Research Korner: Diet And Nutrition Sample Essays

Research Paper on Nutrition Month

Marketing Report   Introduction             In today’s business world, the value and importance of customers is not something that should be set aside by companies. Marketing plans and strategies would be incomplete without paying much consideration to the customers. Customers will and should always be a part of the agenda in any marketing plan of any company. Because of the implications for profitability and growth, customer retention is potentially one of the most powerful weapons that companies can employ in their fight to gain a strategic advantage and survive in today's ever increasing competitive environment (Lindenmann, 1999).  It can be argued that consumers all over the world vary and that these differences may lead to different consumer behaviour.  Since the consumer behaviour (See Appendix) is being bounded by the culture and traditional values of nations the differences of consumer behaviour are vastly increasing. Consumer behaviour has been defined as the "acquisition, consumption and disposition of products, services, time and the concepts by decision making units" (Jacoby 1998). In any food product business, consumer behaviour involves the purchase process, but it is concerned with the product use process as well. Therefore, consumer behaviour in some general sense concerns not only phenomena that are directly related to but also phenomena that might be characterised as post marketing in the sense that marketing's influence on and involvement in consumers' use of products is nonexistent, more indirect, and/or less intense than its influence and involvement in product purchase. This paper discuss about the possible marketing research approach to be used in Nutrition Month. This celebration is a good opportunity for cereal manufacturers to create a new range of products to overcome the problems in labelling. The creation of another range of healthy food products will be considered. This paper will discuss the issues regarding the debate on food nutrition and labelling and the negative press generated about cereal products. This will also tackle theoretical concepts about consumer attitudes and behaviours and how these behaviours affect the success of cereal manufacturers.   The Situation Before the start of nutrition month, cereal manufacturers and healthy food manufacturers are being criticised for their new approach to nutrition labelling which it is claimed is making products look healthier than they are. Actually, a significant funding was provided by the food industry to promote the scheme in opposition to the traffic light labelling scheme put forward by the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau (HFWB). Cereals are specifically criticised as it was categorised by HFWB as red products and deemed junk food by the traffic light labelling scheme. Basically, these actions of HFWB directly affect the overall business of Cereal manufacturers particularly the consumer attitude towards the product. On the other hand, when it comes to the buying preferences of consumers of cereal products, a major new business study reveals that what keeps the consumer buying a particular brand has less to do with pricing and manufacturing or merchandising than with how well the company treats its customers.  Tendency of the consumers is to buy or purchase goods and services which are healthy. Consumers are more likely to know all the information of the products before they would consume it. Thus, the decision process as one of the elements of consumer behaviour is influenced by the information available to the consumer and the way in which the consumer processes that information. The decision process is also influenced by the consumer's beliefs, attitudes, and intentions as well as many other individual characteristics. Two stages in the decision process are particularly relevant to this study: search that is whether the consumer seeks label information when selecting products and alternative evaluation, that is, whether or not the consumer uses label information in considering product alternatives. Whether consumers will search for and use label information will be influenced by both characteristics of the product and of the buyer. Product characteristics include the extent to which the product's probable performance can be assessed by visual inspection and its complexity, that is, the number of decisions the consumer is required to make about it. Consumer characteristics include experience with purchasing the product, and the kinds of criteria the consumer uses in judging the product. The evaluative criteria are shaped by the consumer's beliefs, attitudes, and perception of risk in the purchase. Through the emerging problem in labelling and opportunity brought by the Nutrition Month, it is then very vital to open a new kind of venture aside from cereals. With the advertisement and product promotion provided in Nutrition Month and for the launching of a new range of healthy products, there would be a possibility that the popularity and goodness of product to consumers could influence the decision making of the consumer in buying the products.  In the area of sensation and perception and attention, most works are confined primarily to visual or auditory processes. The attention of the consumer may have the tendency influence the decision-making process.   Marketing of New Range of Products To make-up some adjustments regarding the misleading labelling scheme of HFWB and the opportunity brought by the Nutrition Month, the cereal or the healthy food manufacturer intends to offer a new range of products (i.e. packed and bottled fruit products) aimed to health conscious consumers.  These packed and bottled fruit products offer the customers the best possible solution as it: <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Offers the lowest price on the market</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Is the most naturally processed</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Offers more healthy nutrients</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Offers our consumers better value per dollar spent</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Provides an alternative way to achieve health satisfaction.</li>   Even though the technology used to create this product is also new, we expect that others will be able to substantially reproduce our patented results within a month.  To remain on the leading edge of this product, we will need to devote approximately 10% of revenues toward research and development.    Market Segmentation The market can be segmented into three target populations: <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Individuals: people that wanted healthy food products by themselves. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Families: a group of people, either friends or a group of nuclear relatives seeking for healthy food products. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Take out/Supermarket Shoppers: people that prefer to eat and drink healthy food products in their home or at a different location.</li> </ul>               The target customers are health conscious individuals between the ages of 3 and 80.  Age is not the most defined demographic of this customer base; all age groups enjoy health diet especially adults.  The most defined characteristic of the target market is income.  In consideration to nutrition month, these healthy food products might be successful in both rural and urban areas.                      Combining several key demographic factors, it arrives at a profile of the primary customer as follows: <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Sophisticated families who are looking for healthy diet. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Young professionals who are maintaining their body figures and conscious to their health. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Shoppers who patronise healthy food products.</li> </ul>   Positioning             In accordance to the celebration of Nutrition Month, this healthy food manufacturer will position itself as a reasonably priced, upscale, healthy food manufacturing company.  Consumers who appreciate healthy food will recognise the value and unique offerings of packed and bottled fruit products.  Patrons will be single as well as families, ages 3-80.               Healthy food manufacturer’s positioning will leverage their competitive edge: <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Product. The product will have the freshest fruit ingredients. The product will also be developed to enhance presentation, everything will be aesthetically pleasing. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Processing. Processing of fruit products will be the priority.  All employees will ensure that the customers are having the most healthy fruit products experience.  All employees in food processing will go through an extensive training program and only experienced people will be hired.</li> </ul>               By offering a superior product, coupled with superior service and opportunity brought by the Nutrition Month, healthy food manufacturer will excel relative to the competition.   Marketing Mix Part of a marketing strategy to counter the possible backlash from consumers is the utilisation of the marketing mix of the new range of products. A healthy food manufacturer's marketing mix is comprised of these following approaches to product, pricing, place and promotion. <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Product. As discussed, the new product to be set up in market in order to avoid backlash of customers due to HFWB labelling scheme are packed and bottled food products. Actually, obsessive customer attention is the mantra.  Healthy food manufacturer’s philosophy is that whatever needs to be done to make the health conscious customer happy must occur, even at the expense of short-term profits.  In the long term, this investment will pay off with a fiercely loyal customer base who is extremely vocal to their friends with referrals.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Pricing. Healthy food manufacturer's pricing scheme is that the product cost is 45% of the total retail price. </li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Place/Distribution. Healthy food manufacturer's healthy food products will be distributed through convenient stores and supermarkets where customers can avail these products.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Promotion and advertising. Although, the Nutrition Month is a great opportunity to have a great market, it is still very important to consider the advertising concepts. The most successful advertising will be banner ads, and TV ads with information regarding healthy benefits of food products. In the given case, the strategy in launching and promoting the products might be able to attract the attention of the consumer like their strategy in buying it with a lower price than other competitors.  Because of the strategic pricing of the product the consumer might be able to decide in availing the product rather than buying other products.  Because of these, consumer behaviour are affected especially their loyalty to the brand.  And because of the commercial advertisements seen in the television, the consumer will clearly have in mind the efficacy of the product as said by its endorser.</li> </ul>   Conclusion For more than four decades, advertising and marketing researchers have been intrigued by the symbolic properties of products (Umiker-Sebeok, 1987). During that period, it has become increasingly clear that the consumption of any product is richly embroidered by the symbolism of the practices, rituals, and texts surrounding it and, further, that the connotation and meanings associated with products are crucial to understanding their exchange value in the marketplace and the way the consumer behaves and perceived the products and services (Hirschman, Scott and Wells, 1998). In the case presented, consumers play an important role for the company to create a strategic technique in launching the new products.  And that the behaviour of the consumers has a significant role in making the product lasts and recognised. In general, consumer behaviour varies from time to time and the only thing that the company can do is to provide strategic ways in making the consumer buy or purchase the products may it be new or old products.

