Directions:
You just started your new position as a county health commissioner. One of the issues facing your county is the rising number of obesity cases among children and adults. The county lawmakers want to implement the following policies to reduce the impact of obesity:
- Implement “NFL Play 60” movement in all school districts of the county
- Decrease the health insurance benefits of those who are obese
- Implement a 1% tax on all snack items
They have asked for your input as an epidemiologist on how the proposed policy changes might impact on obesity. The lawmakers are also open to implementing any alternative policy that may be more suitable than three provided.
- Having being trained in the tools and methods of epidemiology, do you agree or disagree with the above proposed policies?
- How would you apply your epidemiology skills to justify and establish policy changes that can prevent and reduce childhood and adult obesity in your county?
- Do you think there might be effective alternative policies that can be implemented based on epidemiologic evidence?
- What are some of the challenges that may arise with this plan?
Due dates for your initial and response posts can be found by checking the Course Syllabus and Course Calendar.
FROM TEACHER: A prime example of creating an intervention based upon epidemiological evidence is what society is experiencing with creating safe back-to-school plan for communities. Epidemiological evidence has never become so important as it is right now. Each community is different and their data unique. A one-size-fits all approach to opening schools during a pandemic is simply not feasible.
This article discusses what the plan is for California, specifically Los Angeles area schools: https://www.losangelesblade.com/2020/07/17/newsom-issues-schools-guidance-la-schools-to-continue-distance-learning/Do you think epidemiological data was utilized correctly in this instance? If so, why do you think this? If not what do you think should be done differently?Thanks so much!Dawn
Reply
Dawn Wuebker
6/25/23, 10:11 AM
NEWUtilizing epidemiological data to make informed public health decisions has gained world-wide attention. This will continue as we encounter future diseases and conditions that spread with lightening like efficiency globally.The president of the Public Health foundation of India (Dr. K Srinath Reddy) authored an article published within The New Indian Express that discusses this very aspect:https://www.newindianexpress.com/opinions/2020/jul/15/when-epidemiology-becomes-public-health-2169924.htmlWhat are your thoughts regarding the need to educate the public regarding epidemiology so that it is better understood (and used correctly)? Do you think the article discussed the reasoning behind this need well? What do you think an intervention plan should look like to educate others regarding public health and epidemiology?Thanks so much!DawnReplyDawn Wuebker
6/25/23, 10:11 AM
NEWInstructor Model Post:Obesity is increasing in our nation at epic proportions. Reining it in and providing the tools to combat it, have plagued not only public health officials but also the individuals that are obese themselves. Below is an example of how you can tackle this week’s initial post:In my time in the public and community health field, I have heard numerous excuses for obesity. One that it is due to genetics and another being that it is a choice. Playing the blame game does not do anyone ANY good. We must as public health officials (epidemiologists) provide the tools to these individuals to make educated decisions. Nobody can force them to change, the change must happen within themselves.Penalizing individuals for their obesity (decreasing health benefits) will continue to manifest the fixed mindset rather than moving to a growth mindset. Instead of doing this, think about what can be done to have healthcare providers working with patients to educate and motivate. NFL Play 60 is a great starting point as it is implemented within schools as it encourages health and wellness amongst kids. The 60 comes from encouraging kids to be active for 60 minutes a day. A part of this movement is Fuel Up to Play 60 which is an in-school nutrition program that compliments the movement portion of this program. One thing to keep in mind is that this is not limited to movement within school (even though it starts here); it promotes activity through in-school, afterschool and team-based activities.Imposing a 1% tax on snacks does not do anything to encourage healthy food choices. If individuals live in a food desert, snack foods and other unhealthy options may be the only food consumption they get. That tax will only continue the cycle of bad food choices unless a viable option is given. Instead of doing this, think about bringing more healthy food choices into the community. Often individuals think that healthy foods are too expensive when in actuality this is often not true. Get creative with product placement in a store to ensure that the healthier choices can easily be grabbed on the go! I believe in order to move from that fixed mindset to that growth mindset in order to successfully start combating obesity, we must do a thorough study of where these policy changes are intended to be implemented. Taking a looking at the average income level and education level is a start but also examining food sources in the area. Are there fresh whole food options that can be chosen and added into a meal plan. In addition, it is important to take a look at the options that are in the area when it comes to being active. Are there parks, trails, or gyms that are easily accessible?In this particular scenario, it is my personal opinion that it is best to have a multi-faceted approach that targets the whole community rather than sticking to just NFL Play 60 for kids for example. It is important to take a look at the epidemiologic evidence to create a plan that works best for a community and not choose what is thought to be best based upon assumptions.
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