Health Campaign Essay

Part I of this paper examined childhood obesity as a public health issues that faces the state of Texas. Further, the paper dwelt on the importance of addressing this public health issues because it has an impact on the lives of the children at the community, state, and national levels. Moreover, the paper also identified the models and systems that have found use in the determination and of childhood obesity, along with the associated vital statistics involved, and management care. The research paper revealed how prevalence in childhood obesity in the state of Texas increased from 5. % to 10. 9% for children between the ages of 7 to 12 between 1970 and 1995. In an effort to address this public health issues, community organizations, the state of Texas as well as the federal government have also played a pivotal role in taking initiatives to help address this epidemic. At the community level, local agencies including health clinics and community centers have all been actively involved in the fight against childhood obesity. Parents, schools, and the community are all charged with the responsibility of creating awareness about the childhood obesity epidemic. State agencies that are dealing with obesity in Texas include the Texas Obesity Research Center and the Health and Human Commission. At the national level, The Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Childhood Obesity Foundation has been instrumental in the fight against childhood obesity. At the national level, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has provided two yardsticks with which to divide children above the age of 2 years who are also overweight. In the first category, those children who are above the 85th quartile of obesity are often identified as being within the at-risk level. In the second category, those who are above the 95th quartile are categorized as being in the severe level. Perhaps we need to ponder on the question of why there are more overweight children in the state of Texas in comparison with the national average. The main reason behind this could be the fact that compared with the larger United States, Texas is by and large more ethnically diverse. African Americans and Hispanic children have been seen to present a higher prevalence of obesity in comparison with the other children, such as the Whites or Caucasians. Although the number of African Americans in the population of Texas is a reflection of the national percentage (in this case, the African Americans in the Texas population are 11. 5% while at the national level, the figure is 12. 3%), however, there are more Hispanics in the state of Texas in comparison with the national average (that is, 32% vs. 12. 5%). Nearly 40% of the children in the various public schools in Texas are of Hispanic descent, with the White children and the African Americans accounting for a further 43% and 14% respectively. Target Population Accroding to the research findigns undertaken by the NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) between 2007 and 2008, 17 percent of children along with adolescents who were of the ages between 2 and 19 years were categorized as being obese. Further, the study revealed that obesity prevalence among this target group was also seen to rise between 1976 and 1980. Again, a similar trend was observed between 1999 and 2000 (CDC 2010). On the other hand, a survey undertaken among high school students in Texas indicated that nearly a third of them (28. 7 %) were either bese, or overweight ((Burns, Nyberg & Parker, 2007). In addition, the January 2009 state demographer of Texas indicates that by 2040, there shall be 15 million obese individuals in the state if at all no preventive measures are undertaken. This represents a threefold increase of the current population of obese individuals. Barclay (2010) contends that in 2007, the national prevalence rate of obesity among children in the US stood at 16. 4 %. What this appears to suggest is that the prevalence of obesity among children in the state of Texas is nearly double the national figure. Accordingly, a child in Texas is more likely to be obese that the average child in the United States. This could be attributed to the issue of race. For example, Texas has a higher percentage of African Americans and Hispanics than the national average. The two races have been shown to be more pre-disposed to obesity than any other race, and so the apparent variation in obesity rates in the state of Texas. The national infant mortality rate in the United States as of 2007 stood at 6. 3 deaths for every 1000 live births, according to statistics released by CDC (2007). On the other hand, in the same year, the infant mortality rates in the state of Texas stood at 6. 2 deaths for every 1000 live births (Texas Department of Health Services, 2007). There is the need for adopting sustainable intervention measures in as far as the issue of child obesity in the state of Texas at the community level if at all the prevalence rates of this epidemic are to reduce. One such intervention is the FFV (Fresh Fruit and Vegetable) Program. The aim of the FFVP is to ensure that school-age children have access to free vegetables and fruits all day long, while at school. The target group is therefore children of school-going age. They are normally encouraged to adopt healthy eating habits. In addition, the schools that takes part in the project avails a controlled setting in which the manipulation of the environment is possible. At the national level, the FFVP program is usually administered by the Food and Nutrition Service of the USDA. On the other hand, the Department of Agriculture in Texas is charged with the responsibility of administering this program at the state level (Jeffers, 2003). In Texas, the program administrator of the FFVP is responsible for managing and overseeing this program. The determination of the success of the FFVP program would be a reduction in plate waste amounts and increase in the consumption of vegetables and fruits. Intervention As a community-based response to the issue, including community-based planning, needs assessments, and selection of locally identified objectives, the community considered created a Get Out and Race in Racing campaign in order to increase physical activity in the community and respond the issue of obesity. There are economic factors and funding intervention strategies to address these issues. Each year the state spends in excess of $337 million on obesity-directly related diseases and conditions (Nevada State Health Division Bureau for Community Health, 2006). Campaigns will help the community members become aware of these costs and how these funds could be better used to promote health. Statewide partnerships with community and business members will be formed to seek ways to increase funds needed for the program. Funding interventions will include community, business, and school-held events to raise capital to include moneys and volunteers to assist with the program development and implementation, and ongoing evaluation. Schools will send home flyers asking for parent participation and contributions. Students will become involved in all efforts to raise conscious awareness of the problem, proposed solution, and needs for funding. Social marketing will have an important role in promoting public health related to the chosen issue of obesity. Social marketing will be needed to ensure parent and community awareness of the problems and proposed solutions. To assist with marketing agendas, meetings with parents and teachers will be held at the schools to ensure that parents are provided with information about health, obesity prevention, and physical exercise. These meetings will take place regularly to market the program while providing information. Efforts are designed to facilitate economic support as well as a commitment to adhering to the program (Elsawy & Higgins, 2010). At the institutional levels also, the school heads are called upon to ensure that they incorporate physical exercise in the school’s curricula as another strategy to facilitate in the reduction of obesity among children. In addition, churches and community centers in Texas could also be involved in the fight against obesity by way of forming educational programs aimed at creating awareness on the incidence, prevalence, and dangers of this epidemic, with the children and their parents as the target group. Lepard (2010) has underscored the need to make use of video games in school and at community centers with a view to helping reduce childhood obesity in the state of Texas. In addition, such educational programs also require incorporating behavioral change, such as exercise and the adoption of healthy eating habits (Cole et al, 2000). For purposes of sustainability of such programs as the FFVP, there is the need to ensure that a reliable source of funding has been identified. In this case, the USDA and the CDC are good examples of government agencies that are in support of such programs. Conclusion Obesity in Texas and United States is an important aspect of today’s health and it continues to rise. Awareness is being pushed through the state, local and national level to help fight this disease. Having the community, schools and family involved with ways to prevent and cure obesity can help fight the disease. Following the proper nutritional guide and exercise can have the start of a health life style.