Running head: PUBLIC HEALTH AND EPIDEMIOLOGY

Public Health and Epidemiology

Name
Affiliation

PUBLIC HEALTH AND EPIDEMIOLOGY

Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Impacts of Obesity and Overweight on General Health..................................................................3
Facts about Overweight and Obesity Rates in Geelong as Compared to Ballerina.........................4
Determinants of Health about Overweight and Obesity..................................................................5
Public Health Program.....................................................................................................................8
Evaluation of Overweight and Obesity........................................................................................8
Prevention aspect of the Program................................................................................................9
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................10
References......................................................................................................................................12

PUBLIC HEALTH AND EPIDEMIOLOGY

Introduction
This public health and epidemiology reports is all about the assessment and designing of
a program for Geelong community. The community is currently faced with high levels of obese
and overweight individuals (Birmingham et al,. 2010). With respect to the current world trend on
the levels of obesity and overweight, it is a problem that actually affects the people of Geelong
and fast measure emanating from the public health department should ensure that this is
attainable. For this reason, a program will be designed to meet the current change in health status
of the area.
Impacts of Obesity and Overweight on General Health
A close comparison between Geelong and Ballerina indicates that there are various
impacts or effects of the above medical complications to the community of Geelong.
First, it is evident from the report that high blood pressure is the leading impact of the
problem on the people of Geelong. It counts to 45% of the women of Geelong, and 26% of the
male are affected by the obesity and overweight (Birmingham et al,. 2010). High levels of
triglycerides and High Cholesterol levels are associated with obesity and overweight. It is clear
that more than 70% of the children are victims of High Cholesterol levels, and 55% of the adults
are victims of the same. On the other hand, 45% of the children are victims to triglycerides and
80% among the adults (Brug et al,. 2010).
Statistics from Geelong report shows that 20% of type 2 diabetes is caused by overweight
and obese cases. The same report states that more than 20 patient per month is always reported to
suffer from Coronary heart diseases (Brug et al,. 2010). One among 50 patient found with stroke
in the community is associated with the two health complications. This means that the world
turns to the worst as a result of obesity and overweight.

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Besides, the above impacts, it is also clear that 100% of the gallbladder cases in Geelong
is caused by increased cases of overweight and obesity (Shao et al,. 2012). Likewise,
osteoarthritis and sleep apnea are impacts of the above two health problems causing various
deaths. As a result of the above, impacts, it can be said that obesity and overweight are not the
best health conditions to stay with. An adequate and effective measure should be taken to stop
the prevalence of the two in Geelong (Cole & Lobstein, 2012).
A comparison of the same to Ballerina shows that the government of Geelong has not
adequate efforts towards managing this issues because Ballerina only faces less than 20% of
impacts caused by them. Ballerina patients faced with both obesity and overweight are
considered as an asset of the community (Cole & Lobstein, 2012). This means that the
community is there to help such individuals to curb the current problem. The community of
Ballerina has been able to manage this public health issues because of the high level of
community participation to the problem. Ballerina comparison to Geelong is considered as an
eye opener to the Geelong community as they work towards developing and public health
program that will help them manage the problem as hand caused by overweight and obesity
(Cunningham, Kramer & Narayan, 2014).
Facts about Overweight and Obesity Rates in Geelong as Compared to Ballerina
According to the Geelong community report, obesity has reached high levels of epidemic
status or proportions. It is the most prevalent and chronic condition affecting the health of
children and adults in the area. The increase in the level of obesity in Geelong has been
accompanied by an increase in health conditions that did not exist before such as Dyslipidemia,
hypertension, T2DM, fatty liver disease and sleep apnea among others. Furthermore, childhood
obesity is a projecting of adult obesity.

