J. L., &Luedicke, J. (2012). Fighting obesity or obese persons? Public perceptions of obesity-related health messages.International Journal of Obesity, 1, 9.
3. Rahman, A., & Harding, A. (2013).

   Prevalence of overweight and obesity epidemic in Australia: some causes and consequences. JP Journal of Biostatistics, 10(1), 31.

4. Ross, S. E., Flynn, J. I., & Pate, R. R. (2016).

   What is really causing the obesity epidemic? A review of reviews in children and adults. Journal of Sports Sciences, 34(12), 1148-1153.

5. Swinburn, B., & Wood, A. (2013).Progress on obesity prevention over 20 years in Australia and New Zealand. Obesity Reviews, 14(S2), 60-68.
6. Wright, S. M., &Aronne, L.

   J. (2012).Causes

of obesity. Abdominal Imaging, 37(5), 730-732.