Urban Health Profile of a Borough - Report Example

Ananalysis of the high prevalence of childhood obesity among Black Minority Ethnic group (BME) in the London Borough of Hackney(3500 Words) Introduction Childhood obesity is turning out to be a major point of concern in England. The rates of obesity have been increasing significantly in the recent past and the WHO (2013) regards this as the 21st century’s major problem. What worries the most is current upsurge in the obesity rates amongst children. For instance, in England it is estimated that childhood obesity tripled in period between 1972 and 2003 (Canoy& Buchan, 2007). The Health & Social Care Information Centre (HSCI) (2013) findings indicated that the prevalence rates of obesity amongst the children aged between 2 and 15 years in 2005 in England peaked at about 18/19% for both boys and girls. The 1995 findings had earlier shown that the prevalence rates amongst the boys and girls were 11% and 12% respectively (HSCI, 2013). These rates were almost similar to the findings a 2009 survey which was done in London by the Greater London Authority (GLA) (2011) which indicated that 11.6% and 21.8% of children aged between 4 to 5 years and 10 to 11 years respectively were at high risk of being obese. Obesity comes along with additional cost burden to the National Health Service (NHS) and the costs are estimated to reach £10 billion annually in 2050. (Foresight et al., 2007). This report will analyzethe high prevalence rates of childhood obesity amongst BME group in the London Borough of Hackney. It willcommence by offering a rationale on why childhood obesity is an urban health issueand also why this location has been chosen using the available statistical findings. This will then be followed by a discussion of the public health effects and implications of obesity amongst the children which affect the individual health of the general populations, and the entire health service.The report will then critically discuss the strategies and intervention measuresthat have been put in place in London borough of Hackneyin a bid to reduce cases ofchildhood obesity in Hackney.It will finally offer a summary of the main points and offerrecommendations that can be put in place to reduce childhood obesity amongst BME in Hackney. Childhood obesity measurement The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a commonly used measure of obesity level. This measure is more reliable when it is used to measure the obesity levels of adults. However, the BMI measures used in adults may proof to be unreliable when it is used directly to determine the obesity levels amongst the children (Musingarimi,2008).The adult BMI measures are unreliable when they are used to determine the obesity levels of children and this is attributed to the rapid changes in height and weight of children (Musingarimi,2008). Defining obesity amongst children is therefore complicated by this fact. Foresight et al. (2007) argue that it is difficult to classify obesity in children of the difficulties originating from differences in normal growth patterns. The 85th and 95thBMI centiles of the 1990 reference population in the UK will be used in this analysis. According to this classification, a child whose BMI is ≥ 95th centile is considered obese. Rationale Obesity is a health complication that takes a while before affecting the wellbeing of an individual. According to Eastwood (2013) obesity is like a process, it is a health complication that develops in due time due to a poor eating habits as well as lack of proper exercise. Obesity continues to be a health inequality as most of the people and especially children are faced with this health complication. According to a study conducted by Cronberg et al., (2010) obesity as a health issue needs to be treated with all the seriousness as a growing trend among children and young adults. Research revealed that by the year 2020 at least half of the children from both genders will be affected due to being obese. Cronberg et al., (2010) states that 20% of the boys and 30% of the girls from the next generation in 2020 will be obese. Obese is a condition which puts the lives of those suffering from this condition at risks of suffering from life threatening diseases which may eventually lead to death. Children suffering from obese tend to depressed as they suffer from physical, psychological and social discrimination from school and their peers. Obesity occurrence among young children has contributed to the development of the condition up to adulthood. With such consequences at hand it is therefore important for the relevant authorities who include the government and health practitioners to create awareness and fight the disease at an early age (PHE, 2013). Child obesity is associated with recent urban health issues. This is because such an urban health issues tend to occur due to the significant difference that takes place in the socioeconomic, biological and environmental factors surrounding an individual (Gibbons et al, 2011). According to Gibbons et al. (2011) all the above mentioned factors are