EMP - No exercise is 'worse than obesity'

I have gone on the NHS website to discover some information on how kids don't exercise enough. This supports my project as my aim is to encourage a younger audience to get interested in hiking and bird watching, both free to do and exciting.

Here is an article on some options on the current situation with children's health from some respected sources. Here are some opinions from some UK newspapers: 

A lack of exercise is “worse for health than being obese”, The Daily Telegraph has reported. It quotes an expert as saying that lack of fitness is the root cause of more illness than excess body fat.

The Telegraph’s story is based on one of a pair of opinion pieces by medical experts with opposing views about how to improve public health and reduce the risk of major health problems, such as diabetes and stroke. One article argues that health policy should focus purely on increasing people’s physical activity rather than worrying about weight loss. The other article maintains that treatment to prevent and reduce obesity is crucial, and that radical changes to diet and lifestyle are needed.

The Telegraph’s story emphasises the view that physical activity needs to be encouraged, but the newspaper only gives a cursory mention to the other viewpoint that reducing obesity should be given priority. Together, these arguments illustrate the dilemma behind forming public health policy, but they do not diminish the fact that staying active and eating healthily are both important health goals for individuals to pursue.

All of these newspapers have made very valid points, a particular point that is that we should stop focusing on the weight loss aspect and focus on increasing physical activity. I find this quote particular inspiring! 

I have looked at all these articles and was very interested to hear how the NHS interoperated it in their conclusion. As I think from a large amount of information the NHS will give me a broken down summery of topics raised, the options shared and discussed. Here is the NHS conclusion in relation to all of the newspaper articles on the subject 'No exercise is 'worse than obesity’: 

The issue of physical inactivity and obesity are both major public health problems, which policymakers and professionals must work hard to address. This pair of “head to head” articles is a valuable contribution to the debate over how best to tackle the overlapping problems of obesity and inactivity. Both authors write convincingly about the subject, and both cite good evidence to support their opinions as to how the problems should be addressed. This debate highlights the difficulty in agreeing on the best approach to public health problems, particularly when there is good evidence for different policies.

Both authors agree that reducing the risk factors for major illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes is crucial to public health, although they disagree about whether the emphasis should be on physical activity alone or whether it should include the prevention and treatment of obesity. They both agree that the wider environment needs to change in order to encourage individual behavioural change.

It is also important to note that this debate is about the merits of different health policies and how best to allocate finite health resources. The articles are not intended to offer advice on individual behaviour or to decide whether a person’s inactivity poses a greater or lesser risk than their obesity. Indeed, there is no reason why individuals cannot tackle both problems by adopting a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight and getting 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every day.

 

The issue of physical inactivity and obesity are both major public health problems, which policymakers and professionals must work hard to address. I would like to attempt to have a new fresh approach to public health problems for the younger audience. I want to do this by discovering a new way to introduce exercise.

 

Both authors agree that reducing the risk factors for major illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes is crucial to public health, although they disagree about whether the emphasis should be on physical activity alone or whether it should include the prevention and treatment of obesity. I agree with both authors that exercise is the best way to prevent risk of these major illnesses. I think by suggesting and pushing a new form of exercise on to a younger audience could really encourage activity. I think hiking is a free and positive activity that not enough young people take part in.

 

They both agree that the wider environment needs to change in order to encourage individual behavioural change. I do agree that a change in environment needs to change to encourage some areas. I also believe that in most areas or a short distances we have free access to walks. It’s just convincing a behavioral change by showing the access.

Indeed, there is no reason why individuals cannot tackle both problems by adopting a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight and getting 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every day. I agree with this statement, a healthy diet helping maintaining a healthy weight. Being encouraged to take a 30-minute walk of moderate physical activity is what I am aiming to focus my work on.