Research Paper on Nutrition Month

Marketing Report Introduction In today’s business world, the value and importance of customers is not something that s...

Case Study Example on Bulimia And Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Introduction The relationship between eating disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder as part of a so called 'obsessive-compulsive spectrum' is discussed, with particular emphasis on the relationship between eating disorders particularly bulimia and obsessive-compulsive disorder within its theoretical perspectives. In particular the importance of distinguishing distinctions between repetitive weight controls, physical exercises and purging behaviors of eating disorder patient as the study sought to establish the prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder among patient with eating disorder because there is a high prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder among patient with bulimia nervosa and the prevalence may be correlated with the severity of the eating disorder. Moreover, some people suffering with an eating disorder may be exhibiting other addictive or self-destructive behaviors as a fact that eating disorder is a reaction to a low self-esteem and a negative means of coping with life and stress that will affect the total well-being of the person who is in a way bulimic and shows OCD symptoms within the process.                 Background of the theoretical perspective Bulimia nervosa (BN) is one of the eating disorders identified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR). Bulimia nervosa is characterized by frequent episodes of binge eating associated with emotional distress and a sense of loss of control accompanied by compensatory behavioral patterns aimed at preventing weight gain. Compensatory behaviors used by individuals with bulimia nervosa include excessive exercise, episodes of fasting or strict dieting, self-induced vomiting, diuretic abuse, laxative abuse, use of appetite suppressants, and/or medications intended to speed up the metabolism The mere consumption of an unusually large amount of food in a defined period without concomitant perception of loss of control is defined as an overeating episode. Similarly, the consumption of rather minimal amounts of food in a defined period with a perception of loss of control is referred to as a subjective bulimic episode. Eating disorders as a group are characterized by a fear of weight gain and a distorted body image with associated anomalies in mood, perception, response to physical and emotional cues and eating behaviors. Furthermore, Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) as an anxiety disorder. It is characterized by distressing intrusive thoughts and/or repetitive actions that interfere with the individual's daily functioning. The DSM-IV criteria for OCD are as follows: The individual expresses either obsessions or compulsions.       Obsessions are defined by the following four criteria: Recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images are experienced at some time during the disturbance as intrusive and inappropriate and cause marked anxiety and distress. The thoughts, impulses, or images are not simply worries about real-life problems. The person attempts to suppress or ignore such thoughts, impulses, or images or to neutralize them with some other thought or action. The person recognizes that the obsessional thoughts, impulses, or images are a product of his/her own mind. Compulsions are defined by the following two criteria: The person feels driven to perform repetitive behaviors or mental acts in response to an obsession or according to rules that must be applied rigidly. The behaviors or mental acts are aimed at preventing or reducing distress or preventing some dreaded event or situation; these behaviors or mental acts either are not connected in a realistic way with what they are meant to neutralize or prevent clearly excessive during the course of the disorder, the person recognizes that the obsessions or compulsions are excessive or unreasonable. The obsessions or compulsions caused by marked distress are time consuming or significantly interfere with the person's normal routine, occupational or academic functioning or usual social activities or relationships. The disorder is not due to the direct physiologic effects of a substance or a general medical condition and specify with poor insight if the person does not recognize that the symptoms are excessive or unreasonable.     Discussion of experience or observation and the etiology The bulimic client will come to treatment more readily than the anorexic client. She will have a history of bingeing and purging, which has been present for some time, and she, like the anorexic client, started to diet because she thought she was fat. She may purge by taking laxatives, diet pills, diuretics, self-induced vomiting or strenuous exercise. She generally will be more impulsive and rebellious and may have had one or several suicide attempts. Although the bulimic client generally presents in a less emaciated state than the anorexic client, she can be seriously ill with upper and lower GI problems, be cross-addicted to drugs or alcohol and have family members who are substance abusers (Hsu, 1990). She may have been sexually victimized, as this history tends to be more prevalent in eating disorder clients in general (Sloan & Leichner, 1986; Wooley, 1994). Blouin, Zuro and Blouin (1990), found that bulimic clients perceive their families as being more distressed than do age-matched controls. They also reported that bulimic women perceive their families as less cohesive, less encouraging of independent behavior, less expressive, less oriented toward recreational pursuits, more oriented toward achievement, and more controlling than non-eating-disordered women.           Lisa is a 14-year-old female and her teacher consulted with the clinical nurse specialist assigned to work with the school system via a local community mental health center. With an office in the school building, the nurse had easy access to students and to teachers who had concerns or questions about particular students. Mrs. D, Lisa's teacher, sought help from the clinical nurse specialist after noticing a dramatic change in Lisa's weight over the first 10 weeks of the school year. Lisa had begun the year as a somewhat overweight, cheerful youngster with dark hair and bright green eyes who excelled at school and had a reputation as a perfectionist in her work. While Lisa's schoolwork remained exemplary, her mood and appearance had changed dramatically. She preferred to stay in the classroom at recess and read, her social contacts with female peers lessened and Mrs. D noticed that Lisa no longer ate lunch. She was observed giving most of her lunch away and nibbling at a small piece of fruit or vegetable. Mrs. D estimates that Lisa lost between 20 and 30 lb in 10 weeks and was looking very thin and gaunt. Her clothes no longer fit, and her hair appeared dry and strawlike. When questioned, Lisa denied there were any problems at home or in the classroom. Mrs. D called Lisa's mother, who worked as an evening nurse in a local hospital. An only child, Lisa was cared for by a neighbor during the evenings when her mother was at work. Lisa's father had left the home when she was quite young, and she never spoke of him.         Moreover, dieting is common among females in our weight-conscious culture. Forty percent of American women report they are dieting (Eating disorders Part II, 1997). Bulimia nervosa is defined as having two or more episodes of binge eating every week for at least 3 months and the use of inappropriate ways of avoiding weight gain from bingeing (APA, 1994). A binge consists of rapid ingestion of large amounts of food during a specific period of time that is unequivocally more than the average person would consume in the same amount of time and under the same circumstances. In addition, the individual has a sense of being unable to control the bingeing. The binge is followed by some form of inappropriate compensation, such as laxative use, diuretics, self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise, fasting, or enemas to rid the body of unneeded calories so that weight is maintained. The typical eating disorder develops in young females during adolescence; it also may develop before menarche or during adulthood (Heebrink, Sunday, & Halmi, 1995). Bulimia nervosa tends to occur later in adolescence. Once the process of dieting leads to the desired goal, the individual begins to think that maybe just a few more pounds would look even better so she continues the behavior. Although the individual refuses to eat, she continues to have a good appetite at least in the beginning (Eating disorders Part I, 1997).           