Urban Health Profile of the City of London
A health profile is an important presentation that one can use to present a snapshot overview of a communities’ health status, especially the standing of the health context of people living in an urban location. Importantly, designing a health profile is essential since a well-structured urban health profile helps the urban healthcare system understand issues that are affecting the society and assist care providers to come up with the remedies that can be used to minimise the prevalence of specific health issues. Listorti and Doumani (2001) assert that urban health profiles are relevant presentations that healthcare practitioners use to gather useful information on the health care issues such as the pattern of the illnesses affecting the community, and the group that is at the risk of being diagnosed with different types of diseases. In addition, physicians utilise urban health profiles to identify the causes of healthcare problems and escalation of certain diseases within the society (Listorti and Doumani 2001). Thus, since health profiles for modern cities are viewed as important notes that can be applied to explore healthcare problems, this paper will focus on identifying a health issue in the City of London and its boroughs. The paper will also discuss efforts that the healthcare system in London can use to improve and address the healthcare issue identified in this discussion.
The Urban Health Issue
Since the purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the current healthcare problems in the City of London, the issue of obesity is selected for analysis since it has become a major problem in the city of London and its major districts. Chan and Woo (2010) define obesity as a condition that occurs if a person has abnormal body weight due to the accumulation of huge amounts of fats that are exposed to the body tissues to the extent of making the body of the affected person impaired. Notably, the word obesity is used to describe an overweight person or an individual with excessive body fats that increase his or her body weight. According to the report prepared by Bhurosy and Jeewon (2014), the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified obesity as one of the health issues that is highly prevailing in the modern world. For instance, in 2008, research showed that more than a half a billion adults across the world were obese, and since then, the problem has continued to increase day-by-day (Bhurosy and Jeewon 2014). In the year 2010, more than 2.3 Billion people in the world were obese, especially individuals aged 15 years and above (Chan and Woo 2010).
Furthermore, the prevalence of obesity has also been a major issue in Asian countries. Chan and Woo (2010) posit that in 2000, the cases of obesity increased in Japan from 16.7% to 24.0%. Likewise, in 2002, the prevalence of obesity increased from 3.7% to 19.0% in China. Besides, in a report that was compiled in 2006, 30% of the adult individuals in the U.S. were obese in this period, particularly, people aged between 20 years and above (Wyatt, Winters, and Dubbert 2006). Based on the available literature about the escalation of obesity globally, it can be argued that the issue has become a common problem, and it is likely to affect people from the age of 15 and above or even young adults under 15 years.
Health Risks of Obesity
Despite obesity being an issue of concern in developed countries such as the United Kingdom (UK), it continues to rise, which has made it become a common challenge to the community and the healthcare system. Obesity is associated with many serious health risks; as such, it is a major concern for healthcare leaders in London. One of the major jeopardy associated with obesity is the loss of lives (deaths). In this case, it is evident that obesity has made the mortality rate in London to increase, due to the complications it instils in the body (Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2017). For example, obesity is known for causing health care problems such as diabetes type II, cardiovascular illnesses, cancer problems, high blood pressure or hypertension, stroke, and other heart diseases, which are known for increasing the number of deaths happening every day in different parts of the world (Chan and Woo 2010; Reilly and Kelly 2011). Indeed, obesity is among the most dangerous conditions causing high rates of morbidity and mortality cases within the society. Moreover, in the UK, obesity is being identified as a major condition affecting the quality of life of UK citizens and a health issue causing psychological problems likely to influence the normal functioning of body tissues of the person diagnosed with the problem. For example, National Health Service (2017) expresses that in the United Kingdom, obesity is causing psychological challenges such as depression and low self-esteem. The psychological problems caused by obesity happen particularly in young adults unable to manage and control weight gain.
Obesity is also known for increasing the risk of respiratory health problems, mostly in young children. Kopelman (2007) argues that the increment of fats in the body of children leads to the escalation of fats in the chest wall, which is likely to affect the mechanism of the respiratory system and the entire circulation of the air within the body of a child. Similarly, accumulation of huge amount of fats in the chest of children may alter their respiratory excursion, which will reduce the lung volume or even changes the pattern of the ventilation region. Therefore, a person with obesity can encounter respiratory arrest, which may cause complications to the breathing system (Kopelman 2007). In essence, obese people have higher chances of encountering health problems that may lead to death or complications that will paralyse them.
Causes of Obesity
Obese conditions occur when one consumes high volumes of calories found in fatty and sugary foods. As such, when children or adults consume high amounts of calories, and they do not burn off the fats consumed through physical activity such as exercising or joining a local weight loss activity, the individuals will gain excessive weight persistently, which will make them obese. According to the National Health Service (2017), excess calories provide excess energy stored in the body as fats; in turn, the increased fats cause different types of health hazards if not regulated or eliminated through the use standard measures. Similarly, in the UK, several health conditions are also identified to contribute to the prevalence of obesity and overweight. For instance, it is believed that health conditions such as underactive thyroid gland or hypothyroidism is a major cause of obesity and if not controlled through medication, the number of people with obesity is likely to increase drastically (National Health Service 2017). This implies that other diseases or health conditions cause obesity occasionally, and for the UK healthcare system to manage the issue, it will be important to consider working on curing diseases causing obesity.