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Geelong published MBI tables and charts for children as well as that of the adults.
Obesity is noted as a BMI of greater or equal than 95% for sex and age. Therefore, it is also
defined by the same according to the Geelong data that children, as well as the adults with a BM
of more than 80%, are considered as overweight (Cunningham, Kramer & Narayan, 2014). With
references to the Geelong data report, about 35% of children and adolescents aged 5-19 years are
obese. The rates are higher in older children, males, and ethnic and racial minorities. An alarming
rate of 5 fold increase in weight of both the children and the adults has been discovered in
obesity prevalence in the last five years. According to the latest or the recent Geelong data, a
prevalence of overweight among urban adults aged 20 35 in 2006 to 2007 was 56% (De Onis,
Blssner & Borghi, 2010).
Determinants of Health about Overweight and Obesity
It is defined that weight gain is the imbalance that exist between the intake of energy and that of
its output. The pathogenesis of both obesity and overweight is considered as multi-factorial and
the interplay of both environmental factors and predisposition factors (De Onis, Blssner &
Borghi, 2010). Besides, the combination of our genetic wellbeing to be able to store fat,
sedentary lifestyle that promotes overweight and availability of calories foods.
Diet: the food environment plays a vital role in obesity and overweight case. With respect
to the children, Geelongs reports state that parents have a greater role in the influence of a child
food choice and eating behavior. It can be considered that parental obesity is an important factor
in the prediction of adult obesity. For example, the reports denote that the child of an obese
parent who was obese during his/her childhood is prone to the same particular risk as a child as
well as during adulthood (De Onis, Blssner & Borghi, 2010). As the minor grows, the
availability of low-cost energy dense food and aggressive advertisement on the same drives

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him/her to such foods hence the cause of overweight and obesity. Geelong reports show that
students have access to such food hence why the increased number of those children and
adolescents faced with obesity and overweight in Geelong (De Onis, Blssner & Borghi, 2010).
Adverse advocacy and awareness are needed to reduce or curb this high levels of obesity in
Geelong.
Physical activity: activity patterns to both adults and children from Geelong has shifted
from outdoor to indoor activities such as using the internet, watching TVs and computer games.
In Geelong as compared to Ballerina, there is an acute shortage of playgrounds as well as open
spaces in the community as well as the school was outdoor activities can be done (Devaux &
Sassi, 2012). The analysis of the report shows that professional who can help in reliable and
effective outdoor activities also lack the increased cases of overweight and obesity hence. The
neighborhoods are also considered unsafe of exercising and for other outdoor activities. Among
the adults, the report deduces that they are always not ready to take part in exercises or the
working time inhibits them from doing this (Flegal, Carroll, Kit & Ogden, 2012). With respect to
children, increased pressure on academic and less emphasis on outdoor exercises or activity in
schools as well as to home is a contributing factor to weight gain among them.
Socio-economic Status: according to the Geelong report, the relationship between weight
and SES has one of the most interesting dichotomies. The report shows that there is a high
interest that lies in the socio-economic status attributed to the high cause of overweight and
obesity (Flegal, Carroll, Kit & Ogden, 2012). A comparison was done between Geelong and
Ballerina. This showed that the urban poor in Geelong are most vulnerable because of poor diet
and reduced physical activity. On the other hand, Ballerina urban reach, as well as Geelong's, are
also faced with the problem due to increased and unhealthy western type of lifestyle. With

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respect to the children, increased rates of obesity in high SES schools could be as a result of
lavish pocket money and traveling to school by Bus (Flegal, Carroll, Kit & Ogden, 2012). On the
other hand, the reports compare the current generation of 45 years and below to an older
generation. It states that not most of the older generation are faced with overweight and obesity
because while they were children they went to school by foot hence this was part of the exercise.
Also, they took part in day to day outdoor activities as well as the existence of out-of-home food
did not exist.
Culture and Tradition: the Geelong community is considered as a metropolitan
community. Therefore, it has mixed cultures brought by mixed tribes and races of the people.
Some beliefs and norms have been passed from one generation to the other in Geelong. One of
the myths is that a fat child is a healthy one, and that obese to them is considered as baby fat. It is
also considered in the above myth that the obese nature goes away as time passes by. Oily food
and ghee, as well as butter, are considered to be vital to increase growth and impact strength.
Leftovers are strongly discouraged (Flegal, Carroll, Kit & Ogden, 2012). Girls and women
always have low levels of physical activity because they are expected to undertake household
chores rather than outdoor activities. Thus, based on the report, it is considered that short
duration of breastfeeding and maternal smoking in infancy are some of the things that indicate an
early life of obesity and overweight. It can be concluded that the traditions and culture that we
hold as indicated in the Geelong and Ballerina analysis are the cause of the obese and overweight
problems.
Secondary causes: other causes of overweight and obesity such as endocrine disorders
(GHD and hypothyroidism) are less common than the exogenous obesity and overweight.
Likewise, genetic causes of the same such as monogenic (MC4R mutation and Leptin deficiency

