Obesity Reduction and Cigarette Smoking Cessation Programs

Abstract

There are various health issues which tend to affect the society. These health issues cause complications and difficulties in the lives of the victims. They are mainly caused by various factors which could be prevented or not. The federal government has always been involved in addressing these health issues through funding various programs. Some of the health issues which can be addressed through such programs include obesity and cigarette smoking.  These health issues are common within the population and many people are suffering because of them. Hence, there is a need for them to be addressed. This research paper will, therefore, provide an overview of how programs to reduce obesity and cigarette smoking will be undertaken.

Introduction

Obesity is a health condition which occurs when one tends to have excessive weight. It is usually associated with various health complications which tend to cause difficulties in the lives of victims including even dead. Statistics have also shown that 90% of the people who are overweight tend to develop various diseases especially diabetes. This makes it a health issue which must be addressed (Middleton, Henderson, & Evans, 2014). On the other hand, cigarette smoking has been a health issue because it has been associated to be the cause of premature deaths in the population. Studies have shown that in the USA alone over 500,000 people succumb to diseases associated with cigarette smoking (Golechha, 2016). Due to these effects, it makes them the most appropriate health issues to be addressed through various programs.

Description of the Programs

Health Promotion Programs to reduce obesity and cigarette smoking will target various populations. For the case of obesity, it will mainly target the middle-aged adults will target the youth from the age of 15 up to 35. These populations are the most appropriate to be involved in the programs because studies have shown that they are mostly affected by the health issues compared to the general population (Golechha, 2016).

The health promotion program to reduce obesity will involve partnering will various organizations and health personnel to deliver services which are aimed at reducing cases of obesity in the society. The main aim of the program will be to identify the primary causes of obesity and suggest the appropriate activities which could be undertaken. It will also mainly aim at providing education to the general population on how the health issue can be reduced and also ways of managing the condition in case it occurs. The program will also aim at promoting activities which assist in reducing the occurrence of the disease in the society. The most important activities which will be promoted in this program will be the promotion of physical activities and good nutrition in the population. To support these activities, the program will provide support for all the partners who will be involved (Middleton et al., 2014).

The health promotion program aimed at reducing cigarette smoking in the target population will mainly entail providing information to the target population about health effects of cigarette smoking. This will aim at preventing an increase in the number of cigarette users and at the same time assist those who are already engaging in the activity to quit through rehabilitation process (Golechha, 2016). The program will use media advocacy as one of the measures of making the target population aware of the health risks associated with smoking. This will assist in changing opinions of the target population about smoking hence convincing them to quit. The health promotion program will also aim at assisting victims who are willing to quit smoking to be able to undergo rehabilitation process and manage temptations to engage in the activity again (Golechha, 2016).

Risks Factors Associated with the Programs

There are various risk factors associated with the health promotion programs. These factors tend to affect the outcome of the program activities; hence there is a need for them to be identified so that they can be addressed. One of the factors associated with the programs is uncertainty and unpredictability.  It is not certain to determine the outcomes of the programs whether they are going to be a success or not. It is also difficult to predict the period of time that the programs will run successfully until the desired outcome is achieved. This is because the programs might encounter various challenges such as shortage of resources and staff which may affect its activities ( European Commission,2016).

Another risk factor associated with the program is frustration among the stakeholders due to failure to achieve measurable targets. This is mainly because; it is difficult or may take quite a lot of time and many resources for the benefits of the interventions to be seen. Therefore, there is the likelihood that those who are involved will quit ( European Commission,2016).

Risk Factors to be Considered

In order for the objective the programs to be realized, there are certain risk factors associated with the health issues which must be considered. One of the main risks factors is the diseases associated with health issue being addressed. For instance, in the case of diabetes, it is associated with serious diseases such as diabetes, heart attacks, and other diseases. On the other hand, smoking causes various types of cancer in the different parts of the human body especially the lungs (Golechha, 2016).

Another risk factor which must be considered is the number of deaths caused by the disease. For the case of cigarette smoking alone, it is responsible for over 50000 deaths in the USA alone and about 4 billion all over the world. Obesity also contributes to numerous deaths in the society. These risk factors are enough to motivate efforts for the programs (Middleton et al., 2014).

Interventions

There is a need for various interventions to be put in place in order to ensure that the risks factors are dealt with. One of the interventions to reduce risk factors is through awareness. By making the target population of the risk factors, they are likely to be convinced hence they will embrace measures to address the health issue. The intervention will be conducted at a primary level.

The process of conducting this intervention will mainly involve using various strategies to inform the target population about ways of addressing the issue. At the same time, their response will be monitored. The expected outcome of the intervention will increase the number of people involved in various activities to reduce the effects the effects of the health issues ( European Commission, 2016).

Conclusion

In conclusion, through health promotion programs, chronic health issues in the society can be solved. Hence, it is important to utilize funds and resources allocated to facilitate such programs.