Moreover, obesity is also caused by changing of lifestyle, medication, the use of illicit substances such as alcohol, genetic syndromes, and the aspect of depression (Birmingham and Treasure 2010). These factors apply mostly to adults since they are more exposed to these elements. Wyatt, Winters, and Dubbert (2006) indicate that the increase of obesity in the modern world can be related to both social and environmental factors. For instance, people are living in an environment where available food for consumption has high calories, an environment without recess periods, and in the society where junk foods are mostly eaten despite the amount of calories in the nourishment. In this context, it can be stated that the environment that people are establishing their lifestyle in is contributing to the increase of obesity, and therefore, to address the matter, considering the environment as a major factor leading to the increase of obesity should be taken as a priority.
Rationale of the Health Profile on the Issue of Obesity
Obesity is identified as a serious healthcare distress in this paper since the profile on the issue will be fundamental to different practitioners in the City of London. Since this profile covers the health of the people of London, it will be important to both the community and healthcare system in the region. The profile will provide a broader picture concerning the prevalence of obesity in the City of London and the strategies that clinicians in the area can use to control the spreading of obesity. Obesity is an urban health problem since it is affecting members of the public just like any other risky health condition. Thus, presenting obesity profile will be imperative, as the context will show the London people why obesity is a threatening condition that needs to be addressed professionally. Sauliūnė et al. (2014) posit that health profiles are written with the goal of identifying indicators of socioeconomic characteristics, the risk of a chosen problem, and identifying resources to be used in the management of the condition. This implies that the profile on obesity will help the people living in London maintain a broader strategic view of the issue, understand factors that are causing the issue, and know how to use the available resources to prevent the occurrence of the issue.
Conversely, selecting obesity for this profile was justifiable since it gives out essential information that healthcare organisations in London can use to respond to the issue. Clearly, the London healthcare system is yet to find a quick remedy for obesity, but through the application of specific programmes, the issue of weight gain can be controlled significantly. Since the profile will suggest some of the techniques that can be applied to manage obesity, this will be important to the hospital enterprises in London and care providers intending to control weight gain and the illnesses caused by obesity. Frood et al. (2013) note that for healthcare personnel to reduce obesity, they face many challenges since the issue is complex and has numerous interconnection and elements that will cause other risky diseases to the human being.
The Issue of Obesity in London
In London and its boroughs, obesity is affecting both adults and children. Goodyear (2016) posits that childhood and adulthood obesity in London has been associated with illnesses such as glucose intolerance, diabetes type 2, fatty liver, and psychological problems, such as bullying, teasing, and low-esteem. In 2016, it was reported that 46% of adults in the City of London had obesity and the condition increased since 2012 and 2014 (Public Health England 2016). In England, the number of people with obesity in 2016 was 64.6%, which was higher than it was in London. However, since 2012, obesity problem has increased drastically, and if not addressed immediately, it may become a disaster to the residents in the City of London (Public Health England 2016).
The choice of diet is said to be one of the leading factors that have led to the increase of obesity in London. For instance, only 36.5% of Londoners eat recommended diets such as fruits and vegetables. Evidently, fruits and vegetables are recognised as foods without calorie fats, which are major causes of obesity and any diseases related to excessive weight (Public Health England 2016). The number of the people getting admitted to hospitals due to alcohol related cases in London is 431 per 100,000 members of the population, with the majority of these people being under 25 years old (Public Health England 2016). Furthermore, London has the highest proportion of mortality rate, especially deaths occurring due to the issue of obesity.
In focus to London districts, especially in Ealing borough, obesity has been increasing immensely. For instance, 2012 data demonstrates that in 2012, 57.3% of the Ealing residents were obese (Tylor 2014). Indeed, number of people with overweight cases in the area was higher than in other London boroughs (Tylor 2014). Likewise, lack of physical activities and well-balanced diets are the key determinants that have led to the increase of obesity in Ealing. In essence, between 2011 and 2012, Ealing residents consumed diets that have a lot of calorie fats and the majority of the members of the public were not engaged in physical activities meant to control weight gain. Consequently, in this period, the number of people with obesity was 436 per 100,000 individuals within the population (Tylor 2014). Additionally, in 2012, Ealing was ranked number eight in the chart to show the top districts with high prevalence cases of obesity in England. In 2016, 22.8% (813) of the children in Ealing were obese, which was a worse case than it was in England (Public Health England 2016). Similarly, in 2017, the Ealing borough recorded the highest level of obesity cases, particularly in relation to children considered as overweight. As such, aged obesity has highly affected children between 4 and 5 by 10.6%, while for children between 10 and 11 years, the case of obesity has increased by 23.9 % (Public Health England 2017). Therefore, it is evident that the children who are overweight in London and it’s boroughs in the city have increased; hence, to slow down the prevalence of obesity, effective intervention measures should be implemented immediately.
