Introduction
Across America, childhood obesity has become a national crisis. It is estimated that among the children aged between 2 and 19, one in every three children faces the problem of overweight or obesity (Ogden, Connor, Rivera, Dommarco, 2010). Overweight and obesity are leading risk factors for hypertension and diabetes. Studies have estimated that diabetes leads to almost 112,000 deaths in the United States every year. Childhood obesity has become major stress for many American parents. Also, it has an economic implication. Finkelstein, Trogdon, Cohen, and Dietz (2009) noted that $3 billion is spent each for direct medical costs. Among teenage girls, excess weight has been associated with low self-esteem and sometimes symptoms of depression (Strauss, 2010). Despite the health risks, studies show that effective policies, good health practices, and active living can be used to remedy the current situation. Therefore, the primary goal of the initiative is to solve the problem of childhood obesity to improve the quality of life for the children and their parents.
The purpose of the program
Overweight and obese children have a higher risk of transitioning to obese adults. The children who are obese also have a high likelihood of developing heart diseases. For example, a study conducted by Freedman, Mei, and Srinivasan (2007) found that approximately 70% of children who were obese at least had one risk factor for developing heart disease while over 30% had at least two risk factors. Obesity has also been a significant risk factor for type II diabetes. There has been an increase in the number of people in their early 20s who suffer from diabetes. Therefore, the purpose of the program is to create awareness among parents to ensure a healthy start to life for the children right from pregnancy to their childhood years.
The Strategic Target Population
A multiplicity of factors causes childhood obesity. Therefore, effective programs should address various causes. Some of the factors that have been identified to contribute to obesity include the early life of the child. According to Ogden, Carroll, Curtin, Lamb, and Flegal (2010), the risk of a child becoming obese starts before birth. For example, the practices of the mother such as cigarette smoking can contribute to the obesity of children. Other factors include the environmental factors the child is exposed to during childhood. For example fast foods, lack of exercise, and poor eating habits. In many cases, these factors are mainly dictated by parents or caregivers. Therefore, the following program will target the parents and caregivers. This is because they have a major influence on the health of the children before and during their early lives.
Benefits of the Benefit
The health risks of hypertension, diabetes, and other chronic diseases that are associated with diabetes present a future disaster to the American health and economic system if measures are not taken to address the problem. Excess weight has a negative implication on the lives of the victims and the nation at large. The program will empower the parents and caregivers to understand the proper nutrition for their families and sensitize the parents on the importance of ensuring that their children engage in physical exercise. Hence it will reduce be beneficial in overcoming the health, economic, and social challenges related to obesity.
Budget Justification
The program will entail instructing the parents and the caregivers on better health practices that can reduce obesity. Therefore, $ 102, 000 will be the required funds to run the program effectively. The amount will be needed to cater for the wages, fringe benefits, travel expenses, purchase of the instructional materials, and communication purposes. The following is the percentage allocation for the various processes.
Salaries and Wages
Twelve employees will be employed to assist in the running of the program. The budgetary allocation is 22% of the total costs.
Traveling Expenses
There will be frequent travels to meet the parents and assess the progress of the program. Therefore, travel expenses 18% of the total budgetary allocation will be preserved for the travel costs. This is inclusive of drinking water and lunch for the involved staff.
Fringe benefits
Program managers will receive fringe benefits. This is projected to cost 5% of the total budget. The benefits facilitate the activities of the people coordinating the program.
Education materials
The instructional materials and samples used to train the parents on how to prepare foods for their families are expected to cost 27% of the total costs. The allocation is inclusive of all learning materials to be used.
Communication
Communication between the staff and the program managers is supposed to cost 9%. On the other hand, external communications are projected to cost 16%. The remaining 3% will be for the unforeseen costs that may emerge in the process of running the program.
Program Evaluation
The main target of the program is to solve the issue of childhood obesity. Therefore, to establish the progress of the program, the parents will be continually assessed to determine whether they are adopting the desired healthy practices. Besides, there will be a monitoring of the trends in childhood obesity for children whose parents are included in the program. The indicators to be used for the evaluation will include finding out the number of children who are getting a healthy diet, and the physical exercise status. Also, benchmarks used for Healthy People, 2020 will be used to determine the progress of the program.
Feedback
Question 1
I believe the program will be approved if formally proposed.
Question 2
Strengths
The program is designed to address pertinent issues that concern many parents in America. Therefore, the concentration of the program is in promoting healthy lifestyles for parents and hence translating them to the children. This is a key strength of the program and will form the basis for the program’s approval. Secondly, the proposal is consistent and clear. It provides the importance of the program. This is supported by the statistics about overweight and obesity. Besides, the program proposal shows the social, economic, and health implications of overweight and obesity thus making it a priority for the American people.
The other strength of the proposal is the clear breakdown of the budget. This is very critical in ensuring that funds are used for the planned activity. It guarantees accountability and hence the possibility of the proposal being approved. Finally, a good evaluation plan that includes process assessment and outcome is outlined for the program. This will be critical in showing the progress and hence determine the value of the resources invested.
Weaknesses
One of the major weaknesses of the program is that it does not have an outline for the duration of time the program will be running. Secondly, the program has not clearly defined the scope of operation about the geographical area to be covered. Thirdly, the proposal does not state the exact number of staff who will be involved in the program.
References
Finkelstein, E., Trogdon, J., Cohen J., & Dietz, W. (2009). Annual medical spending attributable to obesity. Health Affairs, 28(5), 1-13.
Freedman, D.S., Mei, Z., & Srinivasan, S.R. (2007). Cardiovascular risk factors and excess adiposity among overweight children and adolescents: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Journal of Pediatrics 150(1), 12-17.
Ogden, C.L., Carroll, M., Curtin, L., Lamb, M., & Flegal, K. (2010). Prevalence of high body mass index in US children and adolescents 2007-2008. Journal of American Medical Association, 303(3), 242-249.
Ogden, C.L., Connor, G.S., Rivera, S., & Dommarco J, (2010). The epidemiology of childhood obesity in Canada, Mexico and the United States. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 84(4), 707-16.
Strauss, R.S. (2010). Childhood obesity and self-esteem. Pediatrics, 105(1), 1-15.