relative to a person’s background in terms of ethnicity, race and occupation and will therefore the extent in which obesity affects people vary. According to Libman et al (2010) child obesity has developed into an urban health issue in London and the borough of Hackney. Libman et al. (2010) argues that there is a high prevalence of child obesity in London city which puts the health and wellbeing of its inhabitants at risk. As a result child obesity In London and the borough of Hackney, will affect the future of its residents since the growth of this epidemics concerns the diverse population in London. As health inequality child obesity has placed the borough of Hackney at a vulnerable position which is likely to paralyze the economic and social growth of Hackney. Child obesity has continued to be a concern for the population of Hackney. According to the Office of National Statistics (2007) 24% of the children in Hackney of the age of six years are obese while 14% of those between 7 and 8 years are at risk of being obese in 2010. Additionally the number of children participating in any physical activities at school has decreased and only two or more students are likely in a sport for more than an hour at school. Nonetheless, in the years 2011 through to 2012 the government had affirmed that at least 40% of the children under the age of ten in Hackney were obese. Hackney is characterized as one of the most deprived boroughs in London with the highest number of obese children. See figure 1, 2, 3& 4 Figure 1: statistsics on the prevalence of overweight and obesity children in hackney in 2006-2007 Source: Hackney Health Profile (2010) Figure 2: statistics on children between the age 7-8 at risk of being obese Source: London Health Observatory (LHO) & Child and Maternal Health Observatory (ChiMat), 2010 Figure 3: children at risk of being obese or overweight at age 6 in 200-2008 Source: London Health Observatory (LHO) & Child and Maternal Health Observatory (ChiMat), 2010 Child obesity as a health issue affecting the people of Hackney has been associated some kind of racial or ethnic profiling. For instance the highest populations of children who are obese tend to come from the minor cultural background such as the black Africans and other minority ethnics who make 85% of the population. According to the research conducted on the borough child obesity is greatly associated with this factor regardless of a clear link connecting the two elements (NOO, 2011). According to the Hackney Health Profile (2010) there is a relationship linking child obesity with specific cultural backgrounds. For instance in 2011 out of the 85% of the minor racial population in Hackney 25% of the children from this percentage were either obese or at risk of being overweight. Statistics also showed that 53% of the children from this population live in poverty and are in some way deprived. However this essay is going to base its research on BME children between the ages of four to six years. This is because of statistics from previous studies that indicate majority of BME children are obese and deprived at the same time (NOO, 2011) Figure 4: children living in poverty in london borough of Hackney higlighted Source: London Health Observatory (LHO) & Child and Maternal Health Observatory (ChiMat) (2010) According to GLA (2011) the high prevalence of obesity in most instances is as a result of their ethnic background, peer group, sex or deprivation. Therefore these factors tend to play a significant role in a child’s life and act as determinants of obesity. However, a person’s surroundings, income, social lifestyle, exercise and cultural beliefs and expectations have also been identified as some of the complex factors that contribute to the increased numbers of child obesity. It is therefore vital to study and evaluate the roles that these factors play in contributing to obesity in order to formulate effective strategies and measures that will help in controlling and the prevention of obesity (Foresight et al, 2007). Figure 5: prevalence of child obesity by ethnicity and age Source: Urban Context and the determinants of childhood obesity The environment plays a key role in molding the behavior and health of human beings. Urban environment is a key determinant of people’s diet. Urbanization is a key feature of today’s societies. More people have moved and continue to move to urbanized environments today than it used to be in the past.Gibbons (2011) argues that by 2050, 70% of the global population will be living in the cities. The urban environment plays a key role in determining the health of the population.It is therefore crucial to understand urban environment politically, socially, physically and even the policies present because they all shape our health. Modifying the environment so that it does not promote sedentary lifestyle is one important action towards tackling obesity (Lake & Townshend, 2006). As Galea et al (2005) argues, the role of cities should not be downplayed in any health aspect. In this case, we hypothesize that London as a city and in turn Hackney as a borough