Obesity in the UK

Place an order for a custom essay, research paper on this or related subject.

 

Background

The healthy vitality of obesity at childhood has been dully established in the United Kingdom.  However, the approaches adopted in the talking of the challenges have been relatively elusive. While there is sufficient evidence for both private and public concerns as shown in the development of the Public Service Agreement, as a mean through which the rise in child obesity would be halted, little would have been achieved towards the same end. Sufficient data was collected through the Health Survey for England.

The House of Commons committee on health recommended that school children have the body measured on an annual basis. The parents were to be informed then on the outcome of the measure and subsequently on the requisite dietary interventions. Unfortunately the department for committee of health experts was unable to support this recommended proposal arguing that reporting these outcomes would be tantamount to screening programmes yet could not satisfy the national criteria for screening.

The requirement for such move was so stringent that required the intervention agency identifies the condition and subsequently the progression that would assist in the improvement of the health outcomes. These health outcomes required to be achieved through some randomised control trails. Similarly the agency needs to verify that the returns were over and above the projected harm resultant from the implementation of the strategy. Besides, the program implementation costs were to be proved to be relatively low besides a low inconvenience rate.

The measurement of the weight and the height of the children were to be anyhow continued. In spite of the measurement the results were not supposed to be reported to the parents; this was only to be treated as part of the national children measurement program. Although from the very onset the purpose of this gesture appeared to be shrouded in controversy; some arguing that purpose of these programmes were quite unclear. This was particularly more lucid at the grassroots. Subsequent the data was then analysed on the school basis such that any such incidental interventions would only be initiated at the school level and the performance of the interventions still monitored and evaluated at this very level.

The controversy on the programme brought into being a conglomeration of explanations with the Primary Care Trust arguing that the purpose of the intervention was very multifaceted. The programme was intended to plan and target the local resource in the intervention process. In addition the programme was to facilitate the tracking of the progress locally on the progress against the target of PSA on obesity and the subsequent local intervention performance.

The purpose was revised later with the department offering new guidelines for the objectives of the Primary Care Trust. This review saw the need of availing data for the purposes of performance management monitoring by PCT against the target set by the PSA. The data generated was also to used to assist in making the public understand the depth of the weight problem and change their attitude towards the mitigation prospects put in place by the government. The data collected also provided the local management the basis for the planning and effective service delivery.  Similarly, the data was to be used in the engagement of parents and children in programmes that would leverage the efforts of addressing the weight challenges. The changes in legislative framework saw the government reveal the result of the screening to parents in 2008.

In addition the data collected was to be used in the delivery and planning for implementation of consequential strategy. Because there was looming uncertainty over the usefulness of the weight and height data, the subsequent screening obese children; a policy review and literary review was undertaken. This reviews and literature was to be used in the surveillance and screening of the requisite programmes for the monitoring and evaluation of the control prospects.

There has been no global consensus over the childhood screening of obesity. Obesity screening guidelines have been very divergent from differing experts. The UK has had a lot of contradictions from the major agencies that are entrusted with the monitoring, screening and evaluation of obesity. Both the Child Growth foundation and the National Screening Committee seem to be in utter crossroads over the right and legitimate policy guidelines.

The UK moved swiftly however, through the ministry of education in the programme dubbed trim and fit. Through the programme the schools had to ensure that learners were not only mentally fit but also physically fit. The programme included physical and nutritional education alike. The schools had to ensure that the foods at the school canteens were regulated, as the feeding habits of the obese children were monitored closely.

Children who were identified to be having 4160% above average weight had their parents advised to seek medical check up. The parents were required to seek medical screening. Schools that recorded high increases in the weight cut of their students were rewarded as a way of motivating them to beef up their weight cut programmes. While there had been steady increases in the obesity prevalence between the years 1976 to 1992, subsequent years recorded considerable drops in the prevalence. The ages between 11 and 12` recorded a decrease of 16.6%. In retrospect, the obesity prevalence among adults was ever on the increase. The use of medicinal became imperative for the aged. Notably these efforts saw the prevalence of obesity drop from 14% to 9.8% respectively in the years 1992 to 2002.

The use of pills is most welcome particularly when the condition is at the severe level. Reductil has been largely utilised in the treatment of obesity. This is an appetite suppressant. Unfortunately, the represents has insurmountable side effects that justify the use of nutritional and physical prescriptions. These tablets may make it very hard for the patient to operate machines.  Similarly, in cases where the obese person is expectant, the unborn child is put in jeopardy.

Though the Reductil tablets have been found to increase metabolic rate, they can cause high blood pressure to the patient. Besides, these drugs would not be used for a period of over three years.  In addition this prescription would only be used under caution by obese persons who are epileptic or hypertensive. Altogether they don’t offer the best prescription.

Xenical has also been believed to be the best prescription for weight loss. Coincidentally, t is argued that the pill (capsule) works best when it complements physical fitness and dietary interventions. The medication works in the digestive system fighting fats directly. Persons who combine Xenical and physical exercises would loss to as much as 19 albs per year according to research. However, the medication has a number of side effects. Persons using Xenical develop complications in their bowel movement particularly during their first days of use. Overall, obesity is best prevented than treated.

Critical Interventions in Obesity Treatments and control

The accumulation of fats in the body has been treated over the years with the least concern in the United Kingdom. However, the statistics available today show such a shock trend. At the very extreme obesity can cause heart attacks, hypertension, stroke diabetes of type II arthritis and even cancer. It is perhaps this impending effect of obesity that has raised the red flag in the UK. Obesity is a function of the Body mass Index and the individual’s square height. Persons with a BMI of above 30 will always be termed as obese. Obesity cases with a BMI of above 40 are termed as having morbid obesity.

Initially obesity was considered a problem inherent only in high income earners. However, time seems to be denitrifying this myth. Statistics in the UK and US show that the trend is largely on the increase among low and medium income earners. It is very absurd that research shows that unless the trend is checked 41% of people in the United Kingdom will be obese. 25 years later in the year 2050, the obese population will increase to have the population then this shows interventional measures are long overdue.

The cost of treating obesity today stand at ₤5 billions but this figure will double by the year 2050 to ₤10 billions. The associated costs are estimated to increase to an estimated ₤49.9 billion per year. Much fear has been put on the children implying that as they grow the costs of the management of the obese conditions would still increase.