Obesity as one of the Determinants of Health in Florida Discussion Paper

Certified nurse practitioners need to understand and consider determinants of healthy when delivering healthcare services. In Florida, there are five core determinants of health, i.e., economic stability, social and community context, education, neighborhood and built environment, health, and healthcare (Desiree, 2019). In Florida, high income is linked to an increase in life expectancy. Besides this, health insurance status, employment, and local labor conditions were found to impact health outcomes and life expectancy (Melix et al., 2020). America’s Health Ranking (2021) data show that Florida has various strengths, such as the low prevalence of excessive drinking/frequent mental distress/obesity, but experiences challenges such as the high prevalence of non-medical drug use/physical inactivity/ flu vaccination rate. Obesity as one of the Determinants of Health in Florida Discussion Paper

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This paper will focus on obesity, one of Florida’s determinants of health. Currently, 34 percent of the Florida adult population has a healthy weight, while about 28 percent are obese, and approximately 36% are overweight (Department of Health Florida,2020). Based on the current trends, it is speculated that about 60 percent of people in Florida will be obese by 2030, and about 60 percent of children currently born will be obese by the time they complete their high school education (Department of Health Florida, 2020).

Obesity widens health inequities and worsens health outcomes due to the consequential rise of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and hypertension. Florida’s Department of Health prioritizes efforts geared towards managing obesity. For instance, the Department of Health launched the Healthiest Weight Florida initiative in early 2013, and this program has evolved over the years as it continuously focused on creating a healthy environment that helps Florida’s children and adults choose healthy dietary habits and active living.

This paradigm program is a public-private collaboration. It involves active collaboration by federal, state, volunteers or local government agencies, hospitals, NGOs, business organizations, and communities to help Floridians make reliable and informed choices about healthy dietary practices and better physical activity. Healthiest Weight Florida’s initiative involves working closely with various partners to leverage available resources to maximize reach and impact. These partners include the business community, non-governmental organizations, non-profit agencies, other federal, state, or local government agencies, and volunteer coalitions. Obesity as one of the Determinants of Health in Florida Discussion Paper

The Department of Health has worked with various stakeholders to sustain the fight against obesity. The Florida Department of Health, in collaboration with Florida State University, created programs and resources to allow Florida residents to get active by establishing various plans such as ten-week workouts. Besides this, obesity-focused management interventions within the Healthiest Weight Florida initiative include an email-based program. This program allows Floridians to sign up for weekly tips and strategies for healthy weight via inbox. Thus, Healthiest Weight Florida nurtures healthy eating and effective strategies for improving physical activity among Floridians, thereby reducing the prevalence of obesity and non-communicable diseases. Obesity as one of the Determinants of Health in Florida Discussion Paper

.References

America’s Health Ranking (2021). Report https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/annual/measure/social_economic/state/FL

Desiree J. (2019). Florida Department of Health. Accessed from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Chronic Disease GIS Exchange. Retrieved rom https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/maps/gisx/mapgallery/fl-social-determinants.html

Department of Health Florida (2020). Healthy weight. Retrieved from https://www.healthiestweightflorida.com/

Melix, B. L., Uejio, C. K., Kintziger, K. W., Reid, K., Duclos, C., Jordan, M. M., … & Joiner, J. (2020). Florida neighborhood analysis of social determinants and their relationship to life expectancy. BMC public health, 20(1), 1-12. Obesity as one of the Determinants of Health in Florida Discussion Paper