Obesity Policy Strategies

Words: 658
Pages: 3
Open Document
ve Summary
The obesity epidemic is rapidly advancing in the U.S., leading to physical and mental health problems as well as having financial impacts. Although there are existing federal programs and policies that address the obesity problem, these policies do not seem to account for the urgency of the current situation. It is essential to examine new policy strategies to combat the growing threat of obesity. Policy strategies explored in this paper include implementation of federal subsidization of healthy meals and taxation on fast food.
• The prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults has increased dramatically in the recent years. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that nearly 30 percent of U.S. adults are obese and …show more content…
Thus, the availability of inexpensive foods that are high in sugar and fat and the unavailability of healthy food choices contribute to the obesity issue (French, Story, & Jeffery, 2001).
• Obesity contributes to serious health illnesses and mortality. About 300,000 deaths annually in the U.S. are attributable to obesity-related factors (Allison et al., 1999).
• Adverse effects of obesity are not only medical. The U.S. spends about $190.2 billion annually on obesity-related illnesses, making up about 21 percent of annual medical expenses (Cawley and Meyerhoefer, 2012). Economic costs also include the costs spent on weight loss-products and services and is nearly $33 billion (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, hghg).
• This paper calls the U.S. government to implement policy interventions targeting the manipulation of either the availability of or the price of healthier food to promote their …show more content…
A review done by Andreveya et al. (2010) has shown that food prices significantly influence what people decide to purchase. Furthermore, the availability of inexpensive and unhealthy food and the unavailability of healthy food choices contribute to the obesity epidemic (Koplan and Dietz, 1999). Lastly, a systematic review on food taxes and subsidies has shown that interventions targeting the manipulation of either the availability of or the price of healthier food have shown to be effective in promoting their consumption (Thow, Downs, &
Show More

Related Documents: Obesity Policy Strategies

Policy Priority Issue Essay

Policy Priority Issue: The Childhood Obesity Pandemic Marla C. Khalikov Chamberlain College of Nursing NR506 – 10999: Health Care Policy Winter 2014 Policy Priority Issue: The Childhood Obesity Pandemic Childhood obesity is a global pandemic requiring prioritization in policy and health care reform. It has many effects on acute and long term health, including increasing the risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and certain types of cancer. This paper addresses…

Words 1622 - Pages 7

Obesity and Healthy Weight Initiative Essay

The “O” word on campus is not Oprah or online; it is obesity. During the past few years, administrators and faculty members have been discussing obesity as they see greater numbers of overweight students. News media accounts about rising rates of obesity provide an impersonal perspective of the problem, but observing obesity face-to-face in our classrooms and across our campuses makes it real. Increasing numbers of “super-sized” students are right in front of our eyes. They should not be ignored…

Words 2187 - Pages 9

HCA 415 Essay

How to Cure Childhood Obesity HCA415: Community & Public Health How to Cure Childhood Obesity Childhood obesity is a huge problem in many community; and the source of this issue is poor eating habits, the lack of exercise and mental health. Most people would say in order to cure this problem of childhood obesity one would need to provide a healthy life style of exercise and nutritional meals. Of course this is true but what many people do not understand is mental health play…

Words 946 - Pages 4

Essay about Public Health and Child Care Programs

Impact of Let’s Go! 5-2-1-0: A Community-Based, Multisetting Childhood Obesity Prevention Program Victoria W. Rogers,1 MD, Patricia H. Hart,2 MS, Elizabeth Motyka,1 MPH, Emily N. Rines,3 MPH, MCHES, Jackie Vine,1 MS, and Deborah A. Deatrick,4 MPH 1 The Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center, 2Hart Consulting, Inc., Gardiner, Maine, 3 United Way of Greater Portland, Portland, Maine, and 4MaineHealth, Portland, Maine All correspondence concerning this article should be addressed…

Words 7521 - Pages 31

Health Related Issues

taken daily ,which encourage individuals to adopt positive health related behaviours that have a positive effect on an individual’s health. Mainly with the efforts to reduce such things as diabetes and obesity, the report will also look at the department of health discussing the investment and policies which have been set up in order to build a fitter, healthier and happier nation. Department of health The department of health was set up to provide strategic leadership for public, NHS and social…

Words 2557 - Pages 11

Nceu Case Study

According to the Surgeon General’s National Prevention Strategy (n.d.), “Prevention can reduce the significant economic burden of disease in addition to improving the length and quality of people’s lives. Treatment, lost productivity, and health care costs are significant burdens to the economy, families, and businesses. Prevention policies and programs often are cost-effective, reduce health care costs, and improve productivity (National Prevention Strategy, n.d.).” By preventing, mitigating, and facilitating…

Words 511 - Pages 3

Background and Methodology of the Resea Essay

Childhood Obesity Catherine Garcia HCS/465 July 8, 2013 Jonathan Hoffsuemmer, MBA, MPH BACKGROUND: Research was conducted a three case study in 2005 by the Institute of Medicine. They attempt to argue and prove that communities outreach educate consumers of childhood obesity and prevention of obesity in children and youth. A lack of information on how exactly communities are educating the consumers on how to prevent childhood obesity. The research conducted by the Institute…

Words 921 - Pages 4

Nutrition and Lady Michelle Obama Essay

Raise A Healthier Generation of Kids "In the end, as First Lady, this isn’t just a policy issue for me. This is a passion. This is my mission. I am determined to work with folks across this country to change the way a generation of kids thinks about food and nutrition." - First Lady Michelle Obama Let’s Move! is a comprehensive initiative, launched by the First Lady, dedicated to solving the problem of obesity within a generation, so that children born today will grow up healthier and able to…

Words 497 - Pages 2

Preventing Childhood Obesity Final Draft Essay

Preventing Childhood Obesity Victoria Johnson Baker College Preventing Childhood Obesity “I doubt that the outcome we desire as a nation is to have excellent readers and outstanding math teachers — who are obese or undernourished and who are not physically fit,” says Gerald N. Tirozzi, executive director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Obesity is an extremely complex disease that is devastating our society, and plaguing our children. Parents and teachers need to…

Words 2821 - Pages 12

Obesity in two countries Essay

Obesity Rates in the U.S. and Mexico HED 6 Obesity Rates I. Increasing levels of obesity could compromise future gains in the life in expectancy in low and high income countries. A. Research on the Organization for economic cooperation and Development as the OECD B. Article report "Obesity and the Economics of Prevention: Fit not Fat" C. Study's on the article on how obesity rates have resulted. II. How obesity rates have grown by 4 to 5 percent in The U.S and Mexico…

Words 1306 - Pages 6