Category: Wellness

Individuals operate in environments where they relate to each other. Even though relationships are complex, there are aspects through which individuals can express their views as they live in harmony. Many concerns have been raised with respect to relationships and the creativity involved. For instance, there have been concerns of wellness of creativity in respect to mysteries surrounding everyday lives. It is believed that wellness in creativity enhances everyday lives (Metcalfe & Game, 2002). Conventional modern society perceives genius and creativity as special expressions that define individuals within communities and societies. Some of the creative aspects include enchantment, dialogue, following the river, trying gently, haunting, fear and self-consciousness, and inspiration.

In everyday relationships, such concepts and terms are used to express the views and perceptions of individuals. From the reading, ‘The Well of Creativity in The Mystery of Everyday Life, it is true that special words such as interesting, inspiration, self-consciousness, dialogue, and enchantment are used to explain relationships between individuals within their society. It is true that being creative enhances relationships that are experienced within individuals. Every individual’s creativity is likely to take relationships or how they relate to different levels (Metcalfe & Game, 2002). Perceptions and feelings are better explained through the wellness of creativity. Therefore, the wellness of creativity within speech and writings of different individuals is likely to make relationships better.

Various words have been used repeatedly within the passage or reading. For instance, the word “inspiration” has appeared a couple of times in the reading.

Inspiration is usually a term aimed at giving individuals the reasons to continue doing specific things in order to achieve their goals, objectives, and targets. Every individual while relating with others has specified goals, objectives, and targets. Meeting such goals, objectives, or targets may be cumbersome and discouraging especially in circumstances or scenarios where things are not going as planned. When everything is not going on as planned, individuals require inspirations. Inspirations require a lot of creativity in them so that one is able to pick up his or her pieces in order to move on (Metcalfe & Game, 2002). Inspirations have been very effective in making sure that individuals continue to live normal lives.

Notably, it is important to consider implications of the concepts or wellness of creativity. Implications of such concepts infer that there are sense of relationships portrayed, dynamics involved, sense of identity on individuals, and impact on the learning. Creativity influences relationships to a great deal (Metcalfe & Game, 2002). In most cases, creativity brings out the aspect or idea of coming up with better ways of ensuring that relationships are harmonious. In addition, it is important to note that through specific concepts such as “inspiration”, “self-consciousness” and “interesting”, individuals develop a sense of identity. In this perspective, an individual’s relationship with others significantly changes on the basis of such concepts.

Wellness of creativity as seen in the passage significantly affects how individuals learn. In this perspective, most individuals will learn towards being creative hence making their relationships very smooth courtesy of such concepts and aspects as illustrated above. Therefore, it is evident and true to point out that wellness of creativity within the society significantly affects how people relate to each other.

Reference

Metcalfe, A. & Game, A. (2002). The Mystery of Everyday Life. Australia: Federation Press.

Executive Summary

Workplaces apply as the most appropriate areas to promote healthy habits among individuals because of the ease of admittance, amount of time spent there, as well as availability of effective hold up systems. The main rationale behind corporate wellness programs is the endemic levels of obesity and other associated health challenges among workers.

Escalating insurance rates and growing rates of obesity are concerns nationwide and within our company. Research has shown that when personnel are healthy, morale is boosted, making employees more proficient in their duties. Coinciding with healthier employees is lower health cost, for both the employee and the employer.

Employee wellness in the workplace ought to be the principal focus of human resource planning and management in an organization. One of the essential steps in implementing a wellness program is planning. Implementation of a workplace wellness program requires regular monitoring and adjustments where necessary.

Introduction

Workplace wellness refers to organizational programs that focus on promoting the ability of individuals in a workplace to control and improve their health. Workplace wellness is one of the key corporate activities for most organizations in America and world over (Patterson, 2007).

This is because such programs serve, as means to acquire and identify new opportunities, as well as getting support and back up required by employees to improve their health. Workplaces apply as the most appropriate areas to promote healthy habits among individuals because of the ease of admittance, amount of time spent there, as well as availability of effective hold up systems.

Any organization should prioritize the idea of introducing a wellness program as an investment activity due to the return on investment potential of such a program (Patterson, 2007). An organization can incorporate various wellness programs for its workforce that include medical testing, weight supervision programs, health instruction, health training, and health fairs.

The main rationale behind corporate wellness programs is the endemic levels of obesity and other associated health challenges among workers (Patterson, 2007). Health complications among employees are costly to an organization due to low individual esteem, reduced productivity, and absenteeism from work (Patterson, 2007). Some of the critical activities of developing a wellness program include identifying the cause of the prevailing health condition, setting attainable goals for the program, and effective communication.

Problem Statement

Escalating insurance rates and growing rates of obesity are concerns nationwide and within our company. Putting an employee wellness program into practice will provide various benefits to the company as a whole. Employees getting into shape and living a healthy lifestyle, as taught during training within a program, makes for healthier employees. Healthier employees increase productivity within the company (Patterson, 2007).

Employees that are healthy are less suitable to be absent from work, thus furthering productivity even more. Research has shown that when personnel are healthy, morale is boosted, making employees more proficient in their duties. Coinciding with healthier employees is lower health cost, for both the employee and the employer (Patterson, 2007).

A research conducted in the United States of America, indicated that the cost of treating obesity averaged at $13 billion every year. The research also indicated that the cost of health insurance covering obesity and its associated medical conditions was the highest at $8 billion (Donovan, 2006).

Thus, it is imperative to apply the best practices to acknowledge employees and motivate them to take part in a wellness program. Obesity is the biggest health related challenge in our company. This problem will pull down the prospects of the company in the near future, if not addressed right away, and in an effective manner.

