Introduction
The Canadian health care system goes to great lengths to ensure that it provides adequate services to its clients. The prevalence of some diseases is thus a prime issue for Canada’s health care system due to their tendency to reduce the quality of Canadians’ lives. Adult obesity is a major problem since it predisposes individuals to a myriad of other diseases and complications that place an undue burden on the health care system. The issue currently receives less attention than childhood obesity due to the sensitivity surrounding adult obesity as opposed to our moral willingness to assist obese children. The illness and economic burden imposed by adult obesity corresponds to a significant impact on morbidity and mortality rates in Canada and yet still receives less attention from the medical community than it deserves. The Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) should, therefore, direct more attention and funding to research on adult obesity. Further research should also look at supporting the factors that compose interventions for adult obesity in the country in an effort to reduce the burden imposed by the issue.
Nature and Magnitude of the Problem
Adult obesity currently places an undue burden on the health care system, and in 2014 alone these costs ranged between $4.6 and $71. Billion. (Twells et al. E18). The previous year, between 24% and 25% of Canadians were officially considered obese (Gotay et al. e66). These rates are exceptionally distressful when we analyze the association between adult obesity and chronic ailments. Janssen indicates that research has established links between obesity and chronic illnesses such as such as reproductive disorders, various cancers, and hypertension among others (94). In fact, mortality rates rise by up to 20% when individuals got classified as obese (Janssen 95). The situation is exceptionally critical since estimates indicate that by 2019, around 55.4% of Canadian adults could be categorized as overweight compared to 18% in 2011 (Twells et al. E22). These projections indicate that the problem will only grow and that its solution is pertinent to preserving Canadians’ current and future health.
Current State of Knowledge
Obese adults are either classified as Class I with a BMI of over 30kg/m2, Class II with over 35kg/m2 or Class III with over 40kg/m2 (Janssen 91). Socioeconomic gradients in industrialized countries share a link with obesity rates, whereby these rates are higher in areas with lower socioeconomic status (Janssen 93). In Canada, however, Janssen reports a disparity since there is no difference in the prevalence of obesity for females with different socioeconomic status, although male trends follow those of other industrialized countries (93). The difference in the obesity rates of men and women with varying socioeconomic status raises questions as to the factors that affect each gender’s obesity prevalence rates. Fleischhacker et al. also note that the density of fast food restaurants is higher in areas with higher densities of individuals with low socioeconomic status (e465). As a result, more analysis is needed to understand the other factors that increase the prevalence of obesity in low-income areas.
Adult obesity is more prevalent in Canadians over 40 years old than in the younger population (Twells et al. E23). These prevalence rates then decline for individuals who are 65 and older (Plourde and Prud’homme 1039). Research has, however, not looked at the factors that contribute to these disparities. We can attribute some research gaps to the fact that in a nationwide physician survey, 72% reported that their practices had no professionals specializing in weight-related issues (Plourde and Prud’homme 1043). In this scenario, there exists an inability to provide effective therapies for obese Canadians. Additionally, counseling services aimed at changing dietary and activity behaviors often fail due to the low availability of support structures in these fields (Plourde and Prud’homme 1039). According to Fleischhacker et al., these behavioral change therapies rarely work when not backed by professionals or other interventions like surgical procedures or medication (e460). The availability of these support services would, therefore, strengthen physicians’ responses and help in reducing adult obesity rates in Canada.
Directions for Future Research Funding
Research indicates that adult obesity is prevalent in low-income areas and relates to poor behavioral choices such as dietary and activity-related decisions. Adult obesity is, however, preventable and treatable if physicians implement the right interventions. My research will analyze how the presence of more weight loss professionals in the primary care system would affect the success of obesity-related interventions. Increasing the availability of professional assistance will present an opportunity to improve access to weight loss information, as well as the effectiveness of subsequent interventions.
The combination of behavioral interventions with other professional-based interventions such as professional oversight, support, medication, and surgery has already proven effective in treating adult obesity. The availability of more professionals will, therefore, increase access to these services as well as the support provided by each intervention. Although the training costs will be relatively high in the initial stages, a cost-benefit analysis indicates that the benefits of a reduced adult obesity-related economic burden would far outweigh the initial costs. The CIHR should, therefore, allocate more attention to research on this subject due to its ability to assist in curbing the rising rates of adult obesity in the country.
Factors such as socioeconomic status, availability of fast food and age have displayed links to adult obesity rates across the globe. In Canada, there is a tendency for adult obesity interventions to fail due to the lack of adequate support structures. There is also a negligible number of weight loss experts currently operating in the primary care system. An increase in the availability of these experts would complement the national effort to reduce adult obesity rates in Canada. The additional support and access to weight loss information would also be beneficial to adult obesity interventions. Increased access to weight loss experts will provide considerable benefits to the Canadian health landscape. Therefore, it requires more research and attention from the Canadian medical community due to its potential significance.
Works Cited
Fleischhacker, S.et al. “A Systematic Review of Fast Food Studies.” Obesity Reviews 12 (2010): E460-471. Wiley. Web.
Gotay, Carolyn, et al. “Updating the Canadian Obesity Maps: An Epidemic in Progress.” Revue Canadienne De SantĂ© Publique 104.1 (2013): E64-69. Web.
Janssen, Ian. “The Public Health Burden of Obesity in Canada.” Canadian Journal of Diabetes 37 (2013): 90-96. Elsevier. Web.
Plourde, Gilles, and Denis Prud’homme. “Managing Obesity in Adults in Primary Care.” Canadian Medical Association Journal 184.9 (2012): 1039-044. Print.
Twells, Laurie, et al. “Current and Predicted Prevalence of Obesity in Canada: A Trend Analysis.” Canadian Medical Association Journal OPEN 2.1 (2014): E18-26. Web.