Lifestyle Factors Affecting Wave Bay Town's Population - An Essay.

Health and Lifestyle Facilities in Wave Bay Town

Wave Bay is a town situated near the coast. This town is at a distance of 400 km from the capital city of the state. This town consists of a hospital with a 100 bed capacity, two healthcare centers, three aged care facilities, a large shopping center with more than 40 shops, and the main stress with 25 businesses. The town also has one very large supermarket,7 restaurants, and 4 fast food joints. The population recorded in the year 2018, was recorded to be 25,247 residents. Among these, 12, 876 were female and 12,371 were male. A majority of the people are retirees, but now the town has a very steady influx of young families. For the local community, the town also consists of several schools. There are three child care centers that are run privately. About 5 to 80% of households in the town belong to mid or high income status. The town also has a very wide range of sports opportunities. The sports center of the city can offer netball courts, a swimming pool of 25 m and a sports oval which are used by the football and the cricket teams. There are also playgrounds for little children.

The lifestyle factors that affect the population of Waves Bay are cigarette smoking, physical activities, consumption of fruits, and being overweight or obese.

If we look at the situation of daily smoking among the age group of 13-17 years, the percentage in the year 2017 has gone down to 12%as compared to the 14% in the year 2012. The survey for the same when conducted among the adults of Waves Bay of the age group 18-64 years showed an increase in the prevalence rate. In 2017, the rate of daily smoking among adults was found to be 60 percent when compared to 55 percent in 2012. In Australia, cigarette smoking is the greatest contributor to avoidable diseases and death. As per the latest up-to-date information, from the National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS), Adults who smoked on a daily basis accounted for 11.6 percent in 2019. From an anticipated 12.8 percent in 2016, this daily smoking rate has decreased. Individuals with their age group in their 40s and 50s had the greatest daily smoking percentages (15.8% and 15.9%, respectively) in the 2019 NDSHS, which contrasted with the scenario in 2001 when individuals in their 20s and 30s were more prone to daily smoking. Individuals in their 20s and 30s smoked less frequently between 2016 and 2019, but individuals in their 40s, 50s, and 60s did not. Between 2001 and 2019, the number of individuals who smoke daily has decreased by half among those aged 18–39, while there has been no progress among those in their 50s and 60s. Teenagers aged 14–17 and young adults aged 18–24 was most probable than any other age category to have not smoked in 2019 (97 percent and 80 percent, respectively). Since 2016, this percentage has been mostly constant (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare a, 2022).   Smoking generally affects most people in their 40s and 50s. Compared to the female population, the male population smokes more.  Keeping the above data under consideration, smoking should be targeted in the public health strategy as cigarette smoking kills half of the people who use it and also result in diseases such as lung cancer, COPD, and so on.

Smoking Rates in Wave Bay Town

When looking upon the other lifestyle factor such as meeting the required criteria for physical activity, it was found that the adolescents between the age group of 13-17 only 10% met the recommendations in the year 2017. This rate has shown a reduction for the year 2012 where the rate was 16 percent. In adults, the rate of meeting the recommendations of physical needs also shows a reduction of 136 to 120.  In Australia, over half of the people (55%) do not meet the suggested physical activity standards. The criteria are not met by two-thirds of children aged two to seventeen (70 percent). Only three out of ten pregnant women adhere to the requirements. Only 2% of teenagers around the ages of 13 and 17 fulfill the qualifications. Nearly half of people with jobs (44%) spend the majority of their workday sitting (Commonwealth of Australia, 2021). Keeping the above data under consideration, physical activity should be targeted in the public health strategy as being physically active is beneficial to one's health and well-being at every age. Everybody must be active on most days if not all of them. It is beneficial to move more and sit less as it enhances physical and mental well-being, raise the standard of living, boost energy, minimize the risk of a variety of diseases, lower the incidence of obesity and overweight and helps in maintaining blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels.  

