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More handpicked essays just for you.
Social determinants of health and high social class individuals
The way socio-economic class and social situation can have an impact on health
Health and social class
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“Food systems are the foundation of human health and wellbeing.” Adriana Keating (2013) being a healthy individual depends hugely on the nutrition we consume. Food insecurity is the degree to which a person is able to access nutritious food. When there is stress connected to attaining the next meal or it is a constant difficulty to budget for healthy fresh food this can be described as being food insecure. Adriana Keating (2013) Food insecurity is influenced by many factors, such as geographic location, economic status and education level. Adriana Keating (2013)
The link between low socio-economic status and food insecurity as well as the link between low socio-economic status and obesity will be discussed in the essay. Rising obesity in Australia is a complex issue and this essay will not attempt to look at all possible causes, instead it will focus on how food insecurity, caused by low socio-economic status (not specific to rural areas), effects obesity in Australia.
For many reasons, including factors such as ill health, disability, sudden job loss, and high living
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Dixon (2010). The evolving obesity epidemic is taking a considerable toll on those affected, health services, and on our communities, John B. Dixon (2010). These health issues are so present in Australia that, “the total annual direct cost of overweight and obesity in Australia in 2005 was $21 billion” Colagiuri, S., et al (2010). The health risks associated with obesity need long term management and hence are very costly. Seeing such an impact from an easily avoidable condition (staying a healthy weight) can only indicate that the obesity epidemic is much harder to combat and control than first assumed, especially within low socio-economic status individuals and the food
“63% of Australian adults were overweight or obese in 2011–12, 70% of men and 56% of women. This has increased from 57% in 1995.
Stuff, Casey, Szeto, Gossett, Robbins, Simpson, Connell, and Bogle (2004) Household Food Insecurity Is Associated with Adult Health Status. Journal of Nutrition, 134, 2330-2335. Retrieved from http://jn.nutrition.org/content/134/9/2330.full
ABSTRACT: It has often been observed that obesity follows a socioeconomic gradient which adversely affects the poor. This paper proposes the outline of a sociological theory of obesity as a consequence of ‘globalisation factors, such as labour market deregulation. Forced to work longer hours – and with lower levels of job-security – workers in low paid jobs have fewer opportunities to burn calories, and are more likely to consume fast-food. This combination has led to higher levels of obesity among the poor in countries that have adopted neo-liberal labour market reforms.
"Treating Obesity Vital For Public Health, Physicians Say." Science Daily. 2006. Web. 10 May 2014. .
Rosier, K. 2011, ‘Food insecurity in Australia: What is it, who experiences it and how can
Over the last 30 years, overweight and obesity prevalence has stirred up in Australia. The condition is not just bound among men and women but child obesity cases are rising too. The factors influencing the rise in the condition are unhealthy food habits & lifestyle, rise in fast food junctions, socioeconomic status, education, race/ethnicity, and inherited hunger gene, lack of exercise and immigrant population. Data from Australian Bureau of Statistics (based on self-reported height and weight) from the 2011–12 Australian Health Survey to calculate BMI reported nearly 63% of Australian adults are overweight or obese (1), which was 61% in the year 2007-08 (2). This means 2 out of 3 were obese or overweight. Former chair of the National Preventative Health Taskforce, Professor Rob Moodie has stated that obesity rates in Australia will dramatically worsen as other health priority
Furthermore, Abdularhman El-Sayed (2010) also argues that the real reason for the obesity epidemic is down to poverty and cheap food. He describes a study conducted by one university of Glasgow which found that deprived neighbourhoods are twice as likely of becoming obese compare to residents in more affluent neighbourhoods, (El-Sayed 2010).
Food insecurity is an issue faced by millions of Americans every day, and the biggest group affected by this is working families with children. Food insecurity is so big that the United States government has now recognized it and provided a definition for it. The United States government has defined food insecurity as “a household level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food” (USDA.gov). Food banks and anti-hunger advocates agree that some of the causes of food insecurity are stagnant wages, increases in housing costs, unemployment, and inflation in the cost of food. These factors have caused food banks to see a change in the groups of people needing assistance.