The major cause of this problem in our company is the work environment that increasingly requires sitting or little activity (Donovan, 2006). This problem has increased expenditure in the company, as well as greatly reducing general productivity of employees and the company. Research shows that a worker who files for obesity related claims has an absenteeism average rate of 45 days (Donovan, 2006).

Employee Wellness in the Workplace

Employee wellness in the workplace ought to be the principal focus of human resource planning and management in an organization. It is important to have a healthy and happy workforce capable of fulfilling their respective potentials and employer expectations (Stephanie, 2009). The ability of employees to fulfill their work responsibilities beds on the corporate culture and organizational structure of their company.

These two key organizational elements shape the environment around the workplace in terms of the kind of activities carried out, the manner of execution, and the participating parties. Having employee wellness programs as part of an organizations corporate culture is a very important investment (Stephanie, 2009).

The organizational structure in our company dictates how much employees are involved in key company activities such as decision-making and professional development. However, it is important to incorporate a wellness program for all employees and ensure that there are appropriate strategies to encourage and motivate them to participate actively in all program activities (Stephanie, 2009).

This is because, the high number of individuals suffering from work related health challenges such as obesity experience difficulties in enrolling and participating in such programs due to low esteem.

However, employees also have a part to play in ensuring a healthy workplace environment in the company, by addressing their own obesity challenges first. One of the challenges experienced by employees is generating a perception that employers discriminate against obese workers (Stephanie, 2009).

Research has shown that obesity increases the rate of death by up to thirteen times among severely obese individuals. Introducing a wellness program may be an expensive investment for the company, but it will yield many benefits in the end. First, through the program, cohesion within the company will improve due to increased interaction of employees, as well as a common activity they can all identify with.

The second benefit of introducing a wellness program is that it will improve workforce retention (Stephanie, 2009). Workers suffering from obesity and other health conditions will increase their loyalty to the company because of the accessibility of health services and instruction at competitive rates within their workplace. Employees like sticking to an employer who is conscious of their wellbeing, and making an effort at the same time.

The third benefit is improved productivity (Stephanie, 2009). A wellness program will lead to a healthy, confident, and happy workforce capable of giving their best output towards meeting their organizational responsibilities and goals. The fourth benefit of a wellness program is saving on the cost of healthcare incurred by the company (Stephanie, 2009). When employees are healthy, the cost incurred due to low productivity, absenteeism, and high insurance covers greatly reduce to manageable levels.

Implementing the Program

One of the essential steps in implementing a wellness program is planning. Planning ensures the success of different program designs covering any number of employees (Larkin, 2009). After planning, implementation begins taking into consideration everything identified and analyzed in the plan.

Implementation of a workplace wellness program entails regular monitoring and adjustments where necessary. When planning for the wellness program, five essential considerations apply to ensure success. The first consideration is the root cause of obesity and high cost of insurance among employees and their families (Larkin, 2009). This is crucial in identifying important information for developing a workplace program that targets the challenges of employees.

This avoids investing time and resources on irrelevant issues. The second consideration is the kind of expectations everyone has from the wellness program (Larkin, 2009). It is important to develop realistic and attainable expectations that encourage employee participation. The third consideration is need for aggressive and effective communication. Running a workplace wellness program requires constant communication between employees and the facilitators.

The fourth consideration is the need to integrate other employee benefits and conditions into the program (Larkin, 2009). Apart from improving their health, it is important to consider other benefits employees can drive from the program. Employee conditions such as disabilities need consideration when developing the wellness program. The fifth consideration is the need to practice the ideals promoted through the program (Larkin, 2009).

This entails everyone in the company participating in the program regardless of their position. Employees can fail to give full commitment to the program if their seniors fail to do the same. Any workplace wellness program that focuses on these key considerations is always successful in implementation and getting the desired results.

Steps in Implementing the Program

A workplace wellness program follows certain essential steps. These steps explain the practicability of the program, the required resources, sets goals, develops expectations, monitoring and evaluation strategies, as well as maintaining its continuity (Larkin, 2009). The first step is to establish the need for introducing the program (Wellness Proposals, n.d., par.1).

This step entails talking to employees, the management, and experts in order to identify if introducing a wellness program applies in the company. The second step is identifying the benefits that the program will bring to the company and all employees (Wellness Proposals, n.d., par.2).

This step is important in developing program goals and expectations that align to the expected benefits. The third step is forming a team that will educate employees on the program details such as the objective, scope, essentials, as well as the numerous roles and benefits they can anticipate.

The fourth step is analyzing the needs and interests of employees. Since the program focuses on the wellness of employees, it is necessary to assess the needs they have, as well as their main interests (Wellness Proposals, n.d., par.4). This helps in designing the program with an orientation towards these employee particulars.

The fifth step is designing the program itself (Wellness Proposals, n.d., par.5). This step entails identifying and developing a vision, goals, and objectives for the program. These act as the guides for the program during implementation and in long-term maintenance. The sixth step is creating a timeline and a budget for the program.

A timeline outlines the projected period for accomplishing goals and objectives of the entire program functions and activities. A budget also applies in stating the amount of financing necessary in actualizing the program goals (Wellness Proposals, n.d., par.6).

The seventh step is identifying essential motivation for the program. This entails the features and activities of the program that will motivate employee participation. Employees need to stay motivated in their activities if they want to gain any benefits from the program (Wellness Proposals, n.d., par.7).

The eighth step is garnering support for the program from all employees. For a wellness program to succeed in our company, getting the support of the target group is important. The key to getting employee support is convincing them that the program will be of benefit to them. The support is important in ensuring continuity of the program. The ninth step is marketing the wellness program in the workforce (Wellness Proposals, n.d., par.9).

This step entails creating awareness for program among employees by educating them on the requirements for the program, how it works, the period for which it will run, how it will affect their activities, and the benefits they will get from the program. The tenth step is implementing the program (Wellness Proposals, n.d., par.10).

