Rationale, Essay Example

Goal: to develop a program to tackle obesity in the ABC Elementary school.

Objectives:

• During the program design, change agents will detect the key contributors to the spread of obesity among ABC Elementary School’s children
• Upon the implementation of the anti-obesity program, pupils of the ABC Elementary school will be able to increase their awareness about healthy lifestyle, and will manage their weight much more proactively.

Rationale

The problem of obesity has become the global public health concern within the past few decades. The report of National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) (2012) indicated that “approximately 68 percent of adults are overweight or obese, with 75 million adult Americans considered obese”.  Moreover, the problem of children’s obesity is intensifying – within the past three decades, the number of children diagnosed with obesity between the age of 2 and 5 has doubled, and among children from 6 to 11 years old – has tripled (Why Obesity is a Health Problem, 2012).

The major threat of obesity is nowadays posed on children whose decision-making is not independent and informed enough to adopt healthy lifestyles and deter from obesity-causing behaviors. Hence, the attendees of elementary and primary schools are now the most vulnerable groups of population susceptible to obesity. The ABC Elementary School research indicated that the problem of obesity is quite acute in this establishment; hence, there is an urgent need to generate a comprehensive and balanced intervention to combat this public health issue.

There are a number of solutions to the problem of obesity in children; however, the majority thereof stems from their own decision to involve in responsible eating behaviors, and to adopt an active lifestyle. Hence, any intervention should start with an educational program – once children are educated on the key fundamentals of obesity, and find out the disastrous long-term consequences of this disorder, they are more likely to make decisions against unhealthy eating. The present rationale for the behavior change is connected with the TRA – Theory of Reasoned Action; the present theory states that once individuals form intent to do something, their future behavior will be conditioned by this intent. Hence, creating an awareness of the contributors to the obesity problem, as well as clarifying the ways to avoid it, is obviously a path to bringing a feasible change in attitudes and behaviors of ABC Elementary School’s attendees, which is further likely to bring about the mitigation of the obesity problem.

The information and enlightenment program intended for tackling obesity in the ABCD Elementary School possesses numerous benefits for the school, and for all stakeholders, i.e., educators, parents, students, and the school administration. The information will be delivered during scheduled sessions to all students, not only those diagnosed with obesity, which will help avoid the bias and stereotyping regarding obese children. Moreover, group workshops and informational sessions are likely to increase the TRA incentives for learners – the human behavior is conditioned by what other people they care about think about them, and how they treat their certain habits and behaviors. Hence, learners may be united by their inspiration to lead a healthy way of life, and to educate their peers, parents, and friends about what they found out at the anti-obesity classes.

The program promises to be successful, since it will delineate the best solutions for children on the way to avoiding obesity, but at the same time it will not compromise their regular lifestyle. Children will be taught to eat, drink, and have fun, but will be offered less fatty and healthier alternatives that will not make them refuse from their favorite dishes and activities. Moreover, learners will be offered variants for eating out, cooking food with parents, spending time outdoors with friends and family, which will increase their interest to the program, and will help them implement the recommendations in the real-life settings.

References

Why Obesity is a Health Problem (2012). National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Retrieved from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/healthy-weight-basics/obesity.htm