A holistic health approach Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

A holistic health approach - Assignment Example Throughout the world, the incidence and prevalence of childhood obesity is increasing. The phenomenon to childhood overweight and obesity is a growingly serious public health concern, and despite advancement in knowledge about these conditions, definite biomedical interventions have failed to achieve any success in controlling these potentially morbid conditions which have proven serious health consequences in the adult health profiles. This has been reflected in trebling of the prevalence of these conditions in the last 20 years, and many children are affected with the negative health consequences of obesity. The prevention of childhood obesity is an active research area. It is now clear that management and prevention of childhood obesity is a problem that would need a strategic focus. Intervention through community programs have been suggested as important means. The childhood obesity research summit indicates the need to investigate the ways obesity intersects with the health care system. It has also been suggested that there is a need for focus on ongoing research and public health policy initiatives. The intervention at the family life course approach is an option; however, the exact interventions are not known, since the theoretical backgrounds of the etiology of childhood obesity are not distinctly and specifically known. Research investigating the pathophysiological parameters may serve as information to design interventions. They indicate that there may be three perspectives, the epidemiological, pathological, or homeostatic or energy balance perspectives. All interventions thus should be directed to control these factors. Control of current overweight in children at a behavioral level and sustained behavioral changes and their promotions would lead to reduction of excess fat and would thus reduce the risks of future disease. Need to Pursue the Research The most successful approaches to weight management in childhood have been indicated to be comprehensive interventions involving behavior management in relation to diet and physical activity, which have implications in long-term weight control and overall health status. The clinical trials that have investigated these approaches and interventions are limited in their abilities to determine the relative efficacies of individual strategies. The basic fact is that there exists an imbalance between intake of energy and expenditure. For example dietary pattern, addiction to television, tendency to have sedentary lifestyles, and an overall paucity of physical activities play key roles in creating these imbalances and thus represent an opportunity for intervention in a holistic fashion. If such interventions are applicable in the home environment, it would be most ideal. Therefore, a research is indicated and due which is being proposed here which would investigate the role of holistic fami ly-oriented treatment in reducing pediatric obesity. The Research Question What is the role of holis