This step applies when all the other steps have satisfactorily met the essential standards and levels important for program success. It is important to implement the program after adequate awareness creation and a conviction that employees feel motivated enough to embrace the program. The strategies applied in implementing the program are likely to influence from employees, as well as potential for prolonged success.

The final step of implementing a wellness program in the workplace is measuring of accomplishments (Wellness Proposals, n.d., par.11). This entails an establishment of how well the progress made in the program for a certain period, has met the set goals. It also involves an analysis of commitments to the set timelines.

An evaluation for the program also identifies any necessary changes to the program that would improve its performance. Monitoring and evaluation is crucial to the success of the program as it helps to keep everything in check, as well as sustainable utilization of resources.

Monitoring and evaluation also identifies opportunities for the programs, as well as any possible threats from the external environment. One key process of monitoring and evaluation for this program is an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and weaknesses of the program.

Recommendations

To ensure the actualization of the solution to the problem of obesity in our company, there are various steps and actions I would recommend. These recommendations primarily focus on handling the challenge of obesity among employees in the company. The first recommendation is to encourage employees to avoid using the elevator, but instead use the stairs (Stephanie, 2009).

This is achievable by increasing the attractiveness of the stairways through strategies like repainting, introducing wide windows or introducing a carpet. The second recommendation is creating a campaign to promote healthy living in the workforce by introducing healthy conscious foods and practices for all employees.

The third recommendation is imposing a mandatory rule for all employees to desist from remaining in their desks after taking a meal, but instead take walk around the company premises as they interact with others. This move is all about exercise (Stephanie, 2009). The company can provide showering facilities for any employee who would be interested in exercising over short and long breaks.

This will encourage workers to take up exercise as part of their daily workplace activities. Another recommendation that employers can apply on their employees is offering motivation for health management. Incentives include providing competitively priced medical insurance covers and rewards for the employee who loses the most weight in a year (Stephanie, 2009).

Another recommendation is for the company to collaborate with healthcare service providers to introduce employee-training programs that focus on managing and improving their personal health, and that of their colleagues. Employees get professional instruction on how to manage their weight, and other medical challenges that connect to obesity.

Introducing a wellness program is the best solution to solve the problem of obesity within the workforce (Stephanie, 2009). If the company management implements these recommendations effectively, then I believe that in the near future we will have a healthier and highly motivated workforce.

References

Donovan, P. (2006). Workplace Wellness Case Studies: Tactics to Promote Health and Reduce Risk: New York: Healthcare Intelligence Net.

Larkin, S. (2009). Healthy Profits: The Five Elements of Strategic Wellness in the Workplace. London: Yellow Duck Press.

Patterson, M. (2007). Health Promotion in the Workplace. New York: Cengage Learning.

Stephanie, O. (2009). Next-Generation Wellness at Work. New York: ABC-CLIO. Wellness Proposals: Guide to Worksite Wellness Programs. (n.d.) Web.

Introduction

Health care systems need to be transformed from those that offer treatment to patients only, to those that prevent illnesses and ensure the wellbeing of people. In reference to Levy (2007), marketing wellness and prevention programs motivate people towards changing their negative behaviors (Levy, 2007). Therefore, the marketers of health care companies should apply marketing skills to encourage, motivate, incentivize, and motivate individuals to engage in wellness and prevention activities. In other words, it is essential for health care organizations to move from acute care to wellness and prevention (Labiris & Niakas, 2005). This means that they should adopt marketing wellness and prevention programs. This can lead them towards a concomitant emphasis on these two as part of their strategic platforms. This paper assesses the marketing strategy of Machealth, a health care organization in Australia with respect to wellness and prevention. It looks at the limitations to the current approach and provides a description of how the wellness and prevention program can be marketed in the organization.

Analysis of the Machealth Health Care organization

The Machealth Care organization is based in the region of the Aborigines of Australia. This organization relies on acute care in its provision of treatment to the community. The Australian aborigines have been facing the burden of chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and asthma among other conditions. The Machealth Health Care organization does not currently have a wellness and prevention program. In other words, this institution does not look at wellness and prevention strategically and hence misses many opportunities. It needs this program in order to expand the scope of the organization’s service. The introduction of wellness and prevention in the Machealth Health Care institution will help it in several strategic ways. For instance, it can use it in retail opportunities, community health improvement, health risk management, and clinical integration and continuum expansion. The health care organization can also use the wellness program as a marketing tool.

How Machealth Health Care organization can market wellness and prevention programs

According to Van Zee (2009), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) controls the marketing of prescription drugs. This regulatory body also ensures that adverts and promotions of drug prescriptions are truthful, balanced, and well communicated (Hawkes, 2007). However, Van Zee (2009) argues that the FDA has limited oversight of advertising and the promotion of controlled drugs (Van Zee, 2009). The Machealth Health Care organization should take advantage of this and market prevention and wellness programs. This will require the integrated involvement of its medical care professionals, patients, caregivers, and families combined. The close coordination between the above-mentioned parties can help the organization to market the wellness and prevention programs. The company should follow the following steps;

1. The second step is to plan and assess the program. The health care organization should create a plan of marketing the program based on its goals. For instance, it can integrate education and physical activities to keep its health care professionals, patients, caregivers, and families engaged in the program. It should also develop a wellness and prevention committee to create and follow the timelines of the program.
2. The first step is to build support. Considering that the Machealth organization has never considered introducing a wellness and prevention program, it should start by with a culture of wellness and prevention in its operations.
3. The third step is promoting the program and activities to employees. The marketers should also get involved in discussing different incentives and rewards to influence all parties to participate in the implementation of the program. The Machealth Care organization should communicate the plan efficiently by encouraging and reinforcing it at all levels of the institution. This should include integrating social media advertisements and other promotional tools to create awareness (Healey & Marchese, 2006).
4. The fourth step is to implement the prevention and wellness program. This should include selecting the most relevant track for the health care institution.
5. The fifth step is to evaluate the program. This will help the Machealth Care organization to know whether the program is effective in meeting the goals set by the marketers.
6. The next step is to share the results of the program’s success with health care professionals, patients, caregivers, and families engaged in the program.
7. The last step is to sustain the prevention and wellness program in the organization. The Machealth Care institution should locate additional funds, maintain buy-in, and leverage the prevention and wellness program.

