In a bid to reduce the double burden of disease due to obesity, FBO will work for hand in hand with APHA to advocate and reinforce some proposed changes in policies aimed at reducing the occurrence of obesity in Okaloosa. Advocacy will aim at reinforcing the sweet act, which stipulates that a tax should be imposed on sweetened products. According to this Act, the use of one teaspoon of caloric sweetener will be accompanied by a 1% tax (U.S. House of Representative’s par. 1). The act is positively perceived by community members in counties where it has been enacted. In an attempt to reinforce its effect in Okaloosa among non-Hispanic black women, FBO and the APHA will work in collaboration.
The sweet act has been introduced in various counties, but it is yet to be fully enacted in Okaloosa. The APHA will play a major role in developing policy statements that will guide the campaign and promotional activities of the sweet act (American Public Health Association par. 1-2). The amount of tax imposed on sweetened drinks is different for the different counties, for example, California’s sweet act is different from that of Washington (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
As a result, the APHA will develop and pursue the implementation of a tax law that will prompt a second thought when purchasing sweetened beverages (National Consumers League par. 2). Subsequently, it will be imperative to alert the public. Therefore, all advertisements by FBO using non-Hispanic black women as actors will be spread across the county, and APHA will spearhead the advertisements. Money to execute these advertisement activities and conduct campaigns aimed at preventing obesity will be obtained from the sweet act kit.
FBO will organize support groups, and each group will consist of 10 members. APHA will be involved in facilitating training and education programs on how women can sustain a healthy lifestyle. The sweet act, outlined by the U.S. House of Representatives (par. 1-5), will be reinforced within these groups as the women are taught about the aim of the tax in promoting good health. Besides, the groups are meant to enable women to encourage each other to eat healthily and engage in group physical activities.
The women are meant to inform each other on selecting healthy foods through meetings, not necessarily organized by FBO and APHA, or through phone calls. Besides, the groups are meant to enable the women to create convenient time so that they can run, jog, swim, cycle, or do any activity they deem appropriate, together (Obesity Action Coalition par. 1-5). The success story of any woman within a group is expected to prompt the other women to aim at achieving similar success.
The FBO will develop educational materials and save them in a software form to allow ease of dissemination. These materials will be given to the support groups so that they can always discuss them as a way of ensuring that they are on track. Also, any new information will be sent to these groups so that they are up to date on any developments in the field of health and obesity. The APHA will edit and revise these materials accordingly to ensure that they are commensurate with the organization’s objectives. Also, the APHA will be used to push for policies that will encourage physical activity in the county, for example, a cycling day or a racing day. All non-Hispanic Black women are expected to take part in the activities of these selected days as a community prevention strategy (Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity 2).
Works Cited
American Public Health Association. Policy Statements and Advocacy. 2015.. Web.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sweetened beverage tax law. Abstract. 2013. Web.
Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity. Poll Finds Nearly Two-Thirds of Illinoisans Support Raising Revenue for Community Prevention and Medicaid through a Sugary Drink Tax. 2015. Web.
National Consumers League. A sweet act that will improve the nation’s health. 2014. Web.
Obesity Action Coalition. Find a support group. 2015. Web.
U.S. House of Representatives. DeLauro introduces bill to tackle dual epidemics of obesity, diabetes. 2010. Web.