Health Policies Essay

Social Conditions These are the day to day situations that we are likely to encounter starting with the social status, awareness with regard to education levels, friends and peers and the formality of doing things. The financial positions influences what one is likely to consume, fruits are expensive and whole meal breakfast is costly to purchase and make. The education background reveals what balanced diet consists of and how to adhere to its requirements (Lustig et al, 2012). The culture and way of life in regard to social context since other find junk food as a norm while others find veggies and fruits fine. Religions tend to dictate the diet like Muslims do not feed on pork while the Hindus find the cows sacred creatures and would not consume any daily product related to such.

Nutritionally related diseases are preventable because they are linked to personal lifestyle such as involvement in physical activity and poor dieting such as excessive alcohol consumption. In Canada, nutrition and poor consumption patterns results to a large number of deaths accounting for approximately 46589 deaths annually. The 3 major threats are cardiovascular diseases; type 2 diabetes and obesity (Chen et al, 2013). Children below the age of 12 are increasingly becoming obese and are having diabetes at this fragile age. The government’s costs are likely to increase from the high cardiovascular diseases which are currently $21 billion and are expected to rise to $29 billion by 2020 if preventive measures are not put into control. The procurement policies should adhere to such for uniformity in both the public and private sector.

The junk food should be completely banned or highly priced to discourage their consumption. The healthy food prices should be reduced so that every person regardless of status quo is able to purchase such. This will ensure even people with low income are able to have descent balanced meals. Statistics indicate that more than 31000 deaths are avoidable through proper dieting by intake of fruits and vegetables (Belanger et al, 2014). Increased intake of sodium highly contributes to the cause of obesity especially in children. Excessively processed foods are highly rich in carbohydrates that when not correctly complemented with proteins, fiber and vitamins are the greatest cause of type 2 diabetes. Saturated fats tend to make the arteries thicker hence increasing the pressure within which the blood flow and causing constraints in blood circulation.

9 out of 10 people are in the danger of having a cardiovascular disease at any age (Belanger and Poirier, 2014). Survey indicates that 94% of the population did not meet the minimum recommended portions of fruits and vegetables consumption. This is likely to curb the predicament that cardiovascular disease costs are likely to rise from 21 billion to 29 billion government expenditure. Nutritional Surveillance Better nutritional surveillance especially for children is to mentor healthy children development by implementation of a health policy. Dietary supplements should be readily available at governmental hospital to help curb the diseases at the tender age. Proper antenatal and postnatal care should be emphasized since the children are the future of a better Canada (Azad and Konya, 2013). This is by ensuring that the food security program is readily accessible especially for the vulnerable group such as the Aboriginals, old, pregnant female, ill and children below the age of 12.

Reduced consumption of sodium intake will reduce death by 11% (Belanger et al, 2014). Recommendation There is still a gap to be filled in the health sectors in relation to food regulatory policy, pricing of essential food and inadequate information in consumption information. The application of thepolicies will at most curb the causes of nutritionally based illnesses especially in the young children and the less privileged economically in the society. Research summary The rate at which nutritionally based diseases are leading to deaths of young productive population is alarming. The economic status is the greatest contribution to the prevalent conditions due to high cost of living and incapacitation.  Canadian Medical Association Journal, 185(5), 385-394. Pendyala and Walker (2012). A high-fat diet is associated with endotoxemia that originates from the gut.