The potential risks or drawbacks from changing or expanding the scope of the organization’s service line, in order to reach new markets

There are several potential risks associated with changing the scope of the Machealth Care’s services line in reaching new markets. These include choosing the wrong solutions, internal resistance, and incurring extra costs such as time, money, and training. For instance, if the marketers of the Machealth organization integrate wrong strategies and assume that they will help in the implementation of wellness and prevention marketing programs, the health care institution may incur huge losses. Moreover, if the health care professionals, patients, caregivers, and families engaged in the program fail to adopt the new change, the marketing of the prevention and wellness program can be a wasted effort.

References

Hawkes, C. (2007). Regulating Food Marketing to Young People Worldwide: Trends and Policy Drivers. American Journal of Public Health, 97(11), 1062-1072.

Healey, B.J., & Marchese, M. (2006). The use of marketing tools to increase participation in worksite wellness programs. Academy of Health Care Management, 2(4), 75-84.

Labiris, G., & Niakas, D. (2005). Demand management and the EU healthcare market integration. Journal of Medical Marketing, 5(1), 32-35.

Levy, J. (2007). Demographic changes in Europe: Opportunity or threat? Journal of Medical Marketing,7(4), 287-293.

Van Zee, A. (2009). The Promotion and Marketing of OxyContin: Commercial Triumph, Public Health Tragedy. American Journal of Public Health. 99(2), 221-227.

Introduction

Wellness has been commonly associated with being free from diseases. Therefore if a person is not feeling sick then he or she is believed to be healthy. This perspective of looking at health is currently changing. Absence of diseases is just one aspect of being healthy, but it does not guarantee total well being.

Wellness is a choice of lifestyle and everybody has the obligation to lead a healthy lifestyle. This can be achieved by ensuring that one has access to: “proper nutrition, exercise, and control of weight” (Blaylock, 2006). Wellness also demands that a person should avoid bad habits such as taking alcohol, smoking, and general drug abuse. All these factors if considered leads to the wellness of a person.

Personal care is the key to wellness. In health the word wellness can be defined “as an active process through which you become aware of and make choices toward a more successful existence” (Null, 1986). A good lifestyle motivates a person to develop habits which enhance a good health.

Impact of Safety, Nutrition, and Health on the Wellness of Person

Safety, nutrition, and health work closely to contribute toward the wellness of an individual. Apart from the family members of a child, teachers are also very instrumental in the development of a child’s health (Blaylock, 2006). It is therefore important for teachers to understand the elements of wellness.

Several factors also affect the learning abilities of children hence it is important for teachers to understand them. Teachers who lead good lifestyles are able to encourage young children to also practice the same (Blaylock, 2006). For example they should create conducive environment that facilitate proper learning.

How to Teach the Concepts of Wellness in Preschool

Teachers can teach children the concepts and elements of wellness using the following methodologies. Demonstration is one of the methods that can be used in teaching wellness concepts and it involves showing the students what to do using various teaching aids. For example you can show students how to wash their hands as part of self hygiene.

Explanation is also an appropriate method of teaching these concepts. For example you can explain to students how to maintain good health. In addition to the normal teaching methodologies, a teacher should understand the development needs of a child.

For example they should appreciate efforts made by children in class. It is also important for teachers to help children overcome their challenges related to nutrition and health. For example students who are physically or emotionally weak should not be harassed (Null, 1986).

Importance of Knowing Wellness Concepts to a Teacher

Teachers who have a good understanding of wellness can always have a good work relationship with students because of the following reasons (Blaylock, 2006). First, they will be in a position to advice students to lead a better life. Secondly, such teachers can also be in apposition to teach the students the right content which is in line with their health needs.

Conclusion

There are many health challenges at a present affecting people all over the world. Most of these health complications are derived from poor habits that people adopt and practice. For example drug abuse is known to increase chances of contracting terminal diseases and it should be avoided.

Teachers should therefore be taught various aspects of health and nutrition. This can also be extended to the curriculum prepared for young children in school. This would enable children to develop wellness skills at a young age. The choice to have a good or a bad life is therefore a decision one has to make (Null, 1986).

References

Blaylock, R. (2006). Health and nutrition secrets. New York: Health Press.

Null, G. (1986). The complete guide to health and nutrition. New York: Dell.

Skin is a vital body organ protecting people from harmful external influences. Considering that nutrition is one of the essential factors defining the overall quality of skin maintenance, while an impaired nutritional status can have an adverse effect on skin integrity, as well as its biological and protective functions, the sufficient intake of various micronutrients such as minerals and vitamins can significantly boost skin health. Therefore, this essay will aim to discuss the role of nutrition in skin maintenance, as well as nutritional requirements identified in the literature on the topic.

Such nutrition-related processes as inflammation and glycation take place on the cellular level and have multiple external symptoms. For instance, as Hayse (2015) states, glycation happens when excess sugar in the bloodstream attaches to organic molecules in the tissue. First of all, glycation makes skin molecules stiff and inflexible. Since one of the main affected proteins is collagen, it leads to the loss of skin elasticity. Secondly, the body recognizes glycated proteins and lipids as abnormal substances and, therefore, generates antibodies such as cortisol that provoke inflammatory processes (Hayse, 2015).