The data of the adolescents regarding the consumption of fruits was found to be 20 per cent in 2017, which was around 25 per cent in 2012. Where as in the case of adults the town of Waves Bay witnessed an increase in the rate, as in the year the percentage was 60 which increased to 75 percent. In Australia, in 2014–15, 50 percent of adults and 68 percent of children consumed enough fruit, while 60 percent of those aged 65–74 consumed enough fruit. 97 percent of youngsters aged 2–3 ate adequate amounts of fruit (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare b, 2022).  Keeping the above data under consideration, consumption of fruits should be targeted in the public health strategy fruit eating is beneficial to one's wellbeing; people who eat many fruits as part of a healthy meal are less likely to acquire chronic diseases. All the required nutrients which are very important for the well being and maintenance of good health can be derived from. Most fruits are inherently low in fat, salt, and calories. In the year 2017, the percentage of adolescents who were obese or overweight was 65 percent which was higher than in the year 2012. The rate of obesity among adults in 2012 was 204 which increased to 222 in 2017. 67.0 percent of Australians aged 18 and above that were overweight or obese in 2017-18, with 35.6 percent being overweight and 31.3 percent being obese. Overweight and obesity rates increased significantly in every age group in 2017-18, peaking at 83.6 percent for men 55 to 64 years old and 65 to 74 years old for women (73.3 percent) (Cancer Counsil, 2022).  Obesity is a severe public health problem, perhaps more so than the opioid crisis. Type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and cancer have all been related to it.

Physical Activity in Wave Bay Town

Obesity nowadays has become a very common issue, which puts a very major strain on the people, the hospitals, and the communities.  Obesity is caused by a discrepancy between how many calories a person consumes and the calories that he burns. There is an indication that sleep deprivation, high levels of stress, and low physical activity (— in other words, sitting) have a part, in addition to excessive intake of high-energy meals and a sedentary lifestyle. Throughout the period of a day, year, or a lifetime, these 'obesity-promoting' actions might occur simultaneously, in a radical way, and with varying levels of severity. Obesity-promoting activity is affected by a variety of individual-level elements, comprising biological and genetic factors, as well as psychological variables like education, commitment, and capability, all of which are layered inside environments that include impacting features farther upstream.

The first determinant of risk is lack of physical activity. Upstream determinants of global health are broad variables that are generally outside the individual's command and have major overflow impacts on much more proximate - or downstream - determinants of health. Any environmental variable (above traits at the individual level) that impacts obesity-promoting activity can be described as an upstream determinant of obesity.

Another main factor that plays a vital role in the development of obesity is a dearth of physical activity. Many people work professions that involve them sitting behind a desk for the entire time of the day. They also drive instead of walking or riding their bikes. Many individuals watch TV, surf the internet, or play video games to unwind, and they rarely engage in regular exercise, the person does not utilize the energy offered if they are not active enough which leads to obesity.

The other determinant is food environment. Obesity is caused by environmental variables such as food rich in fat quantity, super-sized portions, and fast food intake. People are addicted to high-fat, high-calorie, extremely delicious, and low-cost foods. The food environment has a significant influence on the population's overall status. As Waves Bay contains seven restaurants and four fast food outlets, there is a plentiful quantity of low-cost, highly delicious, energy-dense items that are easy to find, eat, and advertise. This kind of atmosphere encourages excessive calorie consumption, leading specialists to believe that the surge in rates of obesity is a natural reaction to the current situation. The food environment can be described in two ways: as the kinds of food supplies that an individual has accessibility to, and as what customers are subjected to in those contexts.  

Frequent physical activity can help manage and control obesity as well as non-communicable diseases associated with it like cardiovascular disease (CVD), hypertension, non-insulin-dependent diabetes, diabetes mellitus, obesity, stroke, certain malignancies, and osteoporosis, and also enhance lipid profiles. Waves Bay residents have previously been surveyed to see if the guidelines for physical needs are being met, and it is past time for them to take responsibility for their health and level of physical activity. If the person is not meeting the recommended physical activity, the first stage of intervention will be a visit by a physician who will explain the necessity of physical exercise. The first step is for them to know what is anticipated of them.