in London may be contributing to the prevalence of childhood obesity. The population of London has grown tremendously in the last 3 decades. The 2011 census survey had shown that London had a population of 8.17 million which was a 12% growth from the 2001’s census survey findings which had indicated that there were 7.3 million people (Office of National Statistics (ONS), 2012). Across England and Wales, London was ranked as the fastest growing. Compared to other cities in Europe, London was ranked as the most populous city in 2011. The same census findings also indicated that 36% of individuals residing in London were non-UK citizens by birth. In addition to this, findings also indicated that 3.3 million residents of London were black minority ethnic group (ONS, 2012). The London borough of Hackney in itself had a population of 246, 300 in 2011, an 18.9% growth from the 2001’s census findings (ONS, 2012).The 2011’s population census findings ranks the London borough of Hackney as the third in terms of population growth. 30% of the residents of Hackney were born outside the UK (NHS, 2012). The area covered by Hackney region is 19.05 Km2. (NHS, 2012). With a population of 246, 300 in 2011 (ONS, 2012), Hackney is among the regions of London with the highest population density. In fact, it is ranked the fourth in terms of population density in London (NHS, 2012). Majority of those living in Hackney are aged between 25-29 years. Over 35,000 of these residents are aged between 0 and 9 years (NHS, 2012) (see figure 6 below). Figure 6: Estimated age distributions for Hackney based on age for Mayhew 2011 and ONS 2010 findings Source: NHS, 2012 According to the GLA (2013) estimates, 60% of the residents of Hackney are white while 25% of them are from black origin. The black population comprise of residents of Turkish, Somali, Vietnamese, Kurdish, Ghanaian and Nigerian origins (NHS, 2012). As such, Hackney is a hub for multiethnic groups. Over 100 languages are spoken in the London borough of Hackney and 66% of the residents speaking English only (NHS, 2012). Other languages which are spoken in this borough are; Turkish, French, Yoruba, Bengali and Yiddish (NHS, 2012). The foresight committee devised a seven theme obesity map system which the target interventions should focus in order to address the problem of obesity. The seven themes are basically the key determinants of obesity in a locality and they comprise of; physical activity, societal influences, individual psychology, food environment, food consumption, activity environment and biology (Government Office for Science, 2007). The London Health Observatory (2011) categorizes the key determinants of obesity into; socioeconomic environment, the physical environment, lifestyle choices, physical activities, age, gender, access to services and genetics. This categorization is similar to the seven theme obesity map system. This report will however focus on the physical environment, the socioeconomic environment, the food environment and the effect of transport. In spite of biology being a major contributor of obesity during childhood, environment plays a key role Wilkinson et al., (2003) and the borough of Hackney is no exception. The physical environment in London greatly affects the kind of lifestyle adopted by its population. Studies have revealed that London’s open space is very minimal which affects the air circulation in the city. Statistics show that London has the least air space of 23% in comparison to cities like Manchester and Birmingham which have 35% and 34% respectively (NOO, NHS & PHE, 2005). Hackney has eight major parks within the borough allowing only 40% of the households to have access to nature and fresh air (NOO, NHS & PHE, 2005). Despite the fact that there 23% of the air space in Hackney are green coverage locations and are accessible on a few people from poor neighborhoods have the ability to access these recreational parks (NOO, NHS & PHE, 2005). Out of the 19 wards in Hackney, only five of them have proper access to parks and recreational areas. Nonetheless the available green spaces or parks in deprived areas within Hackney, are in most instances neglected and do not have sufficient employees to care for the structures. This leaves the parks at poor conditions discouraging residents from taking in any recreational activities due to the parks’ poor state. This has also contributed to poor travel habits that encourage obesity and reduce physical activities as most of the residents in Hackney opt for motor travel as opposed to cycling or walking (Mitchell & Popham, 2008). Figure 7: Ariel view of green space and parks in London and Hackney Source: NOO, NHS & PHE, 2005 The growing concerns on the rate at which both children and adults engage in physical activities are related to transport as a contributing factor to child obesity. Wilkinson et al. (2003) argues that creating awareness on the importance of physical activities in terms of cycling and walking is vital for the health of a population. According to Wilkinson et al (2003) incorporating walking, use of bicycles and