With the inflammation, the skin healing can significantly slow down and lead to acne breakouts, as well as visible signs of aging. My experience is consistent with researchers’ evidence. For instance, the day after eating too many sweets and junk food, I frequently observe such signs of inflammation on my face as pimples. It means that since glycation and inflammation are internal processes, the skin effects they have cannot be treated by using external means only.

Sufficient intake of vitamins and other nutritional factors can substantially help preserve skin integrity. According to Dean (2011), vitamin C and vitamin A are among the primary nutritional elements contributing to the skin’s health. For instance, one of the most important effects of vitamin C is the suppression of the production of free radicals due to exposure to ultraviolet light, which, according to Oregon State University (2018), leads to oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is the condition that develops when the body does not have enough antioxidants to counteract free radicals (MitoQ University, 2018).

Lipids are especially susceptible to oxidative stress: it leads to greater permeability of foreign substances into the membrane, which consequently results in cell die-off and skin aging. The sufficient intake of vitamin C helps prevent these adverse effects as it increases the ability of the body to fight free radicals. As for vitamin A, its derivatives, including retinoids and carotenoids, play an essential part in epidermal proliferation, i.e., the growth of epidermis and the overall differentiation of skin cells (Dean, 2011). It means this vitamin is important for the renewal of the skin. Thus, both of the vitamins help delay the skin aging process.

Appropriate nutrition can also improve the overall state of the health and immune system by enhancing the skins protective capacities. The fact is that being the biggest organ of the body, it performs a number of vital functions, including the protection of an individual from multiple threats that are traditionally present in the atmosphere (Bowers, n.d.). In other words, the skin serves as a barrier between internal and external environments and helps a person to avoid mechanical, ultraviolet, or bacterial damage (Bowers, n.d.). The given function is crucial for the survival, functioning, and further evolution of the body.

Thus, in accordance with multiple research works, nutrition plays a fundamental role in strengthening skin and enhancing its ability to struggle against aggressors, bacteria, viruses, and other factors that might cause substantial damage to a person (Bowers, n.d.). Additionally, poor nutrition or significant nutritional differences are associated with complex skin disorders resulting in the deterioration of the overall state of skin, its health, and ability to cope with threats mentioned above (Bowers, n.d.). In such a way, both dermatologists and nutritionists emphasize the direct correlation between skins capacities and products, minerals, and vitamins a person consumes (Bowers, n.d.).

These factors also precondition the increased topicality of new strategies to support patients immune systems by providing appropriate care to their skin which includes healthy nutrition and the constant intake of all needed macro and microelements (Hayse, 2015). Recent clinical data prove these assumptions and illustrate that individuals who adhere to healthy diets have fewer problems with the skin and other diseases (Bowers, n.d.). It becomes apparent that nutrition is an integral element of skincare that impacts its protective functions and improves the overall state of this essential part of the body.

Healthy and adequate nutrition is essential for the maintenance of skin properties and preservation of skin beauty. To improve skincare, not only should people avoid consuming foods with excessive sugar content, but they also need to intake a lot of fruit and vegetables rich in micronutrients. It is important to eat enough citrus fruits, strawberries, and broccoli as they contain a lot of vitamin C. Dark-green and dark-orange vegetables can also help make up for the lack of vitamin A. Overall, a healthy diet may help make the skin more resistant to all possible environmental hazards and favorably affect its overall health and appearance.

References

Bowers, E. (n.d.). Healthy diet, healthy skin. Web.

Dean, J. (2011). Skin health: Prevention and treatment of skin breakdown. Web.

Hayse, M. (2015). Glycation and how it affects the skin. Healthy Cells Magazine. Web.

MitoQ University. (2018). What is oxidative stress? Web.

Oregon State University. (2018). Vitamin C and skin health. Web.

Issue: Social and Global

The wave of technological advancements of the 21st century has directly impacted the entire food industry by genetically modifying the various products that people consume. When selling products, the seller must submit documents on the conformity of the product with certain requirements. In crop production, standards for the number of nitrates, the absence of residual pesticides. In several countries, they require the absence of GMOs in the product or genetically modified organisms.

The origin of the issue comes from using biotechnology to make products more affordable and cheaper at the cost of safety. To obtain GMOs, “genetic technology” or “genetic engineering” is used. A similar method allows you to transfer individual genes from any living organism to any other body. In nature, this way of transmitting genetic information is prohibited (Edwards, 2015). The methods of genetic engineering used in the creation of GMOs make it possible to overcome one of the most powerful prohibitions of evolution – the ban on the exchange of genetic information between species far distant in evolution.

The incorporation of any foreign constructions into the genome of the host body is aimed at obtaining a new trait that is unattainable for the given organism by selection or requiring many years of work by breeders. However, along with the acquisition of such a feature, the body acquires a whole set of new qualities, mediated both by the pleiotropic action of the new protein and the properties of the built-in construct itself — its instability and regular operation on neighboring genes (Krimsky, 2015). The use of genetic engineering technologies can speed up the process of creating new plant varieties many times over traditional breeding and get the desired property or trait. However, together with such a sign, the transformed organism acquires a whole set of new qualities that cannot be predicted due to the imperfection of modern genetic engineering technologies, as well as insufficient knowledge of the mechanisms of regulation of the genome. The complexity of the technology for producing GM organisms is combined with its fantastic imperfection, which is the reason for the presence of biological risks in the commercial cultivation of GMOs and the use of GM products.

The unpredictability of an inserted foreign DNA fragment is known, for example, in corn maize of fish, in potatoes – a scorpion, in tomato for enhancing keeping quality – the gene for deep-sea sharks (Edwards, 2015). Currently, neither the researcher nor the genetic engineer can insert a foreign DNA fragment into this particular place in the host genome (Edwards, 2015). Until the end of the transformation, the genetic engineer does not know not only where the construct containing the target gene will be embedded, but also how many copies of this construct will ultimately be built in and which parts of the genome will be damaged as a result. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the mechanisms of functioning of the genetic apparatus of higher organisms have not yet been studied.