PUBLIC HEALTH AND EPIDEMIOLOGY

and pleiotropic genetic syndromes are rare. Besides, Hypothalamic causes of overweight and
obesity may rarely cause obesity based on Geelongs analysis of the report (Flegal, Carroll, Kit
& Ogden & Curtin, 2010).
Public Health Program
Based on Greater Geelong Community Health Needs Assessment, 2014, the public health
program should also be defined based on the best evaluation of obesity and overweight
complications. Therefore, this program will start with an evaluation that will be undertaken with
respect to the public health program as below:
Evaluation of Overweight and Obesity
The program will be based on an assessment of lifestyle of the patient including physical
activity, caloric intake and adults weight and obese status (Flegal, Carroll, Kit & Ogden &
Curtin, 2010). The program will also include the weight gains induced by the drugs like oral
contraceptives, glucocorticoids, and anti-psychotics. Besides, anti-depressants and anticonvulsants will also be induced.
The program will also consider that poor linear or non-linear growth despite the increase
in weight gain is warning flag of the endocrine disorder. The growth records of all the patients
should be carefully checked for childhood and adult obesity or weight levels. According to the
Geelong public health status, this will be one of the ways that the health problems would be
controlled to meet the current impacts caused by them.
The program will also consider that both IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 normal to high with respect
to the obese individuals without the GH deficiency. The program, on the other hand, comes on
board to consider thyroid tests, this should also include hypothyroidism and exogenous obesity.

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The program also advises that pseudohypoparathyroidism should be considered if phenotypes are
present (Flegal, Carroll, Kit & Ogden & Curtin, 2010).
The program should also be able to determine the start or the onset as well as the
progression of overweight and obesity. This is because the program considered that hypothalamic
lesions are related to a high onset of rapid weight gain. The program should consider that if
weight gain takes place before the age of 5 years a consideration of the possibility of a genetic
defect in the leptin pathway will ultimately be underway (Fryar, Carroll & Ogden, 2012). The
program should consider that the testing should include leptin levels as well as MC4R
sequencing. On the other hand, the program states that of the level of obesity or overweight is
related to developmental delay then consideration should be made with respect to a genetic
syndrome.
The PHO program also advises that Acanthosis nigricans one of the symptoms of sleep
apnea as well as delayed puberty should be accessed. However, low self-esteem and depression
should not be included. The program also states that all the overweight and obese individuals
should have their blood sugar and pressure be measured and treated according to their age
algorithms. The program also recommends screening for T2DM in asymptomatic adults if they
are considered obese or overweight. Besides, the program should measure if fatty lipids are
positive in family history for dyslipidemia or CVD. The program discloses that universal fasting
lipids are recommended for obese individuals with more than ten years (Fryar, Carroll & Ogden,
2012).
Prevention aspect of the Program
The childs family, as well as the individuals faced with overweight and obesity, should
be counseled on the best nutritional and physical activity objectives and goals. The program also

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advice that weight management programs should be undertaken in groups or individually. The
participation in groups is however considered as the best option because this stimulates children
as well as reassures the adults of a change in the health problem (Gupta, Goel, Shah & Misra,
2012). It is important to come up with vital behavioral changes that are sustainable.
The program supports the concern of the endocrine society recommendation action for all
the persons with overweight and obese prevention. It says that breastfeeding should be
undertaken for a minimum of 6 months and that the consumption of fruit juice, calories-dense
snacks among others should be avoided at all costs. Besides, reduced saturated fat for children
and portion control for individuals older than three years are strongly advisable or recommended.
The program also supports that 60 minutes of daily moderate to serious physical activity is
advisable. Likewise, the screen time should be limited only to 2-3 hours per day.
The program also states that physicians should also participate in efforts aimed at
educating and advocating for children and adults as well as the Geelong community in general
about the healthy lifestyle. Education for the parents such as parental role modeling is important
to those of Geelong community (Gupta, Goel, Shah & Misra, 2012). The program also states
that institutions of education from grade schools to universities should educate individuals on
health programs and courses. The schools and the community should also ensure that sound
nutritional foods are available in the environment. Likewise, the program denotes that
organizations should consider providing areas for exercises and recreational activities (Han,
Lawlor & Kimm, 2010).
Conclusion
To conclude, overweight and obesity are grave issues that need to be considered or
addressed soonest. With respect to the Geelongs report is clear to the world that obesity and an

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overweight problem is increasingly a nuisance today. Therapeutic lifestyle and physical activity
are the known solutions to obesity and overweight. Based on the report as well as the above
projected report, if this issue is not addressed soon, then expectations of 80% sick community at
Geelong should be expected in the next ten years. This is based on comparisons indicated in the
report. The program above should offer the solution to the problem as it touches on all the vital
aspects of treatment and prevention of the cases.

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