Childhood Obesity in Manchester Summary

CHILDHOOD OBESITY IN MANCHESTER
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Childhood Obesity in Manchester
Obesity has become a major health concern in the United Kingdom due to a continuous increase in its prevalence among children of all ages. Estimates by the Health Survey for England (HSE) show that close to 25% of adults are now obese (Ashton, 2015. In Manchester, The prevalence rate of obesity among children has exceeded the England average. About 11.4% of children aged 4-5 years and approximately 25.1% of children aged 10-14 years are obese(Public Health England, 2021). This high prevalence in Manchester is strongly linked to deprivation. According to Connelly et al. (2017), child obesity prevalence in the most deprived tenth of local areas is twice that in the least deprived tenth. Recent indices of multiple deprivation indicates that Manchester is one of most deprived local authorities in England (Dam, et al., 2019). This deprivation has also increased health inequality in Manchester, making childhood obesity prevalence higher than the national average (Ells et al., 2015).
Further studies also show that cases of childhood obesity are common in Manchester because the city has a vibrant takeaway culture (Stamatakis et al., 2010). Data suggests that food consumption away from home in UK has increased by almost a third, but, Mancheseter has witnessed a drastic rise in the number of takeaway outlets (Conrad & Capewell, 2012). Generally, one in four children is overweight or obese in Manchester. This is particularly concerning as childhood obesity can extend to adulthood, and obesity in adulthood is a risk factor for various chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, Type II diabetes, and cancer, which are the primary causes of death in England (Ashton, 2010).
In other words, the possibility of obese children becoming obese adults is high, and this increases their chances of developing life-threatening conditions later in life. These children are also at an immediate increased risk of behavioural and psychological problems. To protect children from these complications, there is a need to establish interventions focused on healthy eating and physical exercise in early childhood. This paper will begin by analyzing childhood obesity in Manchester and reviewing a health policy and its application to childhood obesity and to health economics. It will then evaluate the available interventions to address childhood obesity along with a critical discussion of their theoretical basis. Next, the paper will critically evaluate the effectiveness of the identified initiatives. Finally, an analysis of the roles of children's nurse health educators and health promoters in relation to obesity will be provided. The intended conclusion is that childhood obesity in Manchester is a major health concern that needs immediate intervention to save lives.
Analysis
Obesity is the excess accumulation of body fats, increasing the risk of morbidity and premature death. It has become one of the major health concerns in Manchester, United Kingdom, following the increased prevalence of childhood obesity that develops into adulthood (Ashton, 2010). Nearly 25% of children in England are overweight or obese (Department of Health and Social Care, 2018). Childhood obesity rates in Manchester imply that the UK has joined the list of countries in Western Europe with extreme cases of childhood obesity. In the past three decades, obesity rates have doubled, leading to Manchester being on the verge of an obesity epidemic. The body mass index (BMI) of adults and children has increased in recent years, indicating that many people are classified as obese. In 2012, around 62% of adults aged 16 and above in Manchester were overweight or obese(Ashton, 2015). Most of these individuals became overweight in their childhood.
Today, the prevalence of obesity among children in Manchester is higher than the England average. HSE figures indicate that obesity prevalence in children aged 2-10 years is about 12%, and the prevalence of overweight in the same group is around 25%(Manchester City Council, 2019). In the same trend, children aged 11-15 years have an obesity prevalence of about 20% and an overweight prevalence of around 36%.(Public Health England, 2021)The increased childhood obesity in Manchester has been linked to poor eating habits and low physical exercise levels. These factors cause the accumulation of fats in the body, leading to overweight and obesity.
As noted,obese or overweight children are likely to develop Type 2 diabetes, which rarely occurred outside adulthood. If not controlled, they continue being obese in adulthood, with an increased risk of developing life-threatening conditions like cardiovascular disease, liver disease, and some forms of cancer(Public Health England, 2021). These conditions are the leading causes of death in the UK. Due to high mortality rates associated with obesity, the government has developed ''childhood obesity: an action plan'' to address childhood obesity in the region.
The plan identifies the principal issues that must be handled to reduce obesity. These include children's diet: - making the foods and drinks consumed by children less calorific and healthier(Department of Health and Social Care, 2018). A crucial part of the plan is reducing sugar content in the food children eat. The Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) has been introduced to incentivize the industry to decrease soft drinks' sugar content and yield positive results. Most soft drink companies reduce sugar content (Department of Health and Social Care, 2018). Other sugar reduction policies include introducing legislation that prohibits the sale of energy drinks to childrenand promoting healthy food using the tax system.
Another action plan is calorie reduction. It is well known that excess calories in the body can lead to obesity. Averagely, overweight and obese children consume around 500 extra calories per day(Department of Health and Social Care, 2018). To address this, a calorie reduction programme has been established to challenge all food and drink companies to cut the calories by 20% in foods children consume(Department of Health and Social Care, 2018). Possible policies in this action plan include introducing legislation to authorize regular calorie labelling for cafes, restaurants, and takeaways.
Another plan is to regulate advertising and promotions on food by defining the products that can not air during children's programmes. In collaboration with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the Committee of Advertising Practice works to draw online advertising rules on a self-regulatory basis(Department of Health and Social Care, 2018). The restriction helps protect children from the advertising of unhealthy food and drinks.
The above policies will prevent the sale and consumption of unhealthy foods, reducing childhood obesity in children. They also reduce the risk factors of developing life-threatening diseases like hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, and dyslipidemia(Ashton, 2015). Economically, these policies will reduce the enormous financial costs that obesity places on the nation. Estimates show that obesity-related problems cost Manchesterover£185.1 million every year(Manchester City Council, 2019).
Initiatives/Interventions
Manchester has various interventions to tackle childhood obesity in the region. These interventions revolve around lifestyle changes, including strategies to reduce energy intake, increase physical activity, and facilitate family involvement (Ashton, 2010). One of the best interventions is promoting physical exercise in early childhood. Physical activity helps a child to balance their energy and lose weight so long as they do not eat more to recompense for the additional calories they burn(Department of Health and Social Care, 2018). Generally, exercise reduces body fat, slowing obesity development. As such, Manchester schools have implemented Physical Education (PE) and Sport Strategy to ensure that children aged 5-16 actively participate in PE and sports(Ashton, 2010).
Manchester has also developed a healthy weight programme to tackle childhood obesity by helping people balance their weight. The method used in this strategy is based addressing overweight and obesity using the life course and targeting populations at risk of developing obesity (Farrer et al., 2020). The programme aims to halt the growing trend of obesity in Manchester through a multi-agency approach. This strategy has boosted the lifestyle and health of people living in Manchester. Currently, various private day-care providers have introduced Manchester's weighing and measuring protoc...