Health Improvement Plan Paper

Obesity is a health condition where a person is significantly above the ideal healthy weight. “People with a body mass index of 30 or higher are considered obese” (AHA, 2017). The medical condition, obesity, leads to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and diabetes. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, (2016) “about 97 million adults are overweight or obese” (p. 1). Due to the nature of the effects of obesity, it is important to have a personal health improvement plan. Incorporating a personal obesity prevention plan leads to a happy and healthy life.
In the media there is a buzz about “obesity, stress, and chronic health conditions.” These topics
are becoming so well known because they are part of a preventable epidemic that Americans can easily prevent. Strong, Mathers, Leeder, and Beaglehole (2005) found that 80% of world wide deaths caused by heart disease, stroke, cancer, and other chronic diseases occur in low-income and middle income countries and that most of the chronic illnesses can be prevented by using common sense, environmental awareness and improved health behaviors. In order to increase worker productivity and the health of workers, many businesses are beginning to incorporate wellness programs. However, due to the increase in mortality and number of people with chronic illnesses, one should take it upon their self to become healthier and live happier lives. In an effort to become healthier and live a happier life, individuals must incorporate a personal health improvement plan to prevent obesity and diseases associated with obesity.
According to Jeffries (2008) “the health of American’s is suffering” (p. 1). Obesity is one of the prominent determinants of such suffering. When people habitually take in more calories than the amount of energy they extend, he/she becomes overweight. A shift from traditional diets to a modern diet high in fat, sugar, and animal products is the most evident cause in the increase of obesity throughout the world. Other factors that contribute to people becoming overweight include overeating, the availability of a greater variety of foods, having sedentary lifestyles, not getting enough sleep, and/or individual differences and lifespan changes (Hockenbury, Nolan, Hockenbury, 2016). With globalization more as well as different types of foods are readily available. With such easy access, many people are choosing to consume a variety of foods as well as in taking more than what his/her body needs. Habits in overconsuming calories before the body can get rid of them is resulting in higher body weights, leading into obesity and therefore causing other chronic illnesses.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2016) chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and arthritis are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. They also found that modifiable health risk behaviors such as lack of physical activity, poor nutrition, tobacco use, and excessive alcohol consumption are the causes of chronic disease. In the past, it has been believed that chronic illnesses were not preventable; however, current research has proven that the majority of chronic illness can be prevented. According to the article Preventing Chronic Illness strategies such as “improved diet, exercise, and weight loss, along with smoking cessation can simultaneously reduce the risk of several conditions such as cardiovascular disease and cancers” (Project Hope, 2009). With improved health, awareness, and intervention through health promotion programs, the number of deaths caused by chronic illness can be reduced.
Health promotion programs provide awareness so that individuals can improve their health behaviors. Health promotion programs can be done in the workplace and/or in the community. The workplace could help with the environmental awareness of chronic illness for its employees by (1) educating employees about the importance of screenings, (2) explaining what the health insurance plans offer, (3) providing information about child immunization, (4) holding seminars about disease prevention strategies, and (5) distributing written materials specific to latest threats or outbreaks (Bray, 2009). Eating healthy and staying fit are healthy behaviors that help people stay healthy and help in the avoidance of a number of chronic illnesses.
As a result of working Americans turning to unhealthy practices/behaviors, obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other complications are becoming common in the workplace.
In order to increase overall productivity of the organization a wellness program needs to be designed and implemented. If crafted properly, a wellness program vision statement will coax key players to consider what role they’ll play in creating this new reality of what is envisioned reflect the core values of the organization and it should be. Specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time specific program goals allow the organization to articulate precisely when the envisioned task has been achieved. Once objectives have been set the next element is the implementation and timeline; which provides detailed information highlighting the months, dates, and times the various programs will be offered. Moreover, information concerning individual responsibilities and methods of accountability will also be contained in this section of the wellness program. The marketing and communication section includes marketing information, company brochures and newsletters, e-mail, intranet, website, videos, etc. all represent potential vehicles to disseminate information to the employees. An itemized budget should provide accurate, complete, and realistic information concerning the amount of money it will take to achieve the outcomes. Finally, the evaluation plan is used to check to see if the wellness program was
successful.
Preventing obesity at an early age is beneficial to the child’s health as well as self-esteem. Parents should be role models for their children along with regulating how much and what their child(ren) eat. Moreover, parents should make sure that sugar and high calorie snacks are reduced or even eliminated. Sedentary activities like watching television, playing video games, and being on the computer should be limited, while on the other hand, physical activity should be increased. To those who already suffer with being overweight or obese, they should focus on program that concentrates on fat content and the nutritional value of foods, along with regular physical activity. Keeping a food diary will also help to change bad habits.
Millions of Americans are in the fight against obesity; many aren’t winning! Obstacles may include depression, genetics, metabolism, or even habits/lifestyles. Regardless of the obstacle, overweight and obese individuals must work hard to overcome and win the fight against obesity. Winning the fight against being overweight or obese allows an opportunity to combat chronic illnesses and general stigmatism. In today’s society, overweight/obese individuals usually walk through life being constantly reminded of their damaging habits or situations they cannot control; therefore, feeling hopeless. However, there is hope! Good behavior and life patterns make for a more fulfilling and longer life. Once healthy eating habits and an increase in physical activity are embraced a change in obesity will be seen. The problem of obesity will therefore become a thing of the past.