Consequences and Implication of Obesity
Obesity is causing negative impacts on the people of London and the healthcare organisations set to offer care services to its occupants. For example, in Ealing, managing diseases related to obesity is expensive and it may cost the healthcare system in the region more money, which requires hospitals in the area to have a reliable source of income to address the issue. For example, Tylor (2014) has reported that by 2014 to 2015, the National Health Service in Ealing was planning to spend £98.8 million to treat or manage illnesses brought by obesity. This shows that obesity makes the healthcare setting in London boroughs devote more money than the amount that healthcare leaders have planned to spend on tackling health problems. Research indicates that for the management of obesity to be effective, healthcare enterprises incur direct medical costs such as the cost of health education efforts meant to assist the community to maintain a healthy lifestyle and the entire cost of managing and preventing obesity (Bray and Bouchard 2014; Blackstone 2016; Buchman 2006). In other words, the costs of managing obesity-associated disease in London are higher and staggering. Therefore, for the leaders in the area to ensure that obesity does not cost hospitals and the members of the public more money, working on preventing and managing obesity is necessary and comprehensively needed.
Moreover, the number of deaths associated with obesity related diseases in London on a daily basis is increasing. In 2011, obesity-related diseases such as diabetes type 2 led to the death of 30% of the people living in Ealing, while 40% of the people in the same region died due to cancer that was caused by overweight problems (Gibson and Peaboby 2016). Since, obesity is known to cause chronical diseases such as metabolic disorders, cancer, and other diseases related to the functioning of the heart and respiratory system, the number of people losing their lives due to these conditions is higher than it was in the past (James 2008; Williams and Frühbeck 2009). This means that obesity influences the worthiness of life of a person, mostly due to the existence of the chronic illnesses that affect the people with obesity.
Intervention and Strategies to Address the Issue of Obesity
There are different methods used to manage obesity. First, for the healthcare system in London to ensure that the cases of obesity decrease in the region, it will be better for the care providers to ensure that proper education is provided to the public on the importance of eating a balanced diet. As such, to address obesity in London boroughs, it will be crucial for the public to consume calorie-controlled foods, since foods with high calories content has been associated with obesity. National Health Service (2017) suggests that for people to manage their weight and control obesity, they should eat diets recommended by the weight management professionals such as the dietitians. Similarly, obesity can be prevented by the implementation of measures that will regulate the food intake, as the more people eat unhealthy diets the high the chances of being obese. Crawford (2002) points out that the environment that promotes excessive food intake causes obesity or even environment that encourages the marketing of junk food, as people will be influenced to consume food being advertised on the media despite the number of calories in that food. Hence, putting measures that regulate the intake of junk food will govern the cases of obesity and encourage people to eat food with little fats.
It is also crucial to increase physical activity levels and reduce physical inactivity practices such as watching television and relying on the use of motor vehicles for shorter distance transportation (Kar, Dube, and Kar 2014; Lean, Lara, and Hill 2006). For example, healthcare organisations in London should encourage people to take up activities such as walking, jogging, or even swimming for 150 to 300 minutes in a week, as this will change the lifestyle of many people and make them live with a balanced weight (National Health Service 2017). Besides, obesity can be controlled by offering psychological support to victims. In this situation, trained healthcare personnel will help the individuals who are obese to change their perspective toward the amount and type of food they eat.
Conclusion
This paper describes the health profile of London and its districts, with the aim of bringing together different pieces and information on health regarding the city and its residents. With no doubt, in London and its boroughs, the prevalence of obesity has increased for the past few years, and the condition is affecting both female and male genders. Health risks and healthcare costs relating to the issue of overweight and obesity should be considerable in London, since managing it is costly. On the other hand, the healthcare system in London should view obesity as a condition that is affecting the entire community rather than an individual behavioural condition. When this is done, the healthcare and interested stakeholders in the region will work together with the aim of preventing and reducing the increasing of obesity in the region. Finally, it will be relevant for health care providers in London to take caution when controlling the prevalence of obesity by ensuring that overweight prevention measures ultimately depend on the lifestyle of the people and changing the environment as some of the technique used to combat the obesity epidemic.
Recommendation
For London residents to ensure that they are managing their weight appropriately, the following practices are recommended with each suggestion being based on the needs of the people of London and its boroughs.
- First, it will be essential if the people of London engage into the regular measurement of Body Mass Index (BMI) so that they can be able to gauge the amount of fat in their body.
- Secondly, to control obesity in children, the London healthcare enterprises should carry out frequent assessments on children so that they can identify risk factors causing overweight and initiates early intervention measures.
- For effectiveness, these evaluations should be done through physical examinations and laboratory screening in order to determine the best methods that can be applied to control the prevalence of obesity.
- Lastly, since changing the lifestyle of the people in London can be a complex method of controlling obesity, it is suggested that the healthcare system in the area should also use medical techniques to manage obesity. For example, the Londoners can be advised to utilise orlistat medicine, a drug that is used to reduce the amount of fat that people absorb during the digestion process.
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