public vehicles as a means of transportation is a strategic step that will encourage residents to exercise, promote social relationships between residents and also curb air pollution. Statistics on Hackney reveal that a number of people do take part in physical activities such as cycling and walking but still the number of people inactive is higher (Child Health Profile, 2013). The figure below provides a modal split in Hackney transport system. Figure 8: Journeys in the Hackney by the modal share Source: NOO, NHS & PHE, 2005 Figure 9: examples of cycling improvement schemes in Hackney Source: NOO, NHS & PHE, 2005 Studies by Wilkinson et al. (2003) suggest that the role of transport systems in health is critical and states that “healthy transport means less driving and more walking and cycling backed up by better public transport”. Despite the strong association between environmental factors and obesity, socio-economic status also has an upper hand in child obesity (Crawford et al, 2010). As previously mentioned the socio-economic statuses vary from household income to employment and may include the level of education of a person or parent. According to Crawford et al (2010) socio-economic factors act as determinants in obesity as they tend to impact the lifestyle in which a person adopts as well as the neighborhood of a person. Therefore socio-economic factors may deprive a child of some of the basic needs such as a balanced diet and therefore contribute to child obesity (Marmot review, 2010). Hackney was in the category of the most deprived borough in London after Liverpool by the 2010 Index Multiple of Deprivation (Office of National Statistics, 2008) with all of Hackney’s except of Clissold are part of the 10% deprived wards nationally with 5% of all the wards in Hackney being the most deprived. The percentage of children living in poverty in Hackney falls between 44%-40percent while the number of school going children entitled to free school meals in Hackney Secondary schools which happens to be among the highest rate in London that is almost triple the national average. Due to the high levels of deprivation and unemployment many families in the borough of Hackney are unable to afford healthy foods resulting to the decline of money spent on food as most residents opt to buy less food or those that are cheaper but unhealthy (Foresight et al (2007).The health crisis of child obesity in London borough of Hackney, call for strict measures in terms of strategies and interventions. This way the relevant authorities will succeed encouraging residents to take up healthy eating habits and engage in physical activities, sports and exercise and fight obesity among children and the entire population. Public Health Consequences and Implications that impact on the general population, on individuals and on the health services. The consequences associated with childhood obesity are also related with the physical wellbeing of an individual. Foresight et al (2007) argues that the rapid increase in the rate of child obesity and the implications associated with it are attributed to the costs of the physical condition of a person. The psychological and social repercussions of childhood obesity have been found to be very severe and as a result they tend to grow with a person into their adulthood (Marmot Review Team, 2010). According to the Marmot review Team (2010) Children tend to suffer mentally due to the psychological repercussions of obesity and as a result they may end up suffering from depression, body image issues, and stress. Consequently these children will later develop other eating disorders such as bulimia and binge eating. In addition to this, children may also undergo some form of social discrimination due to obesity. According to NHS (2013) this occurs when obese children face certain types of abuse such as bullying from other students at school or within their neighborhood which may consequently lead to isolation and skipping of school by the obese child. The costs associated with treating and preventing obesity are quite high and as a result Hackney and London city has had to suffer from these financial implications. According to GLA (2011) the costs associated with obesity in London have reached £33.3.million annually which comprises of£31 which is assumed to be spent by one simple obese child in London. The Department of Health (2011) estimates the costs of treating obesity in Hackney to be around £47 million. Strategies and interventions for addressing this urban health problem A number of measures have been in place in the London borough of Hackney in a bid to curb the increasing rates of obesity. Active travel strategies have been implemented in order to support physical activities among the residents in Hackney and especially the children. For instance the NHS have formulated a program termed as National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) which aims at implementing ways that can improve the health of the general population through providing guidance on transport issues and environmental architecture (GLA, 2013). This