Ecological Models Theory And Its Implications For Childhood Obesity

Ecological Models Theory

Discuss about the Ecological Models Theory for Child Obesity.

Globally, New Zealand is ranked third in the percentage of obese and overweight children in the OECD; the preceding ones being Italy and Greece. Of the total New Zealand children’s population, one-third of them are obese as compared to Australia which has only one quarter of the children’s being obese. Recent statistics show that 11% of New Zealand children are obese. Due to this high number that is continuously rising, a critical area of study has arisen leading to the formulation of the KOALA program that is based in Australia. It is the core aim of the program to analyze the various factors that are the main causes of childhood obesity and develop possible solutions for the same (Smibert, Abbort, 2010). The actualization of KOALA’s main goals has only been possible through various health research models. Such models have been able to establish the main causes and come up with the available remedies to such problems. As mentioned in my previous assessment, my interest in child’s health and obesity arises from my experience as a nutritionist.

Ecological models theory evaluates “…the interaction between and interdependence of, factors within and across all levels of a health problem. It highlights people’s interactions with their physical and sociocultural environments.” (Phelps and Hassed, 2012) There are various levels of influence on health patterns that come into play under this theory and actively influence the rate of obesity in children. Prior studies conducted under this model reported that the major influencing factors of childhood obesity were within the framework of the child’s home, school, and the overall community. More studies linked childhood obesity to high maternal weight gain during pregnancy and high birth weights. Individuals born of overweight/obese parents are also at the greater risk of becoming obese during their childhood. Low income in a household is also accredited to higher BMI in children (Smibert, Abbort, 2010). An explanation for the so said is restraint in resources and hence lack of access to healthy food.

Individual factors or intrapersonal factors are the key players in this field. Such factors constitute of personal behaviors including personality, attitudes, knowledge, and beliefs. These directly influence the feeding and exercise habits of children and hence determine whether they are to become obese or not. Other key factors that are reflected in this theory are interpersonal, organizational and/or institutional, community factors and public policy factors. Researchers say that interpersonal factors which primarily constitute of interactions with other people are great determinants of whether a child will become obese or not (Laura, 2014). This is because children are likely to fall into the steps of those around them and hence imitate most of their habits and most importantly, their feeding habits. Under this factor also comes into question parent/guardian character who are the major determinants of the nature and quality of the food that the child feeds on and how they conduct their physical exercise activities. Institutional and/or organizational factors come into play when we think about “…where does the child attend school or are they brought up in collective organizations such as children’s homes. What are the feeding programs in such places?” (De Onis, Blössner & Borghi, 2010). Previous studies have shown how effective a healthy school model is in improving healthy eating and physical activities. Such school models play a dynamic role in reducing the instances of obesity amongst school kids.

KOALA Program

Selection of this model was solely reliant on the fact that a child’s health is entirely determined by their internal and external environment. Research has however proven that, for a child to become obese, his/her parents or guardians are the key causes as they are the immediate environment to the child’s life. This emanates from the fact that a child has little or no choice on what he is to feed on as such decisions are entirely for the family heads to make. This theory consequently offers a wide range of research areas for my topic and hence the choice for it. The research areas it offers also give detailed information with deep clarity to the main questions posed by the topic.

The main aim of Ecological models theory in relation to health promotion of obesity is to identify all possible interactions, interrelations and contributions of cultural, socioeconomic and political factors towards the alarmingly increasing rate of obesity amongst children. Cultural factors greatly influence the feeding habits of many societies across the globe. Whereas there are types of foods that are scientifically proven to be healthy and great contributors in obesity eradication/prevention, consumption of such foods could be considered a taboo in some cultures. Children from such cultural backgrounds hence grow up being denied such important foods and hence resulting to increased obesity scenarios.

Socioeconomic factors involve the living standards of families. Families within poor socioeconomic backgrounds literally lack the financial power to access healthy feeding programs. Children from such families may end up becoming obese as the only type of food they get only increase the fat content in their bodies. Families from financially well-off backgrounds are not on safe grounds either .parents/guardians from such backgrounds tend to be blinded by material wealth and ignore such useful knowledge on the type of healthy foods to feed their children on. Such children are continuously fed on junk food contains high levels of fatty acids that are great accelerators of obesity.