Issue: Target Population

The primary target population is manifested in low-income households, who cannot afford organic and healthy alternatives. The threat is aggravated by the backwardness and imperfection of fertilizer and pesticide application technology, the underestimation of the danger of contaminated products by the population, and the large-scale and uncontrolled production and use of chemicals (Rust, 2014). The lack of publicity about the negative consequences of the use of contaminated products, reliable information, relevant technical means of measuring residual chemicals, and the lack of development of methods complicate the problem of monitoring the quality of food products and increase the risk of consuming food that is hazardous to health.

The development and implementation of new biotechnologies involve not only benefits but also risks to the environment and human health. The interests of obtaining commercial benefits by multinational companies controlling the market for new biotechnologies contribute to their accelerated implementation without sufficient consideration of the consequences (Rust, 2014). The development of biosafety problems and appropriate protection measures in the interests of people are far behind the pace and scale of the introduction of new biotechnologies into operation.

Issue: Topic

The main topic lies in implementing stricter regulations in integrating various developments in biotechnology. The main reason is the fact that negative side effects might reveal themselves until a significant amount of time passes after the application of the GMO products. The work of the inserted foreign gene, as well as the work of the host genes surrounding it, will be determined by the place in which this foreign fragment fits (Krimsky, 2015). It means that its position in a new genome for itself, and this position is unpredictable. The consequence of this situation may be a variable change in the functioning of the genetic apparatus, possible disturbances in cellular metabolism, and the synthesis of toxic or allergenic compounds previously not characteristic of this organism.

Violation of the stability of the genome and change in its functioning due to the transfer of foreign information in the form of a DNA fragment is directly related to the pleiotropic effect of the built-in gene, as well as with the phenomenon of dedifferentiation of cells in vitro during the production of GMOs. All these data indicate that GMOs are sources of serious biological and environmental risks (Krimsky, 2015). The widespread use of GMOs and food derived from them is permissible only when the manufacturer provides comprehensive evidence of their complete biological and environmental safety.

References

Edwards, S. (2015). Avoiding genetically modified foods in GMO Ground Zero: A reflective self-narrative. Journal of Health Psychology, 20(5), 500-510.

Krimsky, S. (2015). An illusory consensus behind GMO health assessment. Science, Technology, & Human Values, 40(6), 883-914.

Rust, R. (2014). Nutrition controversies: Keeping things in perspective. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 8(5), 313-317.

It is worth noting that achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle and wellness for all individuals is an important part of the sustainable development agenda. Many population groups need affordable healthcare services and education to achieve the required level of health literacy and disease prevention (Platt, Outlay, Sarkar, & Karnes, 2015). Ensuring a healthy lifestyle and promoting well-being for people of all ages is essential to creating a prosperous society. The purpose of the future project will be to investigate the potential of technological applications in achieving and supporting the wellness of people.

Importance

“Health” and “wellness” are two terms that are often regarded as synonyms; however, they encompass different aspects of human life. According to the World Health Organization (2019), “health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (para. 1). That is, being healthy implies not only the absence of physical illnesses but also the emotional stability and social fitness of a person. Meanwhile, wellness is an individual’s intention to achieve a healthier way of living and their understanding of the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, it may be stated that the two terms support and develop the domains of one another. The goal of a person is to be healthy while the method used to attain this objective reflects their views of wellness.

The awareness of the significance of health and wellness is increasing steadily. The growing number of literature and various researches on how individuals can relieve stress, nurture their body with food, lead a more balanced lifestyle are evidence to that statement. People started to realize that inadequate food consumption, substance use, improper workout regime, ignorance in terms of sustaining water balance, and other factors will inevitably result in repercussions that they will experience later in life. This understanding has already caused a dramatic shift towards healthier living and the promotion of wellness. New trends and tendencies emerge constantly, businesses promote healthier choices, and large-scale corporations encourage awareness and greater health literacy (Platt et al., 2015). On the local level, one can notice that small garage gyms open their doors to an increasing number of people of different ages. Furthermore, technological advances, such as new apps, devices, and software, additionally promote wellness and health. Moreover, they allow different population groups to become health-literate easier and make ways of achieving better health available to people.

At the same time, trends towards a healthier lifestyle affect not only individuals but also businesses and the government. Society creates a demand for restaurants that serve healthy foods and drinks. Companies constantly rethink their policies and offerings so that they can address the changing needs of people (Platt et al., 2015). In addition, the government reacts to the wishes and concerns of people by initiating policies that would protect their health and support wellness. The state makes efforts to reduce healthcare costs and develops initiatives to provide various population groups with equal access to healthcare services.

Social Practices

Interestingly, social practices and ideas of wellness have been shaping one another since the olden days. This process started from holistic systems designed to create harmony between spirit, mind, and body tailored to each person’s goals (such as exercise, social interaction, and so on). At present, these practices are known as yoga and meditation, which are becoming increasingly popular (Global Wellness Institute, n.d.). Moreover, social practices have affected the daily practice of people so that individuals started to attribute particular importance to their exercise routine, nutrition, and work-life balance. Special attention is given to housing since people who are continually exposed to poor living conditions have a higher risk of developing health problems. The combination of these factors ensures that a person can have a healthy life that brings happiness and fulfillment.