Since 1970, the obesity rates in America have more than doubled. Currently two-thirds of (roughly 150 million) adults in the United States are either overweight, or obese (Food Research and Action Center). According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, “overweight is defined as a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 whereas obesity is defined as a BMI greater than 30.” There are numerous factors that contribute to obesity such as: biological, behavioral and cultural influences (Food Research and Action Center). While these factors all have a large role in obesity, there is no factor with as great of an influence as poverty.
Poverty is regarded as the major cause of food insecurity. A household food security depends on access to food. America has access to good healthy food. However, a family too poor to buy them do not enjoy food security. Rosenbaum and Neuberger (2005) report that each year the number of people using government food assistance programs grows. “Food stamps are targeted to those with the greatest need for help in purchasing food… [and] helps to lessen the extent and severity of poverty (Rosenbaum and Neuberger 2005)”.
In the UK, 64% of the adults are classed as obese and nearly two third of men and women are either obese or overweight(BBC Health,2014). Obesity has always been indeed a serious problem in the western world and is increasing day by day. However, the poor population in the western society is the most effected one and still their number is increasing. This essay will investigate firstly, what is obesity and its causes, moving on to the poor population of the western society who are the most effected one and why they are effected and finally a contract/comparison of the western poor society with the poor population of Pakistan that why poor in Pakistan is not effected by obesity.
2. What is food insecurity? - A state in which someone is without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. Further, food insecurity is a condition related to the supply of food, and the access people have to it.
Food insecurity defined, is ‘the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food’ (Oxforddictionaries.com, 2014). This in turn leads to hunger, which can have three possible meanings; 1) ‘the uneasy or painful sensation caused by want of food; craving appetite, also the exhausted condition caused by want of food’, 2) ‘the want or scarcity of food in a country’, and 3) ‘a strong desire or craving’ (Worldhunger.org, 2014). Food insecurity also leads to malnutrition, with 870 million people in the world or one in eight, suffering from chronic undernourishment (Fao.org, 2014). From this alarmingly high figure, 852 million of these people live in developing countries, making it evident that majority of strategies used to solve this problem should be directed at them (Fao.org, 2014). The world produces enough food to feed everyone, with an estimated amount of 2,720 Kcal per person a day (Worldhunger.org, 2014). The only problem is distri...
Childhood obesity is a growing problem not only in New Zealand but worldwide. This is due to many factors and has many effects on society. Obesity is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of greater than 30. BMI is a measure of your weight divided by your height, the normal range is considered to be from 18 to 25 and over 30 is said to be obese. BMI became an international standard for obesity measurement in the 1980s (S.Wilson, 2000). Obesity is not just a modern day problem, Ancient Egyptians are said to consider obesity as a disease, having been drawn in a wall of depicted illnesses. Perhaps the most famous and earliest evidence of obesity is the Venus figurines, statuettes of an obese female torso that probably had a major role in rituals. Ancient China has also been aware of obesity and the dangers that come with it. They have always been a believer of prevention as a key to longevity (L.Dobbins, Dec 2007). Obesity is considered to be a problem because it is a risk factor for many chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes. The New Zealand health strategy has two objectives that relate directly to obesity, to improve nutrition and to increase physical activity (Reuters, Feb. 15 2008). Experts and the media are feeding us with information on this ‘,obesity epidemic’, but is there actually a problem? An epidemic is the occurrence of more cases of a disease than would be expected in a community or region during a given time period. According to New Zealand Herald 95% of parents considered the number of overweight and obese children to be a significant problem. In other words there is sufficient evidence to say we do have an obesity epidemic on our hands.
Modern poverty is so closely related with obesity for many reasons. First of all, poor people are ignorant and uneducated about their health and nutrition. Obviously, because of that they don’t really know what they are doing or even how they are taking the risk of eating some kinds of food. Poor people go for good tasting food without paying attention to the food’s freshness and safety. Moreover, children grow up without a proper understanding of good nutrition, so it is time to reintroduce nutrition to families and even in schools to kids. Second of all, poor people cannot afford buying healthy food. A person who is poor and hungry is going to buy the cheapest calories that he or she could find. In fact in today’s world, the cheapest calories come from junk food. It is cheaper and ...