In conclusion, ecological models theory links political factors to childhood obesity. The government plays a vital role in determination of feeding programs in governmental institutions. It is also the duty of the government to educate its citizens on proper nutrition and deities so as to reduce obesity amongst children in a country (Voigt, Nicholls and Williams, 2014).

Kinder Overweight Activity Lifestyle Actions, abbreviated as KOALA is a program that was formulated in Australia to analyze the various factors that are the major causes of childhood obesity; pinpointing environmental, behavioral and genetic factors (Lee, et. al., 2010). Ecological models theory provides the clear basis of study in regards to environmental and behavioral factors. Results from such studies can be implemented on the lifestyles of children so as to impact their lives positively by improving their feeding habits resulting in reduced obesity. Since the major aim of the KOALA program was to motivate improvement in health and fitness of the whole family, results from ecological models can be used as educative tools to impact the desired change.

Implications for Individuals

This theory also brings into the limelight organizations and institutions as they are the second largest players in the lives of children after their parents and guardians. These are places where children spend a considerable amount of time during their growth. The professors involved in this program visited such institutions that are actively involved in the upbringing of children to identify dangerous trends marked as pre-clinical biomarkers for complications that could arise from obesity. Institutions that portrayed such trends attracted governmental and non-governmental organizations’ interventions so as to eradicate the risks. With the various methodologies provided by this theory, well-conducted researches and studies should provide all the desired answers for the accomplishment of KOALA’s goals.

Since the main aim of the KOALA project was to “…pilot a social change that could transform the entire obesity landscape in Australia,” (Smibert, Abbort, 2010) individual children were the key figures to be researched on. Use of ecological models theory aids unveil the key individual factors that contribute to the high cases of obesity amongst children. Such factors once unearthed helps in the formulation of remedies that, amongst other uses, for instance, help reduction in cases of cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes amongst other diseases that emanate from obesity. This theory also facilitates the improvement of the living standards and increase the overall lifespan of such children when such diseases are controlled by obesity reduction (Pulgarón, 2013).

Study results from ecological models also have vital implications for the community from which an obese or not-obese child comes from. Since the theory also puts into consideration factors from the community level that plays a role in causing obesity amongst children, determination of remedies for such factors is crucial. From a different perspective, once results from this theory are used to reduce instances of obesity amongst children, cases of neglecting and stigmatization becomes stories of the past. This is accomplished by positively changing and improving the perception of the community towards all children. In a nutshell, this model plays a crucial role in boosting the self-esteem of; previously obese children and those it protects from becoming obese at all. Therefore, the productivity of children at a community level is boosted greatly.

The key aim of this model is to reduce the cases of childhood obesity in the society to as low as possible and again come up with educative programs that will reduce significantly instances of new obesity amongst children. Obesity which altogether brings about more complicated health conditions to children suffering from it is considered a national concern; Reason because diseases arising from obesity end up consuming considerably huge amounts of government revenue through the provision of advanced medical care and medication to such children (Wang, Lim, 2012). These diseases include cardiovascular complications which are also a major threat to a child’s life. This model is therefore considered advantageous to the larger society by helping eradicate obesity amongst children and thus such funds could be used to run development projects in the nation.

De Onis, M., Blössner, M., & Borghi, E. (2010). Global prevalence and trends of overweight and obesity among preschool children–. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 92(5), 1257-1264.

Jennifer A. O’Dea and Eriksen, M. (2010). Childhood obesity prevention: International Research, Controversies, and Interventions.

Laura Dawes. (2014.) Childhood Obesity in America: Biography of an Epidemic. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Phelps, k. and Hassed, C. (2012). Child Health & Development. London: Elsevier Health Sciences APAC

 ER Pulgarón (2013). Childhood obesity: a review of increased risk for physical and psychological comorbidities. Clinical Therapeutics, 35(1), A18-A32.

Smibert, A., Abbott, R., Macdonald, D., Hogan, A., & Leong, G. (2010). School, community, and family working together to address childhood obesity: Perceptions from the KOALA lifestyle intervention study. European Physical Education Review, 16(2), 155-170.

Voigt, K., Nicholls, S. and Williams, G. (2014). Childhood obesity: Ethical and Policy Issues. New York: Oxford University Press.

Wang, Y., & Lim, H. (2012). The global childhood obesity epidemic and the association between socio-economic status and childhood obesity.