In the same manner, the ideas of wellness have shaped social practices. People struggling with obesity, mental and psychological problems, require assistance from the side of healthcare institutions so that they can receive quality help from counselors and other healthcare professionals. On this journey, one of the main goals is to address the priority problem without causing new challenges that may occur due to the low health literacy of people. Healthcare professionals play a primary role in ensuring that health and wellness are achieved using adequate and evidence-based methods. Moreover, financial wellness programs are gaining immense popularity in the US market (GlobeNewswire, 2018). These initiatives are designed to offer resources and tools that provide support to the employees. Regular healthcare services accompanied by various wellness programs will inevitably produce better results in the long term.

Discipline of Study

Wellness has influenced the professional field of Information Systems heavily. There is an evident need to remain informed in terms of advancements in technology in the health and wellness industry. New applications and devices appear in the market constantly, and each of them addresses the aspects of health and wellness that require improvement. However, the focus has shifted towards the individual characteristics and requirements of every person (Pomputius, 2018). Contemporary services allow customizing the features to address the specific needs of different people. Technology combined with Information Systems is evolving uninterruptedly to help with the health and wellness in all social aspects of human life (Pomputius, 2018). Every individual can now find apps that would help them keep track of calorie consumption, help them fall asleep, assist with meditation and stress management, and so on. Therefore, wellness has influenced Information Systems so that they can track and improve various aspects of an individual’s well-being in a personalized manner.

References

Global Wellness Institute. (n.d.). History of wellness. Web.

GlobeNewswire. (2018). United States corporate wellness market – $13 billion outlook and forecast 2018-2023. Web.

Platt, A., Outlay, C., Sarkar, P., & Karnes, S. (2015). Evaluating user needs in wellness apps. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 32(2), 119-131.

Pomputius, A. F. (2018). Mind over matter: Using technology to improve wellness. Medical Reference Services Quarterly, 37(2), 177-183.

World Health Organization. (2019). Constitution. Web.

The article by Myers and Sweeney (2007) provides an overview of the concept of wellness, its theoretic modeling, and its use in counseling practices. According to the authors, wellness can be described as an active process which involves making choices that are aimed at making one’s existence more successful (Myers & Sweeney, 2007). It can be understood as both involving the appropriate healing of the existing problems and taking care of oneself to avoid similar problems in the future and make one’s life healthier and spiritually fuller (Kwon, 2015; Myers & Sweeney, 2007).

The authors describe a theoretical model of wellness proposed before. This model is labeled the Wheel of Wellness, and comprises spirituality (including the sense of meaning in life, as well as spiritual practices and beliefs) as its central element, and 12 other components (senses of control and worth; emotional responsiveness and self-control; realistic views; intellectual stimulation, creativity and the participation in problem-solving activities; physical exercise; sense of humor; appropriate nutrition; taking care of oneself; management of one’s stress; cultural identity; and, finally, gender identity) as “spokes” of the “wheel” (Myers & Sweeney, 2007, p. 1).

This model was also employed to create a test evaluating the wellness of an individual; the Wellness Evaluation of Lifestyle Inventory, abbreviated as WEL, was used for several years in order to further explore the construct of wellness and its underlying structure.

The data gathered via the use of WEL was further considered through the use of statistical means such as the factor analysis. The analysis revealed a structure that was different from what was originally hypothesized; it was unveiled that spirituality was not central in the construct of wellness, as was initially believed. Instead, the new structure was comprised of a single, higher-order wellness factor, as well as of 5 second-order factors; the original 17 components of wellness were all confirmed to be third-order factors in this construct (Myers & Sweeney, 2007). After that, a new, evidence-based model of wellness was created; it gained the name of the Indivisible Self (IS-Wel).

It is stressed that the name of this model reflected the Adlerian notion that an individual is greater than the mechanical sum of their parts and, consequently, cannot be divided into elements and should be viewed holistically, as a whole (Myers & Sweeney, 2007). The elements of the model can be assessed by employing the Five Factor Wellness Inventory (5F-Wel); it is stated that several versions of this inventory are available, including those for adult individuals, elementary school pupils, and middle school students (Myers & Sweeney, 2007).

It is paramount to stress that the notion of wellness as modeled and measured by WEL and 5F-Wel has been utilized in a variety of studies, including research that has been conducted on people who have no relationship to counseling. Interestingly, some of the components of wellness were difficult to use in some cases; for instance, the concept of cultural identity was badly understood by populations coming from monocultural countries.

Nevertheless, the construct of wellness has been found to be positively correlated to several psychological constructs such as “short-term state and long-term trait aspects of psychological well-being, healthy love styles, job satisfaction, and mattering”; negative correlation has been unveiled to such constructs as perceived stress, psychological disturbance, and objectivied body consciousness (Myers & Sweeney, 2007, p. 2).

It should also be pointed out that the two models of wellness (the Wheel of Wellness, and the Indivisible Self models) were successfully employed to develop and deliver counseling interventions for both groups and individuals (Kwon, 2015; Myers & Sweeney, 2007).

The interventions utilizing these models need to always be grounded in the needs and desires of the customer, and the latter could be prompted to point out which components of wellness are pivotal for them. When creating and providing such interventions, it should also be remembered that the concept of wellness emphasizes the conscious choice and the daily decision-making aimed at increasing the quality of a person’s lifestyle (Myers & Sweeney, 2007).

References

Kwon, S. H. (2015). Wheel of Wellness counseling in community dwelling, Korean elders: A randomized, controlled trial. Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing, 45(3), 459-468. Web.

Myers, J. E., & Sweeney, T. J. (2007). Wellness in counseling: An overview. Web.

Initiative Description

The third initiative of the sustainable city project implies the promotion of a healthy lifestyle, which includes the development of both physical and mental health with the help of such practices as yoga, meditation, exercises in gyms (with cardio stimulation), and various field trips (Dam et al. 2017, p. 40). It is necessary to mention that a healthy and wise community is one of the most essential components of any modern sustainable city, which supports the proposed project’s objectives. The discussed initiative will reduce the rate of obese children in Dubai as they will have more resources and knowledge to maintain fit.