Fruit Consumption in Wave Bay Town

Understanding how to transform behavior from sedentary to daily physical exercise is the second part of the intervention. Whenever motive, capability, and signals come together, behavior changes.  A person's health must be the primary reason for engaging in physical activity. Physical activity, as previously established, provides numerous health perks. Some patients will require instruction about how to be physically active as well as reminders to do so. Behavioral therapies have been demonstrated to dramatically enhance physical activity, leading to better blood sugar control and a lower BMI.  Patients might be encouraged to be more physically active through behavioral therapies. They should be urged to use the staircase. The residents should be encouraged to engage in at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week. Friends and family members must create buddy systems to keep one another responsible for completing weekly physical activity objectives. People’s lifestyles are complicated, and being physically active presents numerous challenges. It is now time to join forces to develop conditions that make physical activity more accessible. This could involve a family engaging in physical activity on weekends, students taking part in physical education programs based on school, employees taking part in employer-based physical activity programs, and faith-based organizations inspiring community members to participate in faith-based activities (Tuso, 2015).

Health promotion is the practice of empowering people to take charge of their wellness and enhance it. A person or group should be competent to recognize and fulfill ambitions, fulfill wants, and modify or deal with the environment to create a condition of total physical, psychological, and social well-being. As a result, health is viewed as a commodity for everyday life rather than the goal of existence. Health is a positive term that emphasizes individual and social assets in addition to physical abilities. As a result, health promotion is not solely the job of the health industry but also encompasses well-being. Using the enhanced promotion of health, the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion sparked a sequence of efforts involving international organizations, national governments, and local groups to accomplish the objective of "Health for All" by the year 2000 and thereafter. This intervention is a part of the actions of Reorienting healthcare services toward sickness prevention and health promotion and creating a welcoming environment.

This intervention is appropriate for the residents of Wave Bay as it follows the six ethical principles. This intervention follows justice as it is fair and is equally distributed among all the residents of the town. It is beneficence as it is doing good for society and is the right thing for the residents. It is nonmaleficence as it is doing no harm to the people. It follows accountability as it makes the citizen responsible for their own actions. If they will follow the intervention, they will be physically fit otherwise not.  The consequences will be the result of their own actions. This intervention follows health maximization as it weighs the economic values with the preventive measures and therapeutic methods. If the efficiency principle is followed, the intervention provides the maximum value to society when the marginal benefits from the allocation of resources are equal to the marginal social cost. The client is seen as a distinct individual with the natural right to develop their own thoughts, views, beliefs, and convictions, as well as autonomy and patient consciousness. This intervention allows individuals to make their own decisions without the therapist's judgment or pressure. All treatments have the option of being rejected or accepted by the recipient.

The intervention was compared to a no-intervention, selective attention (getting attention suited to the duration of the intervention, for example, a comprehensive health examination), and limited intervention positive control. Changes in self-reported physical exercise during baseline and follow-up, cardio-respiratory capacity, and adverse reactions were used to evaluate the intervention. One or more professionals with varied professional specializations, such as physicians, doctors, health providers, counselors, exercise instructors, and friends, provided the intervention. In their intervention group, there was a considerable rise in mean self-reported physical activity. Physicians in studies conducted in primary care settings may have been more motivated to provide the therapies than those in non-trial settings.

Conclusion

A lack of physical exercise increases the chance of obesity which leads to developing a variety of chronic conditions, including coronary heart disease and diabetes. Physical activity can help minimize this risk as well as give other physical and mental health advantages. The great majority of people do not engage in recommended amounts of physical activity. The results of this study show that expert counsel and assistance, together with ongoing support, can help people become more physically active.

References

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare a. 2022. Tobacco smoking. Online. Available at: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/tobacco-smoking [Accessed on: 11/01/2022].

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare b. 2022. Australia’s health 2018. Online. Available at: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/australias-health-2018/contents/indicators-of-australias-health/fruit-and-vegetable-intake [Accessed on: 11/01/2022].

Cancer Counsil, 2021. Obesity trends in Australian adults. Online. Available at:

https://www.obesityevidencehub.org.au/collections/trends/adults-australia#:~:text=Australian%20adults%20by%20weight%20status,4364.0. [Accessed on: 11/01/2022].

Commonwealth of Australia. 2021. About physical activity and exercise. Online. Available at: https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/physical-activity-and-exercise/about-physical-activity-and-exercise [Accessed on: 11/01/2022].

Lakerveld, J. and Mackenbach, J., 2017. The upstream determinants of adult obesity. Obesity facts, 10(3), pp.216-222.

Tuso, P., 2015. Strategies to increase physical activity. The Permanente Journal, 19(4), p.84.