programs advices the city to encourage physical activities as means of transportation such as walking and cycling. Health Impact Assessments continue to be conducted on the Draft Transport Strategy in 2005 in order to ensure that when addressing the public health issues such as obesity are given first priority. Hackney is focused on building and implementing effective strategies which will reduce obesity in the region by 2020. For instance, the “Health Weight Strategy” was put in place as a means to initiate physical activities, proper and balanced diet among children as well as educates parents on the risks associated with child obesity (London Development Agency, 2004). This way the strategy main aim was to strike a balance between nutritional equilibrium, physical and psychological wellbeing. The various commissions formed in Hackney which include; NICE and the Department of Health work on providing intervention and preventive measures for obesity, providing extensive information that will help both parents and children on to be well informed and manage their diet and weight. Government commission and health practitioners in London have come up with policies that are aimed at controlling the amount of fast foods which young children eat in order to control the amount of calories ingested. This occurred after an argument raised by the London Health Inequalities Network (2013) which argued that regardless of the economic benefits of fast food joints in London, the health implications of the foods sold there are high. Therefore Hackney health authorities have been working with the government to create awareness on the consequences of these foods as well as decrease the amount of joints that are there within a neighborhood. In London employment zones have been introduced. This was a strategy implemented in order to provide job opportunities for unemployed people especially those living in deprived areas. 3830 lone parent employment zone provisions were created in 2005 whereby out of these 1510 people started working right away. This all contributed to an increase in the job outcome from 39.4% to 46.8% outside of London. In 2006 2.7% of the lone parents who had secured employments through these strategies were claiming income support (London Development Agency 2004). Harker (2006) affirmed that most of the children in London household lived with parents that were unemployed thus contributing to poverty and deprivation. Therefore this strategy was put in place in order to tackle three main issues, poverty, deprivation and unemployment. Conclusion From this report, it is evident that child obesity still remains to be a health issue in the city of London and its borough. This is despite the recurrent efforts by the relevant authorities to work together in fighting the prevalence of obesity among children. The implications of child obesity has taken its toll on the people of Hackney especially those from deprived areas. This means that the government needs to take child obesity seriously and address it among the entire population in London borough of Hackney. Also, young people need to be enlightened on obesity. According to GLA (2011) young people in London, consider themselves to be leading a healthy lifestyle even though statistics show that most of these young children are in a greater risk of being obese or overweight. This is a clear indication that most of the young people in London borough of Hackney are not paying close attention to their habits and lifestyle. Therefore some of these children are obese and not aware about it or do not understand the repercussions of child obesity. Recommendations The government should solve the issue of poverty and deprivation in Hackney by identifying areas and individuals and, map the extent of the problem. This can be achieved by establishing Close collaborations with third-sector organizations which are working with vulnerable groups, isolated populations, and people to refer or inform them of available support. The government and public health officials should create more awareness through educational initiative programs. These programs should aim at coming up with effective policies that educate young people on the dangers of eating unhealthy foods and also encourage them to engage in extra curriculum activities in school such as sports. Much more focus should be put on the deprived boroughs such as Hackney in order to prevent the prevalence of obesity within these areas. The problem of obesity should be tackled communally by engaging stakeholders such schools, public health officials, the government and parents. Additionally, the laid down strategies should involve health care departments, local communities, business enterprises and educational bodies. This way the government will succeed in creating an improved society which is healthy and cautious about their lifestyles. References Canoy, D., & Buchan, I. (2007). Challenges in obesity epidemiology. Obesity reviews, 8(s1): 1-11. Crawford, D., Jeffery, R.W., Ball, K., & Brug, J. (2010). Obesity Epidemiology: From Aetiology to Public Health. 