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Obesity affects more than a third of the world’s population, with more cases reported in Western and developed countries. Though complex and rampant, the issue is largely preventable alongside other chronic illnesses. Obesity is growing at an alarming rate, which has positioned the issue as a global public health issue, especially in developed countries such as the U.S. In the past three decades, the country has witnessed the concept’s growth within its population. The obesity epidemic poses significant challenges to individuals’ health and well-being, especially to the prevention of chronic diseases. Being a developed country, U.S. citizens have the luxury of an economy fueled by industrialization and urbanization, which have seen the citizens transition from farm food to processed foods that are high in calories. The factors, combined with increasingly sedentary lifestyles, have contributed significantly to the number of incidents in the country typically defined by an individual’s Body Mass Index (BMI). The condition increases an individual’s exposure to health issues and chronic conditions in adulthood. The issue has been attributed to poor living conditions wherein individuals are less careful of their feeding habits, exercise, and health conditions. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey study five years ago, 42.7% of adults in the U.S. were obese, while 40.0% of young adults aged 20-39 were obese. Of the middle-aged population between 59 and 40, 44.8% were obese, and 42.8% of the older population was obese. The condition’s prevalence among different ages depicts a uniform distribution of incidences across all ages. The estimates show that the issue affects people of different ages without discrimination. However, on a racial basis, the issue affects African Americans more than other races at 49.6%, while Asians are the least affected at 17.5%.
In healthcare, individuals face discrimination from the interpersonal and institutional levels, which has contributed to the decline in healthcare quality concerning the nature of the treatment, accuracy of diagnoses, and efficiency of services to some populations. One of the biggest issues facing the American healthcare system is the inequalities that create bias in service delivery. The biases are based on class, race, age, and wealth, which discriminate against individuals who do not subscribe to a certain social or financial class. In the recent past, America has had one of the highest mortality rates, especially among the poor African American population, as they are discriminated against the most. To begin with, being a non-white patient, one receives inefficient quality of health interventions, especially in critical conditions. Being a poor non-white citizen, one is subjected to racial and structural bias stemming from the inability to pay for quality services and stereotypical belief systems. At the same time, certain races and populations face bias due to the relationship between the patient and the medical providers. For example, poor pregnant African American women have the highest mortality rates in today’s society. Every individual is susceptible to bias, which stems from the beliefs and values of an individual, thus developing subconscious preconceptions about certain populations. As a result, individuals tend to project their beliefs onto others, thus leading to bias as people of a given population are treated and perceived as one. In this regard, the existing racial and social disparities in American society have influenced interpersonal relations between people of different populations.
The social-ecological model addresses obesity from four main avenues, which are intended to create a structural interplay between the individual, organizational, community, and societal factors affecting obesity. The first level identifies biological and personal factors that increase the likelihood of obesity in an individual’s life. These factors include age, education, employment, income, and genetic makeup. On this level, prevention strategies suggest the development of better lifestyles regarding feeding habits and exercise to reduce the prevalence of obesity and incidences of overweight individuals. Promoting attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that allow healthy living is crucial at this stage as it improves the quality of life from an individual level. Implementing exercise and workout routines is critical to successfully implementing positive biological and personal attitudes toward personal health.
The second level investigates the organizational structure and makeup and how the makeup influences an individual’s propensity to obesity. Individuals’ interactions with healthcare systems are crucial to developing discriminatory behavior regarding obesity and certain populations. From the organizational perspective, individuals face structural bias, which influences the quality of relationships between individuals. For instance, individuals of white male descent are easily promoted compared to non-white females. At the same time, most poor, non-white individuals do not have access to healthy living conditions and healthcare services, contributing to the increased prevalence of obesity in such populations. Prevention strategies at this level include developing fair employment regardless of origin, promoting equity platforms, developing community healthcare centers that make it easier for individuals to access healthcare services, instigating family-focused obesity prevention programs, and mentoring. The third level explores the community, which involves the social settings of the society and how the interactions influence the development of certain beliefs and values that contribute to an individual’s health and contribute to the spread of the disease within given populations. For instance, in most white households, the family has access to an exclusive family doctor, allowing them to track possible health issues. In most African American families, the concept of exercise is highly discouraged since it’s considered a waste of time. Prevention strategies at this level focus on improving physical and social environments to allow people to embrace better and healthier lifestyles. By addressing issues that give rise to obesity in the community, the framework identifies characteristics of the settings associated with obesity.
The last level investigates the societal factors which facilitate the development of obesity in the community. Social and cultural norms that support sedentary and unhealthy living are explored. The segment identifies health, economic, social, and educational policies that sustain unhealthy living and increase obesity incidents. Prevention strategies include implementing policies and social norms that transform household security regarding access to healthy food, education on healthy living, and healthcare, among other policies that influence health.
Cultural competence is crucial in the attainment of quality healthcare. The ideology facilitates the development of proper relationships between practitioners and patients, fostering communication and patient safety. Some patients find it difficult to communicate with certain practitioners due to their preconceived ideas and beliefs about given populations. For instance, the belief that most non-white populations are poor has contributed to the dismissal of most patients regardless of their wealth status. In this regard, cultural competence allows practitioners to collect accurate information through active dialogues and trust. Consequently, the concept reduces health disparities by improving the quality of healthcare services.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Obesity is a Common, Serious, and Costly Disease. Web.
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