Homework Question on Health Care and Social Policy
- Policy Memo: You are a member of a real (e.g. CODEPINK, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, National Transgender Advocacy Coalition, the National Association of Social Workers) or imagined organization (e.g. Advocates for Fair Care, The Capabilities System, Children of Parents of Social Workers) that will be discussing potential health care issues upon which to focus the organization’s advocacy efforts.
- You have been asked to submit a three-page (double-spaced) essay in support of your favored issue (Obesity among school going children).
- Select any health care-related matter and provide a brief overview and history of the issue, recommend a position on a relevant program or policy, identify interested parties that might support or oppose your proposal, and suggest strategies and tactics that might advance your position.
Homework Answer on Health Care and Social Policy
Obesity is a medical condition characterised by excessive accumulation of fat in the body leading to unhealthy weight gain. The exact cause of obesity is not known. However, scientific evidence point to the fact that the condition arises from a combination of factors that include genetics, eating habits and psychological conditions and pattern of physical activity. Of all these factors, increased consumption of high energy foods and physical inactivity are main cause’s obesity and overweight.
The body stores excess energy in the form of fats that causes the weight of a person to rise. In both children and adults, obesity and overweight is determined by measuring the body mass index (BMI). A child is considered overweight when he or she has a BMI of between 85th percentile and 95th percentile of the children with same weight and sex. Those with BMI above 95th percentile are categorized as obese (“Basics about Childhood Obesity-Centers for Disease Control and Prevention”, n.d).
Although of obesity is as old as humanity, it had insignificance health consequences in the period before the 18th century. Consequently, it pathological effect had not been studied until about 100 years ago. The technological innovations of the 18th century and industrial revolution greatly improved the food supply whose high intake brought many cases of overweight problem. Before this period, food shortage and malnutrition were the one of the leading problems of humanity (“National Center for Biotechnology Information”, n.d).