2nd Edition. Oxford University Press Cronberg, A., Wild, H.M., Fitzpatrick, J., & Jacobson, B. (2010) Causes of Childhood Obesity in London: Diversity or Poverty? The effects of deprivation on childhood obesity levels among ethnic groups in London. London: London Health Observatory. Department for Communities and Local Government (2011). English Indices of Deprivation 2010. [Online]. Available at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/68 71/1871208.pdf Accessed 10 May 2015 Department of Health & Department for Children Schools and Families (2008). Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: Consumer Insight Summary. London Department of Health (2011) Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A call for action on obesity in England. London Eastwood, P. (2013) Statistics on Obesity, Physical Activity and Diet: England, 2013. The Health and Social Care Information Centre. [Online]. Available from: http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB10364/obes-phys-acti-diet-eng-2013- rep.pdf (Accessed 10 April 2015) Foresight, B. B., Jebb, S., Kopelman, P., McPherson, K., Thomas, S., & Mardell, J., Parry, V. (2007) Foresight Tackling Obesities: Future Choices – Project Report. 2nd Edition. Government Office for Science Galeo, S., & Vlahov, D. (2005) Handbook of Urban Health: Populations, Methods, and Practice. New York: Springer Gibbons, M, C., Bali, R., & Wickramasinghe, N (2011) (eds) Perspectives of Knowledge Management in Urban Health. Coventry: Springer Government Office for Science. (2007). Foresight- Tackling Obesities: Future Choices- Building the Obesity Systems Map. [Online]. Available on: http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/foresight/docs/obesity/12.pdf (Accessed on 20th May 2015) Greater London Authority (GLA). (2013) Borough Profiles. [Online]. Available at http://data.london.gov.uk/datastore/package/gla-demographic-projections (Accessed 10 May 2015) Greater London Authority Intelligence Unit. (2011). Childhood Obesity in London. [Online]. Available at http://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Embargoed%2014-04- 11_GLA%20IU_Childhood%20Obesity_full.pdf (Accessed on 14 March 2015) Health & Social Care Information Centre (HSCI). (2013). Health Survey for England- 2012 [NS]. [Online]. Available from: http://www.hscic.gov.uk/pubs/hse2012 (Accessed on 20th May 2015) Krämer, A; Khan, M, & Kraas, F. (2011). Health in Megacities and Urban Areas. London: Springer Verlag Lake, A., & Townshend, T. (2006). Obesogenic environments: exploring the built and food environments. The Journal of the Royal society for the Promotion of Health, 126(6): 262-267. Libman, K., Freudenberg, N., & O’Keefe, E. (2010). A Tale of Two Obese Cities: Comparing responses to childhood obesity in London and New York. New York London Councils. (2012). London Key Facts and Statistics. [Online]. Available at: http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/services/lept/boroughmap/southwark/ (Accessed on 5 May 2015) London Health Inequalities Network. (2013). Fast Food Saturation – A Resource Pack for London Boroughs. [Online]. Available at: http://www.lho.org.uk/Download/Public/18208/1/Fast%20Food%20Saturation%2 0A%20Resource%20Pack%20for%20London%20Boroughs%20.pdf (Accesed 10 May 2015) London Health Observatory (LHO) & Child and Maternal Health Observatory (ChiMat). (2010). Hackney Child Health Profile. [Online]. Available from: http://www.chimat.org.uk (Accessed on 20th May 2015). London Health Observatory. (2011). Health Topics – Determinants of Health. London: London Health Observatory Hackney Health Profile. (2010). Hackney and City of London. London: ChitMat. Hackney’s Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy. (2013). Hackney: Hackney’s Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2013/2014. City and Hackney Commissioning Group Marmot Review Team. (2010). Fair Society Health Lives: Strategic Review of health inequalities in England post 2010 (The Marmot Review). London: The Marmot Review Team Mitchell, R., & Popham, F. (2008). Effect of exposure to natural environment on health inequalities: an observational population study. The Lancet, 372(9650): 1655- 1660. Musingarimi, P. (2008). Obesity in the UK: A Review and Comparative Analysis of Policies within the Devolved Regions. London: International Longevity Centre – UK. National Health Service (NHS) & London Healthy Urban Development Unit (2013) Using the Planning System to Control Hot Food Takeaways: A Practical Guide. [Online]. Available from: http://www.healthyurbandevelopment.nhs.uk/wp- content/uploads/2013/12/HUDU-Control-of-Hot-Food-Takeaways-Feb-2013- Final.pdf (Accessed 10 April 2015) National Health Service (NHS). (2012). Health and Wellbeing Profile: Our joint needs assessment 2011/12. [Online]. Available from: http://www.hackney.gov.uk/Assets/Documents/City-and-Hackney-Health-and- Wellbeing-Profile-2011-12.pdf (Accessed on 20th May 2015) National Obesity Observatory (NOO), National Health Service (NHS) UK, & Public Health England (PHE). (2005). Toolkit showing levels of adult obesity, taken from Adult