Contribution to Sustainable City

As mentioned previously, the promotion of a healthy lifestyle makes Dubai a sustainable city because the practices of yoga, meditation, and other exercises make its younger generations fit and wise. Not only do active games make children healthier, but they also enrich their brains with oxygen, which makes them work faster, better, and longer. Moreover, the city will never face a demographic crisis if all the suggested actions will be popular among local citizens.

To educate the public about what the third initiative can do, it would be necessary to show people that minor investments (as displayed in the table above) lead to major outcomes. The population of Dubai must know that health is one of the most important factors that must be inherent in a modern developed city (Lewis 2015, p. 473). As many individuals have sedentary lifestyles today, it is crucial to eat nutritious and fresh meals, do physical exercises, and so on.

Implementation of the Initiative

• Promotion of healthy activities in schools
• Organization of health centers (with equipment for yoga, meditation, and light weights) for children
• Development of certain health activities into people’s habits
• Collaboration with business centers, kindergartens, schools, gyms, and other institutions to attract more people to maintain a healthy lifestyle

To help Dubai Municipality to announce the success of the discussed project, it is necessary to make a publication on the future online source of the project and gather a meeting of all its stakeholders to summarize the acquired goals, along with other results and statistics.

Reference List

Dam, NTV, Vugt, MKV, Vago, DR, Schmalzl, L, Saron, CD, Olendzki, A, Meissner, T, Lazar, SW, Kerr, CE, Gorchov, J, Fox, KCR, Field, BA, Britton, WB, Brefczynski-Lewis, JA & Meyer, DE 2017, ‘Mind the hype: a critical evaluation and prescriptive agenda for research on mindfulness and meditation’, Perspectives on Psychological Science, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 36–61.

Evans, CE, Albar, SA, Vargas-Garcia, EJ & Xu, F 2015, ‘School-based interventions to reduce obesity risk in children in high- and middle-Income countries’, Advances in Food and Nutrition Research, vol. 76, no. 1, pp. 29–77.

Hussain, HY 2015, ‘Obesity and overweight among Dubai population, prevalence and associated risk factors: cross sectional analytical study’, International Journal of Epidemiology, vol. 44, no. 1, p. 133.

Lewis, S 2015, ‘Qualitative inquiry and research design: choosing among five approaches’, Health Promotion Practice, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 473–475.

Nowadays, vehement attention has to be paid to the wellness of the elderly and older adults due to the vulnerability of their health and absence of the individuals, who will be able to take care of them during the critical situations and emergency (Miller, 2009). Nonetheless, it remains apparent that the differences require particular kinds of treatments to maintain the physical stability of the patients and ensuring their safety. In this case, the primary goal of the paper is to determine the issues related to the problem described below while defining its legal and ethical contradictions and determining the plan for actions.

In the context of the case, the son reported that his father was diagnosed with cancer, and his mother is not able to take care of herself due to dementia. Meanwhile, dementia is the primary cause of the lack of the understanding of the current financial condition of the family, as some of the important documents are lost. Another problem is the broken hip of the dad, which occurred due to the absence of responsibility of the hired employee to repair the housing. Lastly, it is apparent that the son and his brothers have busy working hours and cannot visit their parents while one of the siblings has a criminal record. A combination of these problems upsurges the complexity of the situation, as it is vital to cover the dissimilar issues.

Based on the circumstances described above the primary legal and ethical issues can be identified while being critical components for the establishment of the actions plan and recommendations. In this instance, the majority of the problems are related to the condition of the mother due to dementia, as the evaluation of the capacity of self-management of financial resources has to be assessed to determine the critical aspects associated with this matter (Rose & Lopez, 2012). Meanwhile, another crucial feature is the inability evaluate the involvement of the person with the mental disease in the decision-making process coherently (Niemeijer, Depla, Frederiks, & Hertogh, 2015). The prejudice about the condition of the father related to the overreaction to the diagnosis by relatives also questions reasons for the particular actions due to existence of the particular association with required post-cancer treatment (Watters, 2016). The last matter is the incompliance of the hired worker with the assigned duties while leading to the presence of the legal problems.

In this case, the action plan will contribute to the elimination of the aspects described above. Firstly, the client should evaluate the condition of his parents by using medical diagnosis and having conversations with the qualified doctors. This approach will contribute to seeing the situation clearly while depending on the outcomes the reaction of the brothers might be different due to the dissimilates in the individual traits. The second stage is to hire responsible personnel to take care of the parents while ensuring that they will contact the relatives in case of emergency or report the condition of the parents. Meanwhile, the appropriateness of the actions of the employee, who was responsible for the repairs, has to be discovered to determine whether it was a primary cause of the father’s broken leg with the assistance of the attorney, who will also help find the lost documentation. In turn, the electronic tracking could be used to ease the duties of the caregivers, as it contributes to the understanding of the person’s condition related to dementia (Niemeijer et al., 2015). Lastly, the working and leisure should be optimized to increase the frequency of visits to the parents’ home, as this aspect has a positive influence on the well-being of the older adults while facing health problems (Miller, 2009).

References

Miller, C. (2009). Nursing for wellness in older adults. Hagerstown, MD: Wolters Kluwer Health.

Niemeijer, R., Depla, M., Frederiks, B., & Hertogh, C. (2015). The experiences of people with dementia and intellectual disabilities with surveillance technologies in residential care. Nursing Ethics, 22(3), 307-320.

Rose, K., & Lopez, R. (2012). Transitions is dementia care: Theoretical support for nursing roles. The Online Journal for Issues in Nursing, 17(2), 34-47.

Watters, C. (2016). Patients’ views of support after cancer treatment. Cancer Nursing Practice, 15(3), 22-28.