Etiology Multiple theories exist about the etiology of anorexia nervosa. It probably is multifactorial in origin. Three types of predisposing factors interact, resulting in anorexia, according to Garner (1993). Steiner and Lock (1998) made the same point, stating that since patients in most eating-disorder studies tended to come from specialized eating-disorder clinics, often the studies had a greater number of seriously ill patients than would be found in a representative sample. Pryor and Wiederman studied personality features of anorexia and bulimia and found that an inhibited or avoidant personality style was found in about half the adolescents with eating disorders, regardless of diagnosis. Anorectic adolescents demonstrated more compulsivity than bulimic teens (Pollice, Kaye, Greeno, & Weltzin, 1997). Eating disorders tend to run in families, as do many other psychiatric disorders. The rate of anorexia among close female relatives of women with anorexia is 2% to 10% (Eating disorders Part I, 1997). When comparing groups of patients with an eating disorder with groups of patients with other psychiatric disorders, the eating-disorders group had a 20 percent chance of having a family member with an eating disorder, while the psychiatric patients with other diagnoses had a 6% chance of having a family member with an eating disorder (Eating disorders Part I). Eating disorders have been shown to involve interrelationships among neurotransmitters and neural pathways are involved in depressive disorders (Irwin, 1993).       Specific family interaction patterns that were observed included overprotectiveness, rigidity, enmeshment and family avoidance of conflict. Some authors believe the notion of female slenderness in western culture has been promoted by various types of media that cast young, slim women as glamorous stars and by sales campaigns that use slim, young women to sell various products, with the underlying theme that being thin results in true happiness (Rothblum, 1994; Vanderlinden, Norre, & Vandereycken, 1992). Young women desiring to be fashionable, successful and happy exercised and dieted to achieve the thin look promoted by the media (Garner & Wooley, 1991). Whatever the cause of an eating disorder, the effects can be damaging if not downright devastating and life threatening. People who weigh at least 15 percent less than the normal weight for their height may not have enough body fat to keep their organs and other body parts healthy. People with bulimia often have constant stomach pain. In fact, bulimia can actually damage a person's stomach and kidneys as a result of constant vomiting. Bulimia can also cause a person's teeth to decay because of the acids that come up into the mouth while vomiting. When a person becomes obsessed with weight, it's hard to concentrate on much else. Many times people with eating disorders become withdrawn and less social. Individuals with bulimia often spend a lot of mental energy on planning their next binge, spend a lot of their money on food and hide in the bathroom for a long time after meals and that eating disorders are not fun, bulimia can lead to feelings of guilt and depression as some individuals with eating disorders begin using drugs and other substances to help mask their feelings, which only makes the situation worse.     Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder refers to the repetitive experience of obsessions and/or compulsions that eventually interfere with daily activities, causing the person with OCD to spend hours each day performing compulsive rituals. A common ritual is for the person to wash their hands a certain amount of times at a certain time in a certain order. For someone with an eating disorder, OCD manifests itself by leading the person to count calories methodically, exercise an exact amount at a specific time every day, cutting food up in a certain order and in specific shapes, having to have everything perfect which includes weight, and so on. Because all of these activities are compulsions, meaning that they cannot be controlled until help is sought, it becomes impossible and unbearable for the person afflicted to try and stop on their own. There were about 3.3 million Americans suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or about 2.3 percent of the adult U.S. population in a given year. OCD typically starts during the teenage years or early adulthood, although recent studies have shown that some children develop the illness at earlier ages. Just as with an eating disorder, OCD is not biased it strikes all ethnic groups with males and females equally affected. In terms of personality wise, those who have other psychological problems such as depression, an eating disorder, or bipolar disorder tend to be more prone to developing OCD that others.           The link that causes these disorders to be more prone seems to be the fact that perfectionism runs high in all of these psychological problems. The person with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder will usually be able to recognize that their actions are senseless, but at other times the person may be so high strung with fear about not completing a ritual that they believe strongly in their validity. For someone that has an eating disorder, OCD is a way of control over the person's body and therefore, life. The OCD controls what kind of food goes in, what shape the food is, the color, the weight, the amount, what the person does in other areas of life, and so on. By completing the compulsions, the person once again feels protected until they have to perform another task again. Often the two problems OCD and eating disorders are linked through the problem of perfectionism. It's been said that the compulsive actions are a response to always feeling that nothing the person does is good enough which has led them to over compensate for things. Although most people with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder try their hardest to keep their problem from the view of others, inevitably OCD takes over the person's life. It gets to the point where you can't go an hour without performing some kind of compulsive ritual or feeling incredible anxiety and with an eating disorder, the longer a person goes without getting the help they need and deserve, the aggravated the OCD becomes and treatment is needed.               Identify and recommend treatment based upon the theoretical perspective Weight loss may be a symptom of serious medical problems and may be related to other psychiatric disorders, such as depression or social phobias where the phobia is related to eating in public (Glod, 1998). Before making the diagnosis, the clinical nurse specialist will need to ascertain if Lisa is experiencing a distorted body image/fear of gaining weight which is diagnostic of an eating disorder (Glod, 1998). In order to further assess Lisa's problem, the CNS will need to develop an alliance with Lisa's mother and gain permission from her to work with Lisa. Irwin (1993) stressed the importance of building trust with not only the patient with anorexia but also the family, especially when the patient lives at home. The mother's statement that she was pleased with Lisa's weight loss could potentially set up an adversarial relationship between the teacher and the mother, since Mrs. D is worried about Lisa. Since eating disorders have increased incidence among female family members, it is possible that Lisa's mother has an eating disorder herself and has not recognized the seriousness of Lisa's problem or perhaps, as Huon and colleagues (1988) suggested, her mother had developed a positive image of the disorder and doesn't view Lisa as having any type of problem. Part of the diagnostic process for Lisa will be a physical examination to rule out some of the possible medical conditions identified earlier. The patient's distorted body image related to weight is distinctive to the eating disorder.         A significant weight loss can occur in depression, but the depressed patient is aware of the loss and acknowledges the seriousness of the problem is that she has fallen far below a normal weight. After gaining permission from the mother and after a physical examination, the CNS can arrange to meet with Lisa during the school day to assess the situation and plan out a strategy for her treatment. The neighbors who care for Lisa in the evenings may need to be included in planning for ways to manage Lisa's eating at dinner. The CNS will be able to monitor Lisa's weight as part of the treatment plan and may set up a plan with Mrs. D to monitor her lunchtime eating and that Lisa is quite young and early treatment in young patients shows the greatest success. Treatment Approaches Treating the eating-disordered adolescent occurs in many types of programs and settings, such as inpatient, outpatient, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient treatment programs. Many of the programs were developed in the late 1980s by hospitals in order to receive insurance reimbursement and to decrease the amount of time a client would need to spend as an inpatient. The majority of eating-disordered individuals in this country are treated now as outpatients because inpatient programs have closed as the result of poor insurance reimbursement. Various treatment approaches have been employed to stop disordered eating patterns and return the client to a premorbid state. Garner, Fairburn, and Davis (1987) found that the majority of treatment programs employed an exclusively cognitive-behavior mode of treatment or selectively combined cognitive-behavior principles with other approaches.   