OBESITY IN ENGLAND AND THE INTERVENTIONS

Obesity in England and the Interventions: MEND and WATCH-IT Program

Executive Summary

The project examines the impact of child obesity in U.K. The major focus of this project is to look into the matter of growing problem of obesity in U.K. Thus, Obesity and overweight are conditions in which the increase in weight (mainly given by fat) is such as to damage the health (Alexander & Penman, 2009, pp 34-67). Childhood obesity is a major area of concern, both culturally and politically. Poor-food education, sedentary lifestyles, poor parenting and aggressively advertised, widely available, junk food are all blamed for increased obesity in children. In recent decades the epidemic increase of childhood obesity in the Western countries, makes it necessary for the treatment that is effective and helpful to solve the problems in the limited time period. According to Foresight, (2007), in U.S the increased childhood obesity is very higher as compared to the European countries. As indicated in the long-term follow up of the studies, the childhood obesity is basically linked with the increased risk for serious diseases and it can track into the adulthood (Chen, 2009, 210-213). Thus, MEND was taken as a successful program in decreasing the children's fat and the goals were actually sustained for over nine months after the completion of the intervention. WATCH-IT was also successful in achieving its objective. The evaluation through the result shows that both the programs MEND and WATCH-IT are effective in tackling the childhood obesity. It is a fact that both the MEND and WATCH-IT Program are family oriented ones, which are aimed for targeting at the change in health related behaviours of the people as behavioural usually has a large impact on many of the major cause of morality. Thus, in order to bring about the behavioural change, the interventions are being delivered at the community-family, individual, population level (Curtin, 2005, 48).

Obesity in England and the Interventions: MEND and WATCH-IT Program

Introduction

According to Curtin, (2005), by the end of 2010, an estimated 43 million children under five who are overweight. Prevention in the population is an essential component of efforts to stem the tide of childhood obesity, described by some as having reached epidemic proportions (Curtin, 2005, 48). There is an urgent strategic investment to implement programs and initiatives for the prevention of childhood obesity in population that are effective and appropriate a cultural point of view, and make sure they also target vulnerable groups, such as children with disabilities (Summerbell, 2004, pp 12-34).

Chen, (2009) emphasis that the Forum and technical meeting of the World Health Organization on strategies prevention of childhood obesity in the population took place in December 2009; their goal was to establish priorities for developing strategies at the population that will prevent childhood obesity and to define the roles and responsibilities of various parties' stakeholders (Chen, 2009, 210-213).

Speiser defined that among the principles that should guide interventions to promote behaviour change include support for policies, equity, inclusiveness, multispectral engagement, transparency ...