Obesity is a complex disease involving an excessive amount of body fat. There are underlying chronic diseases associated with obesity. Obesity can be connected to increased threat for factors such as, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, arthritis-related disability, and some forms of cancers (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.). There is an unrelenting need to act on the issue of obesity. However, there are breaches in the inevitability efficiency of actions or mixture of actions being applied in the U.S. For example, the one obvious gap in the evaluation efforts is the lack of enough research documentation or approach that view obesity as a chronic disease. There was not a set of positive indicators to be utilized, in curbing obesity. Likewise, this issue was not being looked at, in the community or national level.
Additionally, there is ruptured approach in deterring obesity disease at all levels government (Finkelstein, Ruhm, & Kosa, 2005). It is understandable to note that recent U.S. federal initiatives have used approximations of population scope, as a substitutive metric for interference effect. This is used to help in informing resource distribution and programmatic choices about challenging primacies in the community (Cheadle et al. 2010). Additional ambiguity on the leadership challenges of implementing effecting change effort of obesity can be seen by how federal initiatives in Obesity Preventive Measure (OPM) have relied on the use of population reach, as a singular metrics for intervention (McTigue, Harris, Hemphill, Lux & al, 2003). Even though other federal and state initiatives in obesity prevention have suggested the use of evidence-based community strategies, uncertainty occurs— since less is known about the effective strategies that can underwrite real solutions. In respond to such limitations and ambiguities, Robles et al. (2014) suggested the substantial challenges posed to funding agencies and other program initiators that are tasked with setting metrics model for selecting interventive approach– for a city or local community.
As a benchmark for measuring research progress in addressing U.S. obesity, Robles et al. (2014) proposed health intervention ideas for Choose Health LA, which resulted in:
- The enactment of nutritional standards and other healthy food intervention practices at community food service locations, by public and private institutions in Los Angeles County.
- The preferment of breastfeeding through accomplishment of “baby friendly” designation and amongst healthcare centers serving low-income communities.
- The spreading of large media promotions to promote and educate communities about the harms and hazard of excess calorie, sugar, sodium and other unhealthy consumptions.
- The increase in educational supports and teaching ability to implement current and evidence-based physical educational prerequisite —in educational institutions.
- The encouragement of environmental capacity to encourage and simplify engagement in physical activity across varied districts of the county.
Reference:
CDC. (n.d.). The Power of Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/pdf/2009-Power-of-Prevention.pdf
Cheadle, A., Schwartz, P.M., Rauzon, S., Beery, W. L., Gee, S., Solomon, L. (2010).The Kaiser Permanente Community Health Initiative: overview and evaluation design. American Journal of Public Health, 100(11):2111- 2113.
Finkelstein, E. A., Ruhm, C. J., & Kosa, K. M. (2005). ECONOMIC CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF OBESITY. Annual Review of Public Health, 26, 239-57. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/235224548?accountid=14872
McTigue, K. M., Harris, R., Hemphill, B., Lux, L., & al, e. (2003). Screening and interventions for obesity in adults: Summary of the evidence for the U.S. preventive services task force. Annals of Internal Medicine, 139(11), 933-49. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/222235244?accountid=14872
Robles, B., M.P.H., Kuo, Tony,M.D., M.S.H.S., Leighs, M., M.P.P., Wang, M. C., DrP.H., & Simon, Paul,M.D., M.P.H. (2014). Using population reach as a proxy metric for intervention impact to prioritize selection of obesity prevention strategies in los angeles county, 2010-2012. American Journal of Public Health, 104(7), e14-9. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1545530684?accountid=14872