A team approach of healthcare professionals generally is involved in treatment whatever the setting as Garner, Garfinkel and Irvine (1986) suggested that a combination of treatment sequencing include cognitive restructuring therapy, meal planning, the introduction of avoided foods and regular weighing. Cognitive restructuring therapy is aimed at challenging the distorted perceptions about weight and shape that may be tied to cultural values. They concluded that a critical factor in the treatment of disordered eating is achieving a balance between attending to both psychological issues and the biological disturbances brought about by weight loss and disturbed eating patterns (Hoffman & Halmi, 1993). Furthermore, antidepressants also proved useful in the treatment of bulimia nervosa when combined with group and individual psychotherapy or as the primary therapeutic modality. Eating-disordered clients often have associated mental diagnoses such as affective disorders, major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder as well as substance abuse and (Clarkin-Watts, 1996; Hatsukami, Eckert, Mitchell, & Pyle, 1984; Root et al., 1986) because of the multifaceted nature of bulimia nervosa, a comprehensive psychiatric assessment is essential to developing the most appropriate treatment strategy. Patients should be referred to a mental health professional with specific expertise in this area. The most appropriate course of treatment can be determined on the basis of a thorough evaluation of the patient's medical condition, associated eating behaviors and attitudes, body image, personality and interpersonal relationships. Considerable research has been devoted to identifying the most effective pharmacologic and psychologic treatments for bulimia nervosa, including the effects of different medications and the benefits of different psychotherapy approaches.   Conclusion Therefore, people with eating disorders can get well and gradually learn to eat normally again. Because anorexia and bulimia involve both the mind and body, medical doctors, mental health professionals, and dietitians will often be involved in a person's treatment and recovery. Therapy or counseling is a critical part of treating eating disorders in many cases, family therapy is one of the keys to eating healthily again. Parents and other family members are important in helping a person see that his or her normal body shape is perfectly fine and that being thin doesn't make anyone happy. The most critical thing about treating eating disorders is to recognize and address the problem as soon as possible like all bad habits, unhealthy eating patterns become harder to break the longer a person takes part in them. If you have an eating disorder, don't wait to get help as bulimia can do a lot of damage to the body and mind if left untreated and worst, eating disorders can kill and at best, they leave a person feeling and looking terrible as people must remember that eating disorders are common among teens and more importantly that treatment is out there. Therefore, for treatment, a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and the use of anti-depressant medication have been shown to help greatly with treating OCD and eating disorders. The anti-depressants reduce the severity of OCD symptoms and a concomitant reduction of the anxiety and distress that accompanies the obsessions, while the cognitive behavioral therapy helps with the severity and frequency of OCD. More than half of patients have their symptoms relieved by an anti-depressant, but usually if the medication is discontinued the patient will go into relapse and will feel the same obsessions and compulsions.

Case Study Example on Bulimia And Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Introduction The relationship between eating disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder as part of a so called 'obsessive-compuls...

Effectiveness of the Current Health Promotion Measures Addressing South Asian Adult Women and Obesity

Promoting Public Health Part 1: Effectiveness of the Current Health Promotion Measures Addressing South Asian Adult Women and Obesity             In the United Kingdom, one of the major problems of the government regarding health is the increasing rate of obesity. It has been reported that the number of the people who are considered as obese has tripled over the last 20 years, and it is still rising. According to statistic, in the UK, 21% of women are overweight, and 21% are obese, while 46% of men are overweight and 17% of men are obese ( 2001).             There are different studies that show that compared with the European women; South Asian women are more likely to be obese, however, less likely to rate themselves as overweight (1999,). Local Policy             There are different local policies that are being implemented by the local government in order to support and provide people with information and other service regarding obesity.             One of this is the Bradford & Airedale Primary Care Trusts. The said policy focuses on implementing and conducting different health promotion in order to inform the public regarding the issue about obesity. The policy is using the behavioral model, where in the policy believe that obesity can be prevented by different activities and measures that are related to the lifestyle of the individual. In January 2005, a scrutiny review group was organized and focus on looking at obesity and overweight in the District. Thus, different events regarding food and exercise are being held with the representative coming from the communities of South Asian. Although, their means of generalizing the public in terms of the programs that are being implemented, due to the fact that it will create a mentality of fairness and equality. It is important to consider that South Asian grown up women have different culture, body type and needs compare to the Europeans or locals. For instance, in South Asian diet, rice is considered as an important part of the meal, thus it can be said that it is already a part of their culture.             In addition to that, the Bradford council Healthier Communities focuses on tackling obesity by scrutinizing obesity and overweight in the district. Just like the Bradford & Airedale PCT, this policy also uses the behavioral model, where in it believe that obesity can be obtain or result of the lifestyle of each and every individual. However, the Bradford council had been able to connect the entire communities in the health promotion activities; it had included the influence of the employers and working place or environment to the development of obesity, as well as the roles of the supermarkets in informing the public regarding the food items that they are selling. On the other hand, just like PCT, the council is lacking in having a direct communication and relationship with the South Asian women. The said aspect is important due to the fact that the ideas and concerns of South Asian women towards obesity is the same as the views and priorities of the professionals.              Both of the policies had been able to cater on the general demand of the public or community or it uses the community model, where in it focuses on the different environmental as well as the connection of different shareholders such as the working environment as well as the supermarket. However, both of the organization did not focus on the cultural and racial difference of South Asian women compare to the European or locals. Both focus on the behavioral model that emphasize on the lifestyle of each and every individual. It would be better if will also focus on the use of biomedical model, due to the fact that there are studies that shows that obesity can be obtain in terms of genetic and hormonal. And it is understandable that South Asian women have different genetic aspects compare to European, thus hormones of men are different from women. National Policy             Aside from specific local policies that are being implemented and conducted in different areas and places in the UK, there are different national policies or the basis of those local policies. It serves as the guiding rules and policies for each and every organization and individual in local areas.             National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence or NICE is an independent organizations that is responsible in providing national guidance in promoting good health and preventing as well as treating ill health. NICE published their guidance for prevention, identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children in December 2006. The said guidelines had been able to show different recommendations for the doctors, nurse, trainers, community and individual regarding the different aspects that are related to the current growing problem of the country.             This guideline uses the socio environmental model where in it views obesity as social, economic and environmental detriments that will help to provide incentives and barriers to the health of the individuals and the entire community. It focuses mainly on the lack of knowledge regarding the activities of buying and cooking food and how diet and exercise can affect health. In addition to that it also focuses on the impact of the cost and availability of healthy foods as well as the opportunities to exercise. Furthermore, it also stated that each and every program must be designed and implemented based on the individual needs, capacity and desires. This is due to the fact that action plan must be based on the culture of a group. In addition to that, it had been able to connect all the important entities in community that can affect the perception of the people towards obesity. But still, there are different problematic areas that must be considered. First is that, the guideline stated that each and every social worker must propose and implement programs based on the demand and needs of the patient, however, the culture and tradition can be a barrier in good communication and understanding between the patient and social worker. That’s why it will be important to make sure that the social worker has a background knowledge regarding the cultures, traditions and beliefs of the South Asian women that can help to ensure the effectiveness of the program.             