Obesity. [Online]. Available from: http://www.sepho.nhs.uk/NOO/e- atlas/adult/atlas.html (Accessed on 20th May 2015) National Obesity Observatory (NOO). (2011). A Simple guide to classifying body mass index in children. [Online]. Available from: http://www.noo.org.uk/uploads/doc/vid_11762_classifyingBMIinchildren.pdf (Accessed on 14 April 2015) National Obesity Observatory. (2011). Obesity and Ethnicity [Online]. Available from: http://www.noo.org.uk/uploads/doc/vid_9851_Obesity_ethnicity.pdf (Accessed on 14 April 2015) Office of National Statistics. (2008). [Online]. Available from: www.stetisticauthority.gov.uk/assessment/code-of-practice/index.html (Accessed on 20th May 2015) Otgaar, A., Klijs, J., & Vanden, L. (2011) Towards Healthy Cities: Comparing Conditions for Change. Surrey: Ashgate Wilkinson, R., & Marmot, M. (2003). Social Determinants of Health: The Solid Facts. 2nd Edition. World Health Organisation Library Cataloguing. Read More

Obesity is a health complication that takes a while before affecting the wellbeing of an individual. According to Eastwood (2013), obesity is like a process, it is a health complication that develops in due time due to poor eating habits as well as lack of proper exercise. Obesity continues to be a health inequality as most people and especially children are faced with this health complication. According to a study conducted by Cronberg et al., (2010) obesity as a health issue needs to be treated with all the seriousness as a growing trend among children and young adults. Research revealed that by the year 2020 at least half of the children from both genders will be affected due to being obese. Cronberg et al., (2010) state that 20% of the boys and 30% of the girls from the next generation in 2020 will be obese. Obese is a condition that puts the lives of those suffering from this condition at risk of suffering from life-threatening diseases which may eventually lead to death. Children suffering from obesity tend to depress as they suffer from physical, psychological, and social discrimination from school and their peers. 

Obesity occurrence among young children has contributed to the development of the condition up to adulthood. With such consequences at hand, it is therefore important for the relevant authorities who include the government and health practitioners to create awareness and fight the disease at an early age (PHE, 2013). Child obesity is associated with recent urban health issues. This is because such urban health issues tend to occur due to the significant difference that takes place in the socioeconomic, biological, and environmental factors surrounding an individual (Gibbons et al, 2011). 

According to Gibbons et al. (2011), all the above-mentioned factors are relative to a person’s background in terms of ethnicity, race, and occupation and will therefore the extent to which obesity affects people vary. According to Libman et al (2010) child obesity has developed into an urban health issue in London and the borough of Hackney. Libman et al. (2010) argue that there is a high prevalence of child obesity in London city which puts the health and wellbeing of its inhabitants at risk. As a result child obesity In London and the borough of Hackney, will affect the future of its residents since the growth of these epidemics concerns the diverse population in London. As health inequality, child obesity has placed the borough of Hackney in a vulnerable position which is likely to paralyze the economic and social growth of Hackney.

Child obesity has continued to be a concern for the population of Hackney. According to the Office of National Statistics (2007), 24% of the children in Hackney of the age of six years are obese while 14% of those between 7 and 8 years are at risk of being obese in 2010. Additionally, the number of children participating in any physical activities at school has decreased and only two or more students are likely in a sport for more than an hour at school. Nonetheless, in the years 2011 through to 2012, the government had affirmed that at least 40% of the children under the age of ten in Hackney were obese. Hackney is characterized as one of the most deprived boroughs in London with the highest number of obese children.

Child obesity as a health issue affecting the people of Hackney has been associated with some kind of racial or ethnic profiling. For instance, the highest populations of children who are obese tend to come from minor cultural backgrounds such as the black Africans and other minority ethnicities who make 85% of the population. According to the research conducted on the borough, child obesity is greatly associated with this factor regardless of a clear link connecting the two elements (NOO, 2011).

According to the Hackney Health Profile (2010), there is a relationship linking child obesity with specific cultural backgrounds. For instance, in 2011 out of the 85% of the minor racial population in Hackney, 25% of the children from this percentage were either obese or at risk of being overweight. 

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