Introduction
Obesity, or excessive weight gain, is a health condition that has been reported to increase worldwide. There is a general belief that excessive weight gain and obesity are mainly caused by excessive fat intake, which is not necessarily the case. Obesity is linked to both stress and inadequate activity that results in a build-up of fat in the body (Holmes, 2021).
The project involves evidence-based solutions to reducing cases of obesity among firefighters in the locality. It is important to carry out this project on firefighters because their job requires that one is physically fit, agile, and has stamina and endurance. Physical fitness will ensure firefighters can perform ground tasks with a reduced possibility of accidents. When firefighters perform tasks efficiently, they safeguard their lives and those of others.
First, appointments will be sought, and cases of obesity among firefighters will be determined while observing the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability) Act of 1996 requirements on disclosure of patient health records. The information gathered will be used to determine a patient’s BMI and, consequently, whether or not a patient is obese. Long-term interventions that focus on diet and exercise will be used to reduce excessive weight among firefighters. To achieve this, recommendations will be made to the state and federal governments on required interventions. Reducing the number of cases of obesity among firefighters will jointly reduce health complications related to excessive weight, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and stroke (CDC, 2022).
Diabetes and high blood pressure can significantly reduce firefighters’ performance, thereby risking their lives and those of others. I aspire to see efficient firefighting in America to avoid or reduce the loss of lives during fire incidences and the pain to families that come with the loss of life in such horrible circumstances. The success of this project will inform healthcare providers and other stakeholders of interventions that can reduce obesity among Americans in general.
Proposal Summary
The project seeks to answer two research questions:
- What is the proportion of firefighters in the locality who are overweight or obese?
- Are there evidence-based interventions that can help reduce weight or excessive weight gain?
Once the proportion of firefighters who are overweight or obese is known, health interventions based on such evidence will be implemented with the help of the local and federal governments. It is expected that those interventions will result in a reduction in the number of overweight or obese cases and overall health and fitness. The interventions include exercise and dietary education, and, where necessary, provision of foodstuffs with the help of the governments. Venues where the exercise will be conducted will be sought and booked.
Background and Rationale
Understanding the proportion of firefighters with excessive weight is important as it will inform necessary interventions to curb excessive weight gain. Firefighters with normal body weights will perform their duties better because their job requires swift movements. Cases of obesity were reported to have increased among Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Noguchi (2021), research by the American Psychological Association reported that 42% of Americans reported having gained weight during the pandemic, while 36.2% to 45.7% reported having been either overweight or obese. Weight gain is associated with stress and reduced activity during the pandemic. Stress affects both exercise and eating patterns and prompts one’s body to store more fat, resulting in weight gain. The rationale for the reduction of weight among firefighters is improved performance, which will save the lives of firefighters and the general public.
Description of Objectives
- What is the proportion of firefighters in the locality who are overweight or obese? The objective is to understand the prevalence of the condition to inform interventions.
- Are there evidence-based interventions that can help reduce weight or prevent excessive weight gain? The purpose is to retrieve evidence-based research on ways to reduce weight that can be implemented.
Methodology
To answer the research questions, visits will be made to firefighting installations, and overweight/obese cases will be determined. The research will be conducted on the most effective ways of losing weight. The research will provide evidence for the most appropriate interventions, while visitations will help understand the prevalence of the condition among firefighters.
One of the installations will be visited from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., while the other will be visited from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. for one week. Employees will be informed of the research being conducted and how it will benefit them. They will be asked to sign a pre-printed form to accept providing access to specific information from their health records, which includes their weight and whether or not they suffer from high blood pressure and diabetes.
The information gathered will be analyzed in terms of how many are obese or overweight and have diabetes, high blood pressure, or both. A face-to-face interview is one of the commonly utilized methods in the collection of quantitative data (Kwik Surveys, 2023). This information will provide evidence for health interventions that can prevent excessive weight gain and help with weight loss.
The health interventions will be conducted for 1 year with the help of the local and federal governments. The governments will be provided with the pilot program and requested to offer assistance for the period. After 1 year, those used in the pilot study will be assessed in terms of weight loss and evidence of recovery or improvement. These pieces of evidence will be provided through measurements in hospitals. The interventions during the 1 year include supervised diet and exercise.
Literature Review
The most effective way of determining whether someone is overweight or obese is to calculate the Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI, an estimate of how one’s body fat compares to weight, is calculated as a range for adults and as a percentage for children (National Institute of Health, 2021). It is calculated by dividing one’s weight (kg) by height in meters.
For adults, values between 18.5 and 24.9 indicate a normal weight, 25.0 to 29.9 indicate overweight, 30.0 to 39.9 indicate obesity, and above 40.0 extreme obesity (National Institute of Health, 2021). Extreme obesity requires urgent interventions because patients are at higher risk of cardiovascular diseases. For children, 5% -85% indicate a normal weight, 85%-95% indicate overweight, and above 95% indicate obesity (National Institute of Health, 2021).
Interventions have been attempted to help individuals reduce their body weight. Holmes (2021) identifies the following interventions for weight loss:
- Healthy diets (influenced by the foods available in the environment) help people lose weight. They include Lean protein, eggs, vegetables, avocado, apple, berries, nuts and seeds, salmon, shrimp, unripe banana, raw oats, legumes, chia seeds, and water (Noguchi, 2021; Harvard T.H. Chan, 2023).
- Increased physical activities help burn excess calories; unutilized calories are converted to fat, increasing body weight.
- Income and education influence what people eat and, consequently, their bodily health.
Conclusion
Firefighters free from excessive weight, diabetes, and high blood pressure have improved performance. This will save their lives and those of others in fire incidents. Obesity affects many Americans, with 36.2% to 45.7% being overweight or obese. The main contributing factors include the level of physical activity, stress, income, and education. These factors influence what people eat and the number of calories they burn.
Physical activity helps burn calories, reducing the chances of weight gain, while eating an appropriate diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole-meal grains, and berries, among other things, helps prevent weight gain. Interventions, which include diet and physical activity, will be utilized to reduce weight gain and obesity among firefighters. The two levels of government will assist in running the program for one year to evaluate its effectiveness.
References
Borst, H. (2023). 16 Foods to Eat to Lose Weight. Web.
DC (2022). Health Effects of Overweight and Obesity. Web.
Harvard T.H. Chan (2023). Obesity Prevention Source. hsph.harvard.edu. Web.
Holmes, J. (2021). Tackling Obesity. The Role of the NHS in a Whole-System Approach. Web.
Kwik Surveys (2023). Quantitative Data Collection and Analysis. Web.
National Institutes of Health (2021). How are obesity & overweight diagnosed?. Web.
Noguchi, Y. (2021). Obesity Rates Rise During Pandemic, Fueled By Stress, Job Loss, Sedentary Lifestyle. npr. Web.