However, if we are going to look at the NICE guidance regarding prevention of obesity and staying a healthy weight, it can be said that the said guidance pertains or focuses on general, meaning it did not mentioned some activities and social connections that can be considered as impact of the culture and tradition. Aside from that, some of the information in the guidelines are not explained well or not in detailed, thus, the public can misunderstand the content of the health promotion. On the other hand, for the doctors, nurses and trainers, the guideline focuses on great needs for training and communication skills. However, it did not mentioned that each and every doctor, nurse and trainer must have a background knowledge or understanding regarding the different culture, and its impact over the behavior of the patient.             The of the UK also released its own guidelines regarding the recommendation for preventing and combating obesity. It releases its, Lightening the Load: Tackling Overweight and Obesity in March 2007. Just like the recommendation of NICE, this paper also focuses on the different aspects that are related to obesity as well as the different aspects and entities that are involved in the said process of preventing and combating obesity, from the individual, families, societies and the authorities. In addition to that it also uses the, socio environmental model where in it tackles on the different environmental, social, economical and other important aspects that can be associated with the increasing obesity rate in the country. It proposes the Three E’s Model in tackling the issues regarding achieving lifestyle change. It focuses on the aspect of the Environment, Empowerment and Encouragement. It focuses in supporting individual to change their lifestyle and then provide with the knowledge and skills that will help individual to make a healthy change. This will be supported by the totality of the cultural, social, physical and even economic environment that are required in order to facilitate the improvements in the lifestyle factors like diet and physical activity. In addition to that, it also uses two approaches in order to implement the program, which are, the whole population approach and individual at risk approach. By doing the said approach, it had been able to cater the group and individual demand of the public. One of the problems that must be faced by the government in implementing this guideline is that it is important for the local authorities and social workers to have a full knowledge regarding the cultural background of the individual or group, primarily the South Asian women. This is due to the fact that culture plays an important role in the lifestyle of each and every individual.             Another problems regarding the national policies is that it is not considering the fact that there are also some factors that can cause obesity that is not due to environmental and sociological aspect, there are some studies that shows that genes and other related aspect can also cause obesity. It will be based on the body types of each and every individual. That’s why it will be important to the government to focus also on the different physical and medical aspects regarding the issue of obesity.             Over all, it can be said that the health promotion of the country focuses on the involvement from the public, sustainability of interventions and relationships and building social systems for health. However, all of the said objective and activities are somewhat difficult due to the different barriers that can be caused by cultures and traditions. This will affect the perspective of the South Asian women towards the different local and national policies, as well as their relationship with the authorities. Part 2: Plan for Promoting Health of South Asian Adult Women             Diet plays a very important role in the overall health of an individual. There is a saying that what you eat is what you are. It is important to consider that healthy eating habit can help to prevent and combat cases of obesity, especially in South Asian Adult women. It is believe that South Asian diet, primarily Indian diet are far too rich in saturated fat and sugar, that’s the reason why many of the upper and middle class suffer from excessive weight problem. And due to the fact that the South Asian women are living in the UK, which is considered as a developed country, most of them are consuming or eating food that is based on the said diet. However, most of the South Asian communities are saying that their opinions were not being prioritized that much compare to the locals, that’s why they don’t have that much knowledge regarding the different aspects that are related to the growing number of South Asian women that are suffering from obesity.             In the UK, different local and national policies use the behavioral model, where in the studies and policies focuses on the fact that obesity is caused by unhealthy lifestyles. In addition, different policies focus on actions, plans and activities that will help to prevent obesity by focusing on the daily life of individual such as diet, physical activities, socialization That is the reason why this paper focused on the process of promotion of healthy food in preventing and combating healthy food for South Asian adult women (see Appendix A). The said plan is consists of 4 important events that focuses on the process of promoting healthy foods for the South Asian adult women: informing the South Asian adult women regarding obesity; promotion of healthy foods and diet; reducing consumption of fast food; and spreading awareness.             On the other hand, evaluation of the success of the health promotion program is important and vital due to the fact that it can help to assess the effectiveness of the program. This evaluation will focus on the impact evaluation where in it will measures the short term effects of the program and will focus its concern if the objectives were meet or not. It will measure different changes in terms of behavior, environments, health knowledge, social participation, lifestyle and even the risk factors . Furthermore, it will use the qualitative evaluation method where in it will use words and meanings that will help to focus on describing the experience and feelings of the people towards the program. It is important to use this method due to the fact that South Asian adult women have different culture compare to the locals, and it can affect their perspective about the topic. By giving them the chance to talk regarding their experiences as well as their feelings regarding the program, it can help to gather more data and information that could help to improve the entire program.             Focus group will be used in order to evaluate the result of the program. This evaluation tool is appropriate to the situation, due to the fact that it is important to focus on the side of each and every individual, at the same time, enabling to see and hear the reactions as a group. The said evaluation tool offers many advantages, but just like other tools, it also has certain limitations (see Appendix B). By using the said evaluation tool, it will enable the program to gather information or feedback directly from the participants, thus it can be used for the improvement of the program in the future. [ivl1]              During the entire program, the local and national policies regarding obesity will be used in order to ensure that the program is following the standard that have been set by the law and by the government. According to the guidelines by NICE and DOH, it is important to focus on the individual demands that will focus on the cultural aspects. Thus it is important to make the participant feel that all of them are treated as equal as those locals. Thus it is important to know first, the understanding of each individual, regarding obesity. This is because, there can be different perspective about a certain disease, or what we call the health models. Social workers and authorities are not sure if the perspective of the group is the same as their perception. That’s why in order to maintain or sustain healthy communication and understanding in the group, it will be important to let the participants to explain their side first.             There are different factors that can affect the entire health promotion. First is, the issue regarding funding. It is important to consider that due to the fact that focus group will be used, it can be more costly compare to the individual questionnaire, due to the fact that there will be several meetings that must be done in order to evaluate the program. In addition to that, funding has a great influence on how huge the population the program will going to cater.             