D1: Evaluate how far the use of strategies and monitoring the health status of the population helps
public health policy to meet its aims in reducing the factors that influence public health, with
reference to a specific demographic area.
I am going to evaluate how far the use of strategies and monitoring the population helps public health
policy to meet its aims in reducing the factors that influence obesity. I will first be explaining how
reducing risk through screening helps public health policy to meet its aims in reducing the factors that
influence obesity. There are many advantages of screening, for example it identifies those at risk of
obesity or those who have it, through the National Child Measurement Programme, genetic screening
for Prader-Willi, adult health check- ups for blood pressure/cholesterol and so on. In the National Child
Measurement Programme the findings prove the success in identifying those at risk or who are obese.
This report presents findings from the Government's National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP)
for England, 2017-18 school years. It covers children in Reception (aged 4-5 years) and Year 6 (aged 10-
11 years) in mainstream state-maintained schools in England. The report contains analyses of Body Mass
Index (BMI) classification rates by age, sex and ethnicity as well as geographic analyses. It shows that in
reception obesity prevalence remained similar at 9.5% in 2017/18. Obesity prevalence was higher for
boys than girls in both age groups. In Year 6 it increased from 20.0% in 2016/17 to 20.1% in 2017/18.
Obesity prevalence for children living in the most deprived areas was more than double that of those
living in the least deprived areas for both reception and year 6. The National Child Measurement
Programme identifies geographical locations who need more intense intervention by measuring rates of
obesity in different regions. In general, obesity prevalence was highest in London, West Midlands and
North East. It was lowest in the South West, South East and East of England. London had the highest
prevalence of underweight children at 1.5% in reception and 1.7% in year 6. Therefore the programme
focuses mainly on the areas that have higher number of unhealthy weights. (Files.digital.nhs.uk, 2019)
Screening also helps plan for support and health services needed. Screening helps to increase life
expectancy and improve quality of life, identifies areas with health inequalities such as due to low
income etc. so tackles the social and economic impact of ill health on disadvantaged communities.
Tower Hamlet’s
childhood obesity
rate is around 27%
compared to England
which is 20%. (Anon,
2019)
However the
disadvantages of screening is that diseases such as Prader-Willi cannot be prevented as it occurs
randomly and it does not get to the root cause of obesity before it occurs. However, screening tackles
factors influencing obesity such as overcoming socioeconomic factors and genetic factors. Screening all
children addresses public health aims such as identifying and monitoring the needs of the population
because if children are screened for unhealthy weights then public health policies can be put in place to
help diminish that issue. For example, Change4Life focuses on prevention and aims to change the
public health policy to meet its aims in reducing the factors that influence public health, with
reference to a specific demographic area.
I am going to evaluate how far the use of strategies and monitoring the population helps public health
policy to meet its aims in reducing the factors that influence obesity. I will first be explaining how
reducing risk through screening helps public health policy to meet its aims in reducing the factors that
influence obesity. There are many advantages of screening, for example it identifies those at risk of
obesity or those who have it, through the National Child Measurement Programme, genetic screening
for Prader-Willi, adult health check- ups for blood pressure/cholesterol and so on. In the National Child
Measurement Programme the findings prove the success in identifying those at risk or who are obese.
This report presents findings from the Government's National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP)
for England, 2017-18 school years. It covers children in Reception (aged 4-5 years) and Year 6 (aged 10-
11 years) in mainstream state-maintained schools in England. The report contains analyses of Body Mass
Index (BMI) classification rates by age, sex and ethnicity as well as geographic analyses. It shows that in
reception obesity prevalence remained similar at 9.5% in 2017/18. Obesity prevalence was higher for
boys than girls in both age groups. In Year 6 it increased from 20.0% in 2016/17 to 20.1% in 2017/18.
Obesity prevalence for children living in the most deprived areas was more than double that of those
living in the least deprived areas for both reception and year 6. The National Child Measurement
Programme identifies geographical locations who need more intense intervention by measuring rates of
obesity in different regions. In general, obesity prevalence was highest in London, West Midlands and
North East. It was lowest in the South West, South East and East of England. London had the highest
prevalence of underweight children at 1.5% in reception and 1.7% in year 6. Therefore the programme
focuses mainly on the areas that have higher number of unhealthy weights. (Files.digital.nhs.uk, 2019)
Screening also helps plan for support and health services needed. Screening helps to increase life
expectancy and improve quality of life, identifies areas with health inequalities such as due to low
income etc. so tackles the social and economic impact of ill health on disadvantaged communities.
Tower Hamlet’s
childhood obesity
rate is around 27%
compared to England
which is 20%. (Anon,
2019)
However the
disadvantages of screening is that diseases such as Prader-Willi cannot be prevented as it occurs
randomly and it does not get to the root cause of obesity before it occurs. However, screening tackles
factors influencing obesity such as overcoming socioeconomic factors and genetic factors. Screening all
children addresses public health aims such as identifying and monitoring the needs of the population
because if children are screened for unhealthy weights then public health policies can be put in place to
help diminish that issue. For example, Change4Life focuses on prevention and aims to change the
