Urban Health Profile
Introduction
Health profiles are significant tools prepared to initiate changes or statements set to guide healthcare practitioners make decisions and strategic planning in reference to the health status of the members of the public. An urban profile helps a city portray its health and determinant and even come up with elements that will improve its health system immensely (World Organization Health 2017). The urban centre selected for the urban health profile presented in this paper is the City of London, a region that requires efficient healthcare services. Based on previous literature published on the issue of health problems in London, obesity is more widespread in London and its boroughs than most areas in the UK. For the profile discussed in this paper to show the health situation of the London City, the presentation will use different health indicators to define the population’s health and the lifestyle, social, and environmental factors affecting the resident in the City of London. Thus, this profile will review the burden of obesity in London and its boroughs following its prevalence and its capability of increasing the mortality rate in the region.
Obesity is a serious condition caused by an imbalance between the energy that a person takes and the energy that a person uses to control the amount of fat in his or her body (Alghamdi et al. 2017). Similarly, obesity is a complex condition that causes serious psychological and physical impacts on the overall health of a person (Alghamdi et al. 2017). According to the World Health Organization (2017), obesity has become one of the prevalent health condition across the globe with at about 2.8 million people passing on each day due to the cases of obesity and overweight. Obesity was once associated with high-income countries, but due to different factors, it is currently also prevalent in developing or middle-class countries. In London, the prevalence of obesity and overweight increases with age and the conditions are more common among male than it is in the female population. According to Libman, and O’Keefe (2010), in London, about 23% of children joining school are obese or overweight irrespective of the gender. As such, obesity in London is not only affecting the adults’ population, but also children.
Justification of the Report on Obesity and Overweight
Obesity affects the entire community regardless of their gender and age. Therefore, through a critical analysis of this issue, relevant information about obesity will be presented to benefit healthcare stakeholders, the government leaders in London, community, and hospitals within the region. Since the purpose of this health profile is to identify a weakness within the systems set to care for people, obesity should be considered as a serious problem that needs attention and addressed comprehensively by healthcare professionals.
Moreover, obesity has been associated with health complications and diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer illnesses, and respiratory or breathing difficulties, especially in young children (Chan and Woo 2010). These health complications can increase the rate of morbidity and mortality cases. Further, as Chan and Woo (2010) assert, due to the number of deaths that obesity-related diseases are causing, obesity is an urban health problem that should be prevented and managed by the use of effective approaches to ensure that members of the public are sensitized on healthy diets, exercising, causes of obesity, its management, and effects.
The cost associated with the treatment of obesity is another substantial element that makes it an urban health problem. The medical cost incurred in the process of addressing the diseases that obesity causes are imperatively high as it accounts for a high percentage of the gross domestic product of a country. Chan and Woo (2010) reveal that in Europe, more than $10.4 billion is used to cater for obesity cases; in particular, in the treatment or management of obesity-related diseases, which makes the issue expensive and costly for both the members of the society and the government.
Data Collected on the Issue of Obesity and Overweight
This section provides data showing the prevalence of overweight and obesity in London and its boroughs. Over the years, obesity prevalence has doubled as the number of people who are diagnosed has comprehensively increased worldwide. For instance, in 2014, almost 1.9 million people aged 18 years and above were overweight; 600 million people in this record were obese (WHO, 2017). In London, the population has increased over the years, with the region said to have a population of more than 8.2 million people. The population is set to escalate more than in any other region in the UK due to the increased birth rate in the region (National Health Service 2017). Since 2008, the population in London and its boroughs has increased by 7,000 a year, which brings the region in the front line of health problems caused by lifestyle, dietary, and the environment (England National Health Service 2017).
From the scientific evidence presented concerning the prevalence of obesity in London, researchers note that intake of excess calories is one of the causes of obesity (Glaintelligence Unit 2017). Conversely, many people in London are not taking part in physical activity programmes, which has been a major cause of increased cases of overweight. For example, in Lewisham, only 40% of men and 28% of women are meeting the recommended physical activity of half an hour in 5 days a week. As such, this makes the majority of the resident in the region to gain excessive weight and fat in their body, which is, in turn, making them obese. Additionally, childhood obesity in London is also associated with parental and family influence (Glaintelligence Unit 2017). As such, if a child has an obese parent, the chances are that he or she will become obese as a young person and they may even have the problem when he or she develops into an adult.
Analysis and Interpretation of the Data
Between 2009 and 2010, the case of obesity in London was high, especially in relation to children. During this period, 11.6% of the children aged 4 to 5 years and 21.8% of children aged 10 to 11 in London were at the risk of being obese (Glaintelligence Unit 2017). In this report, it was concluded that the number of boys’ children with obesity was higher than the number of girls for both age groups. For example, in 2010, 24% of the male children were obese, while 19% of girls in London had obesity (Freudenberg, Libman, and O’Keefe 2010).
Moreover, Freudenberg et al. (2010) argue that in London, 10.9% of the kids in schools are obese, while 12% of the children are overweight. Since London comprises people of different races, studies show that children from Black African and the Caribbean ethnic have higher cases of obesity with 25% of the children in the age bracket of 10-11 diagnosed with obesity, while 20% of the White Irish and British children living London are obese (Freudenberg et al. 2010). Indeed, obesity occurs from an early age and if the local leaders in London want to control its prevalence, implementing several measures will be necessary, particularly focusing on preventing its prevalence among children. Evidence also reveals that obese children in London have a greater chance of becoming obese adults later in life if the matter is not dealt with directly. For instance, overweight adolescents in London have a 70% chance of becoming obese or adults who have the overweight problem (Glaintelligence Unit 2017). Furthermore, in London boroughs such as the Lewisham, it is believed that 23.7% of the adults are diagnosed with obesity or being overweight (National Health Service 2017).
Conclusion
Today, the people living in the UK cities are facing a number of threats that include health problems brought by the aspect of lifestyle changes and environmental factors. From the data and information regarding obesity and its prevalence in London and its boroughs, it is apparent that obesity is a rapidly emerging problem and to prevent the issue, efficient strategies should be applied. Obesity is a health problem that is influencing the London residents adversely, and the issue is causing chronic and threatening illnesses in the society. The issue is also associated with high cost of care, especially when it is related to the management of the health risks it instils to the body of a person. Hence, prevention of obesity is essential as it is cost effective and to ensure that obesity does not become a national crisis in London, the healthcare organisations in region should begin intervention programmes at an early age. This can be done by encouraging the London people to live a healthier life characterised by a lifestyle pattern of exercise or physical activity and a balanced diet.
Recommendation
For effectiveness in the process of controlling obesity, the following recommendations are applicable.
- Healthcare personnel should encourage people in London to stop eating sugary food, junk food, or even taking sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB’s) regularly.
- The local leaders in London should focus on controlling the marketing of unhealthy food and drink, as some of them contain a lot of calories.
- It is also suggested that food producers in London should be encouraged to produce vegetable and other protein-rich foods as alternatives for foods with high amount of calories.
- Finally, London people should increase physical activity and reduce sedentary/inactive behaviours.
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