The program will promote women only session; it means that all of the authorities and social worker who will be involved in the program will all be female. This is due to the culture of the South Asian, where in gender issues are still a huge subject, that’s why in order for the participants to be comfortable, it will be appropriate to implement the said plan. In addition to that, the focus group interview will be done in a close room, where in the group can communicate, talk and exchange opinions without the presence of destructions such as noise and other commotions.             On the other hand, there are some South Asian women who are already fluent to English, while there are some who are not, in order to cope up with the said problem, it will be important to divide the group for those who speak English well, and those who are comfortable in speaking their language. That’s why, it will be important to have social worker who can speak and understand specific language. By doing the said activity, it will enable to gather more information regarding the effectiveness of the program.             This project will be done by having a direct communication with the leaders of the South Asian community. By doing the said activity, it will help the group to have a direct connection with each and every individual member. In order to disseminate and spread the news regarding the program that will help them to understand the growing problem of obesity in the country, as well as in their society. In order to reach out for South Asian adult women, it will be important to give away multilingual leaflets, in order to cater to the language barrier. In addition to that, posters will be placed in most of the crowded places in the entire South Asian community; where in most of women go such as supermarket, church etc. In addition to that, having a direct connection to the employer can also help to inform them regarding the program. Aside from that, talking to the husbands and other family members can also help to encourage them to join the program. In addition to that, it can also be helpful if the program will be launched in the Internet, where in South Asian women can access anytime and anywhere.             There are different barriers that can possibly cause problems in the entire process of health promotion due to the fact that, although South Asian women come from the same region, different race have different characteristics, cultures and behaviors that can cause misunderstanding in the focus group. That is why it will be important to group the participants based on their race, where in they will be able to understand each other. In addition to that, it will also be important if the social worker or the moderators that will be assigned to a particular group have the background regarding the language or traditions, or it will be helpful if the social worker comes from the same race. This will provide light and at ease environment during the evaluation of the program.             Aside from that, it is also important to consider that they have their own lifestyle, culture that had affected their eating habit, thus it will not be easy to inculcate to their mind that some of their eating habit are bad for their health. It will be important to implement the problem in step-by-step manner or slowly-but- surely manner. It will be helpful to provide them the background knowledge regarding obesity, thus can help to ensure understanding from the group. By enabling them to understand the consequences of their eating habit, it will help them to be encouraged to change some aspects of their lifestyle.             Aside from the process of evaluating the program based on its result or outcome from those groups that have undergone the program, it will also be important to have an external comparison; where in the changes and developments in the group will be compare to other groups or communities. This can be done by gathering external statistical data, analyzing it, and then comparing it to the past and current condition of the group.                                                           Appendices     Appendix A: Plan for Promoting Health of South Asian Adult Women   Promoting Healthy Foods   Event Barrier Solution 1. Informing the South Asian adult women regarding obesity §      Most of the South Asian women are not that knowledgeable and informed regarding how diet can affect their health. §    Informing the communities of the South Asian adult women regarding the importance of diet in the entire health of an individual. §    Giving lecture regarding the current trend of obesity in the world. It will help them to understand that they are not alone in that situation. §    Giving background information regarding the cause and effects of obesity. 2. Promotion of Healthy Foods and Diet. §      Food Culture §      People are already accustomed with their way of eating.   §    Make some changes in the way that dishes are being cooked, for example decreasing the amount of salt and other sauces. §    Conducting seminars and meetings that will help them to understand different aspects of obesity as well the different consequences like fatal diseases that can be caused by obesity such as cardiovascular diseases.  §    Presenting tables and data that will show the amount of calories that can be obtain by eating their traditional South Asian menu. 3. Reducing consumption of fast food §      Some of the South Asian adult women don’t have time to prepare food for themselves and even their family. §    Implement and conduct a cooking lesson that will teach them to cook healthy and nutritious foods in short period of time. §    Presenting the amount of calories that can be obtain from different fast foods such as burger and fries, and how it can contribute to their gaining of weight. 4. Adult women are not aware of what they are eating §      Most of the South Asian adults are not monitoring their diet due to lack of time as well as lack of knowledge and they are not used to it or they are not practicing it. §    Keeping food diary §    Daily or regular consultation or meeting with the social worker.                 Appendix B: Focus Group             Focus group is an evaluation method where in focuses on the group interviewing the interaction between the moderator and the group, relationship between the group members that can help to produce a level of insight that is rarely derived from the unidirectional information collection devices like observation, surveys and other less international interview techniques. The methods that are used in the process of recording and analyzing the information and data that have been gathered during the focus groups, as well as the strategies that have been used in order to gather unbiased information have helped the evaluation tool to gain credibility as an accurate as well as useful source of information. Advantages and Disadvantages             Like any other evaluation tools, focus group has its edge as well as flaws compare to other tools in terms of application in evaluating the performance and the efficiency of a program.             The following are the advantages and disadvantages of Focus Groups. Advantages: <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Socially oriented research procedure, that’s why it is useful in obtaining detailed information about individual and group feelings, perceptions and opinions;</li> </ul> <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Format allows the moderator to probe, thus it will offer a broader range to seek clarification;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Discussions have high face validity, thus it can help to ensure validity of information.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Can be relatively low cost compare to individual interview;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Can provide speedy results compare to individual interview;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Enable researchers to increase the sample size of qualitative studies.</li> </ul> Disadvantages: <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Researcher has less control in the group interview than in an individual interview, thus it can create disagreements and irrelevant discussion that can distract from the main focus;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Data are more difficult to analyze, control and manage;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Technique requires carefully trained moderators;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Groups can vary considerably;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Groups are difficult to assemble and difficult to encourage and range of people in order to participate;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Discussion must be conducted in an environment conducive to conversation. </li> </ul> Source: (2000; 2006)        [ivl1]According to the instruction I have to put the advantages and disadvantages of the evaluation tool in the appendix due to the limited number of words.

Effectiveness of the Current Health Promotion Measures Addressing South Asian Adult Women and Obesity

Promoting Public Health Part 1: Effectiveness of the Current Health Promotion Measures Addressing South Asian Adult Women and Obesity ...

