Summary of Health Promotion for Childhood Obesity
The article Health Promotion for Childhood Obesity: An Approach Based on Self-Tracking of Data is written by Gómez-del-Río Nazaret and his colleagues at Universidad de Salamanca. It was published on July 6th, 2020, in the peer-reviewed Sensors. The study described in the article spans three years and focuses on the effects of a gamified approach to weight loss in children suffering from obesity (Gómez-del-Río, et al., 2020). Specifically, the study designed an intervention program that included group-based physical activities, active video games, and reinforcement of critical health-related activities. Furthermore, the study endeavored to create a QS system that would be best suited for working with children in this environment. The study was carried out on a group of 45 children, 6 to 12 years old, suffering from childhood obesity. The caregivers of the children were also involved. The study tested a Quantified Self (QS) system that recommended activities to the children based on their status and other parameters being put into it.
This QS system was based on the PROVITAO App. At the end of the study period, the BMI of each participating child was taken and compared with their starting BMI. The results show no significant change, immediate or general, in measurements of body mass composition. Their percentage of body fat also remained unaffected, except in one case, where there were notable improvements. However, the study did demonstrate a positive impact on the children’s outlook on exercise and health, as well as their free-time habits, which may lead to long-term positive effects. Though further research needs to be done to fully evaluate the long-term impact of the study, it has shown that the use of gamified weight loss interventions has the potential to improve the health of children with obesity. The study also provides a foundation for the conduct of such interventions using their QS system and recommender system.
Summary of Healthy Weight and Obesity Prevention
Healthy Weight and Obesity Prevention: JACC Health Promotion Series was published by Journal of the American College of Cardiology on November 13, 2018. It was written by Carl J. Lavie, Deepika Ladd, Ross Arena, Francisco B. Ortega, Martin A. Alpert, and Robert F. Kushner. The paper reviews the effects of obesity and additional weight on the body, especially focusing on the cardiovascular system (Lavie et al., 2018). It also reviews preventative actions against excessive weight gain, which include personal, educational, environmental, and societal factors impacting weight. The review found a high level of impact of obesity and excessive weight on the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems, including increased risk for heart failure. There is also a strong relationship between obesity and the development of behavioral disorders, such as sleep apnea. The review concludes that the development of social and behavioral issues associated with obesity can lead to difficulties in application of weight loss therapies. Therefore, new approaches must be developed to individualize weight loss strategies for people who suffer from such additional issues. Furthermore, the study discusses the concept of ‘healthy obesity’, which is clinical obesity that does not have metabolic effects on the body. Recent literature shows that such individuals are less at risk of health complications, including cardiovascular disease, than those who are within normal weight range but are metabolically unhealthy. This shows an interesting perspective on obesity and weight loss treatments, postulating that weight loss alone is not enough to reduce one’s risk of developing various health complications. Instead, the study discusses various methods for controlling factors that lead to weight gain, such as cessation of tobacco use, proper dietary patterns, and lifestyle/behavioral modifications. Healthy Weight and Obesity Prevention brings together the most relevant recent findings in the field of obesity prevention and identifies areas in which further study is still necessary.
Summary of Health Promotion and Obesity in the Arab Gulf States
Anastasia Samara’s paper Health Promotion and Obesity in the Arab Gulf States: Challenges and Good Practices was published in the Hindawi Journal of Obesity on June 9th, 2019. The paper discusses strategies, policies, and challenges of health promotion in regards to obesity management in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar (Samara, 2019). These nations were chosen because despite the significant efforts being put forth in terms of health education and healthcare, they are experiencing alarming increases in obesity rates. The study identifies the three greatest challenges that these countries are subjected to: development, implementation, and evaluation of health promotion strategies, availability of certified healthcare professionals with the skills to implement the new strategies, and applying health considerations in all areas of policy-making. Due to these challenges, the efforts that the governments of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar have put into their policies for obesity management have not been fruitful. Furthermore, the study argues that the reason for these challenges and the lack of success for new policies lies in a lack of focus. Policies are implemented, however are not followed up or are not followed up to the full extent. This is further worsened by the fact that healthcare professionals are not put in charge of these policies, thus making them more difficult to implement. This debate paper is important as it highlights the issues faced by the Arab Gulf states, as well as points towards possible solutions. The obesity epidemic faced by these countries is a serious concern not only in terms of health and wellness of the citizens, but also in terms of economic implications. With time, the increasing rates of obesity will lead to higher costs of diabetes care and other chronic conditions, which will place a heavy strain on the healthcare system. Proper implementation of health strategies now could prevent complications later.
References
Gómez-del-Río, N., González-González, C. S., Toledo-Delgado, P. A., Muñoz-Cruz, V., & García-Peñalvo, F. (2020). Health promotion for childhood obesity: An approach based on self-tracking of data. Sensors, 20(3), 1-28.
Lavie, C. J., Laddu, D., Arena, R., Ortega, F. B., Alpert, M. A., & Kushner, R. F. (2018). Healthy weight and obesity prevention: JACC health promotion series. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 72(13), 1506-1531.
Samara, A., Andersen, P. T., & Aro, A. R. (2019). Health promotion and obesity in the Arab gulf states: Challenges and good practices. Journal of Obesity, 18(12), 785-794.