Effectiveness of the Current Health Promotions Measures Addressing South Asian Adult Women and Obesity

Promoting Public Health Part 1: Effectiveness of the Current Health Promotion Measures Addressing South Asian Adult Women and Obesity             In the United Kingdom, one of the major problems of the government regarding health is the increasing rate of obesity. It has been reported that the number of the people who are considered as obese has tripled over the last 20 years, and it is still rising. According to statistic, in the UK, 21% of women are overweight, and 21% are obese, while 46% of men are overweight and 17% of men are obese (2001).             There are different studies that show that compared with the European women; South Asian women are more likely to be obese, however, less likely to rate themselves as overweight (1999). Local Policy             There are different local policies that are being implemented by the local government in order to support and provide people with information and other service regarding obesity.             One of this is the Bradford & Airedale Primary Care Trusts. The said policy focuses on implementing and conducting different health promotion in order to inform the public regarding the issue about obesity. The policy is using the behavioral model, where in the policy believe that obesity can be prevented by different activities and measures that are related to the lifestyle of the individual. In January 2005, a scrutiny review group was organized and focus on looking at obesity and overweight in the District. Thus, different events regarding food and exercise are being held with the representative coming from the communities of South Asian. Although, their means of generalizing the public in terms of the programs that are being implemented, due to the fact that it will create a mentality of fairness and equality. It is important to consider that South Asian grown up women have different culture, body type and needs compare to the Europeans or locals. For instance, in South Asian diet, rice is considered as an important part of the meal, thus it can be said that it is already a part of their culture.             In addition to that, the council , focuses on tackling obesity by scrutinizing obesity and overweight in the district. Just like the Bradford & Airedale PCT, this policy also uses the behavioral model, where in it believe that obesity can be obtain or result of the lifestyle of each and every individual. However, the Bradford council had been able to connect the entire communities in the health promotion activities; it had included the influence of the employers and working place or environment to the development of obesity, as well as the roles of the supermarkets in informing the public regarding the food items that they are selling. On the other hand, just like PCT, the council is lacking in having a direct communication and relationship with the South Asian women. The said aspect is important due to the fact that the ideas and concerns of South Asian women towards obesity is the same as the views and priorities of the professionals.              Both of the policies had been able to cater on the general demand of the public or community or it uses the community model, where in it focuses on the different environmental as well as the connection of different shareholders such as the working environment as well as the supermarket. However, both of the organization did not focus on the cultural and racial difference of South Asian women compare to the European or locals. Both focus on the behavioral model that emphasize on the lifestyle of each and every individual. It would be better if will also focus on the use of biomedical model, due to the fact that there are studies that shows that obesity can be obtain in terms of genetic and hormonal. And it is understandable that South Asian women have different genetic aspects compare to European, thus hormones of men are different from women. National Policy             Aside from specific local policies that are being implemented and conducted in different areas and places in the UK, there are different national policies or the basis of those local policies. It serves as the guiding rules and policies for each and every organization and individual in local areas.             National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence or NICE is an independent organizations that is responsible in providing national guidance in promoting good health and preventing as well as treating ill health. NICE published their guidance for prevention, identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children in December 2006. The said guidelines had been able to show different recommendations for the doctors, nurse, trainers, community and individual regarding the different aspects that are related to the current growing problem of the country.             This guideline uses the socio environmental model where in it views obesity as social, economic and environmental detriments that will help to provide incentives and barriers to the health of the individuals and the entire community. It focuses mainly on the lack of knowledge regarding the activities of buying and cooking food and how diet and exercise can affect health. In addition to that it also focuses on the impact of the cost and availability of healthy foods as well as the opportunities to exercise. Furthermore, it also stated that each and every program must be designed and implemented based on the individual needs, capacity and desires. This is due to the fact that action plan must be based on the culture of a group. In addition to that, it had been able to connect all the important entities in community that can affect the perception of the people towards obesity. But still, there are different problematic areas that must be considered. First is that, the guideline stated that each and every social worker must propose and implement programs based on the demand and needs of the patient, however, the culture and tradition can be a barrier in good communication and understanding between the patient and social worker. That’s why it will be important to make sure that the social worker has a background knowledge regarding the cultures, traditions and beliefs of the South Asian women that can help to ensure the effectiveness of the program.             The  DOH of the UK also released its own guidelines regarding the recommendation for preventing and combating obesity. It releases its, Lightening the Load: Tackling Overweight and Obesity in March 2007. Just like the recommendation of NICE, this paper also focuses on the different aspects that are related to obesity as well as the different aspects and entities that are involved in the said process of preventing and combating obesity, from the individual, families, societies and the authorities. In addition to that it also uses the, socio environmental model where in it tackles on the different environmental, social, economical and other important aspects that can be associated with the increasing obesity rate in the country. It proposes the Three E’s Model in tackling the issues regarding achieving lifestyle change. It focuses on the aspect of the Environment, Empowerment and Encouragement. It focuses in supporting individual to change their lifestyle and then provide with the knowledge and skills that will help individual to make a healthy change. This will be supported by the totality of the cultural, social, physical and even economic environment that are required in order to facilitate the improvements in the lifestyle factors like diet and physical activity. In addition to that, it also uses two approaches in order to implement the program, which are, the whole population approach and individual at risk approach. By doing the said approach, it had been able to cater the group and individual demand of the public. One of the problems that must be faced by the government in implementing this guideline is that it is important for the local authorities and social workers to have a full knowledge regarding the cultural background of the individual or group, primarily the South Asian women. This is due to the fact that culture plays an important role in the lifestyle of each and every individual.             Another problems regarding the national policies is that it is not considering the fact that there are also some factors that can cause obesity that is not due to environmental and sociological aspect, there are some studies that shows that genes and other related aspect can also cause obesity. It will be based on the body types of each and every individual. That’s why it will be important to the government to focus also on the different physical and medical aspects regarding the issue of obesity.             Over all, it can be said that the health promotion of the country focuses on the involvement from the public, sustainability of interventions and relationships and building social systems for health. However, all of the said objective and activities are somewhat difficult due to the different barriers that can be caused by cultures and traditions. This will affect the perspective of the South Asian women towards the different local and national policies, as well as their relationship with the authorities. Part 2: Plan for Promoting Health of South Asian Adult Women             Diet plays a very important role in the overall health of an individual. There is a saying that what you eat is what you are. It is important to consider that healthy eating habit can help to prevent and combat cases of obesity, especially in South Asian Adult women. It is believe that South Asian diet, primarily Indian diet are far too rich in saturated fat and sugar, that’s the reason why many of the upper and middle class suffer from excessive weight problem. And due to the fact that the South Asian women are living in the UK, which is considered as a developed country, most of them are consuming or eating food that is based on the said diet. However, most of the South Asian communities are saying that their opinions were not being prioritized that much compare to the locals, that’s why they don’t have that much knowledge regarding the different aspects that are related to the growing number of South Asian women that are suffering from obesity. That is the reason why this paper focused on the process of promotion of healthy food in preventing and combating healthy food for South Asian adult women (see Appendix A). The said plan is consists of 4 important events that focuses on the process of promoting healthy foods for the South Asian adult women: informing the South Asian adult women regarding obesity; promotion of healthy foods and diet; reducing consumption of fast food; and spreading awareness.             On the other hand, evaluation of the success of the health promotion program is important and vital due to the fact that it can help to assess the effectiveness of the program. This evaluation will focus on the impact evaluation where in it will measures the short term effects of the program and will focus its concern if the objectives were meet or not. It will measure different changes in terms of behavior, environments, health knowledge, social participation, lifestyle and even the risk factors. Furthermore, it will use the qualitative evaluation method where in it will use words and meanings that will help to focus on describing the experience and feelings of the people towards the program. It is important to use this method due to the fact that South Asian adult women have different culture compare to the locals, and it can affect their perspective about the topic. By giving them the chance to talk regarding their experiences as well as their feelings regarding the program, it can help to gather more data and information that could help to improve the entire program.             Focus group will be used in order to evaluate the result of the program. This evaluation tool is appropriate to the situation, due to the fact that it is important to focus on the side of each and every individual, at the same time, enabling to see and hear the reactions as a group (see Appendix B). By using the said evaluation tool, it will enable the program to gather information or feedback directly from the participants, thus it can be used for the improvement of the program in the future.             During the entire program, the local and national policies regarding obesity will be used in order to ensure that the program is following the standard that have been set by the law and by the government. According to the guidelines by NICE and DOH, it is important to focus on the individual demands that will focus on the cultural aspects. Thus it is important to make the participant feel that all of them are treated as equal as those locals. Thus it is important to know first, the understanding of each individual, regarding obesity. This is because, there can be different perspective about a certain disease, or what we call the health models. Social workers and authorities are not sure if the perspective of the group is the same as their perception. That’s why in order to maintain or sustain healthy communication and understanding in the group, it will be important to let the participants to explain their side first.             There are different factors that can affect the entire health promotion. First is, the issue regarding funding. It is important to consider that due to the fact that focus group will be used, it can be more costly compare to the individual questionnaire, due to the fact that there will be several meetings that must be done in order to evaluate the program. In addition to that, funding has a great influence on how huge the population the program will going to cater.             The program will promote women only session; it means that all of the authorities and social worker who will be involved in the program will all be female. This is due to the culture of the South Asian, where in gender issues are still a huge subject, that’s why in order for the participants to be comfortable, it will be appropriate to implement the said plan. In addition to that, the focus group interview will be done in a close room, where in the group can communicate, talk and exchange opinions without the presence of destructions such as noise and other commotions.             On the other hand, there are some South Asian women who are already fluent to English, while there are some who are not, in order to cope up with the said problem, it will be important to divide the group for those who speak English well, and those who are comfortable in speaking their language. That’s why, it will be important to have social worker who can speak and understand specific language. By doing the said activity, it will enable to gather more information regarding the effectiveness of the program.             This project will be done by having a direct communication with the leaders of the South Asian community. By doing the said activity, it will help the group to have a direct connection with each and every individual member. In order to disseminate and spread the news regarding the program that will help them to understand the growing problem of obesity in the country, as well as in their society. In order to reach out for South Asian adult women, it will be important to give away multilingual leaflets, in order to cater to the language barrier. In addition to that, posters will be placed in most of the crowded places in the entire South Asian community; where in most of women go such as supermarket, church etc. In addition to that, having a direct connection to the employer can also help to inform them regarding the program. Aside from that, talking to the husbands and other family members can also help to encourage them to join the program. In addition to that, it can also be helpful if the program will be launched in the Internet, where in South Asian women can access anytime and anywhere.             There are different barriers that can possibly cause problems in the entire process of health promotion due to the fact that, although South Asian women come from the same region, different race have different characteristics, cultures and behaviors that can cause misunderstanding in the focus group. That is why it will be important to group the participants based on their race, where in they will be able to understand each other. In addition to that, it will also be important if the social worker or the moderators that will be assigned to a particular group have the background regarding the language or traditions, or it will be helpful if the social worker comes from the same race. This will provide light and at ease environment during the evaluation of the program.             Aside from that, it is also important to consider that they have their own lifestyle, culture that had affected their eating habit, thus it will not be easy to inculcate to their mind that some of their eating habit are bad for their health. It will be important to implement the problem in step-by-step manner or slowly-but- surely manner. It will be helpful to provide them the background knowledge regarding obesity, thus can help to ensure understanding from the group. By enabling them to understand the consequences of their eating habit, it will help them to be encouraged to change some aspects of their lifestyle.             Aside from the process of evaluating the program based on its result or outcome from those groups that have undergone the program, it will also be important to have an external comparison; where in the changes and developments in the group will be compare to other groups or communities. This can be done by gathering external statistical data, analyzing it, and then comparing it to the past and current condition of the group.                                   Appendices     Appendix A: Plan for Promoting Health of South Asian Adult Women   Promoting Healthy Foods   Event Barrier Solution 1. Informing the South Asian adult women regarding obesity §      Most of the South Asian women are not that knowledgeable and informed regarding how diet can affect their health. §    Informing the communities of the South Asian adult women regarding the importance of diet in the entire health of an individual. §    Giving lecture regarding the current trend of obesity in the world. It will help them to understand that they are not alone in that situation. §    Giving background information regarding the cause and effects of obesity. 2. Promotion of Healthy Foods and Diet. §      Food Culture §      People are already accustomed with their way of eating.   §    Make some changes in the way that dishes are being cooked, for example decreasing the amount of salt and other sauces. §    Conducting seminars and meetings that will help them to understand different aspects of obesity as well the different consequences like fatal diseases that can be caused by obesity such as cardiovascular diseases.  §    Presenting tables and data that will show the amount of calories that can be obtain by eating their traditional South Asian menu. 3. Reducing consumption of fast food §      Some of the South Asian adult women don’t have time to prepare food for themselves and even their family. §    Implement and conduct a cooking lesson that will teach them to cook healthy and nutritious foods in short period of time. §    Presenting the amount of calories that can be obtain from different fast foods such as burger and fries, and how it can contribute to their gaining of weight. 4. Adult women are not aware of what they are eating §      Most of the South Asian adults are not monitoring their diet due to lack of time as well as lack of knowledge and they are not used to it or they are not practicing it. §    Keeping food diary §    Daily or regular consultation or meeting with the social worker.                   Appendix B: Focus Group             Focus group is an evaluation method where in focuses on the group interviewing the interaction between the moderator and the group, relationship between the group members that can help to produce a level of insight that is rarely derived from the unidirectional information collection devices like observation, surveys and other less international interview techniques. The methods that are used in the process of recording and analyzing the information and data that have been gathered during the focus groups, as well as the strategies that have been used in order to gather unbiased information have helped the evaluation tool to gain credibility as an accurate as well as useful source of information Advantages and Disadvantages             Like any other evaluation tools, focus group has its edge as well as flaws compare to other tools in terms of application in evaluating the performance and the efficiency of a program.             The following are the advantages and disadvantages of Focus Groups. Advantages: <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Socially oriented research procedure, that’s why it is useful in obtaining detailed information about individual and group feelings, perceptions and opinions;</li> </ul> <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Format allows the moderator to probe, thus it will offer a broader range to seek clarification;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Discussions have high face validity, thus it can help to ensure validity of information.</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Can be relatively low cost compare to individual interview;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Can provide speedy results compare to individual interview;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Enable researchers to increase the sample size of qualitative studies.</li> </ul> Disadvantages: <ul style="margin-top: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Researcher has less control in the group interview than in an individual interview, thus it can create disagreements and irrelevant discussion that can distract from the main focus;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Data are more difficult to analyze, control and manage;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Technique requires carefully trained moderators;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Groups can vary considerably;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Groups are difficult to assemble and difficult to encourage and range of people in order to participate;</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 200%"> Discussion must be conducted in an environment conducive to conversation. </li> </ul> Source:, 2006)

Effectiveness of the Current Health Promotions Measures Addressing South Asian Adult Women and Obesity

Promoting Public Health Part 1: Effectiveness of the Current Health Promotion Measures Addressing South Asian Adult Women and Obesity ...