Educating At-risk People on Effective Strategy for Managing Weight

The second population-level intervention for improving BMI assessment and preventing obesity is educating at-risk people on appropriate strategies for managing weight and addressing risk factors for obesity and overweight. Hartmann-Boyce et al. (2018) contend that individual-level efforts for preventing and treating obesity are transferable to the broader population, providing opportunities for reducing the burden of obesity-related diseases, including cardiovascular conditions, some types of cancer, and diabetes. In the same vein, the World Health Organization [WHO] (2021) presents obesity as a multifactorial public health problem that prevails due to various risk factors, including an increased intake of unhealthy foods (high in fat and sugars), physical inactivity, and sedentary lifestyles. A lack of knowledge and awareness of self-management practices can increase an individual’s susceptibility to obesity and other associated problems.

Amidst the need to improve individual and population health literacy and awareness of preventive behaviors and activities, it is essential to tailor an educational program to enlighten people about self-management interventions. According to Hodgkinson et al. (2019), obesity awareness campaigns and educational programs focus on socio-behavioral factors that cause obesity. For instance, educating individuals and the community improves people’s knowledge of healthy diets and physical activity levels. It would be essential to assess the outcomes of this intervention by using Kirkpatrick’s evaluation model that evaluates educational programs based on participants’ training experience, learners’ learning outcomes, change in behavior and improvement, and the overall impacts of the educational program (Heydari et al., 2019). This approach can evaluate the program’s impact on staff satisfaction, behavior, and learning.

Developing Follow-up Plans

Although accurately recording BMI measurements and educating people about obesity and preventative measures can enhance interventions for preventing and treating obesity, these efforts are unsustainable if a proper follow-up plan is lacking. Welzel et al. (2018) argue that healthcare professionals should assist patients in continuous weight management. A comprehensive and well-timed follow-up can improve patient outcomes by fostering meaningful relationships with healthcare organizations, improving adherence to preventative and treatment options, and enhancing effective communication to support care coordination.

Improved Patient Outcomes

Implementing the identified population-level interventions aims to improve patient outcomes by reducing their susceptibility to obesity and overweight-associated conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and diabetes. Also, early BMI assessment, community-based educational programs, and follow promote preventive behaviors by providing opportunities for early obesity detection, emphasizing preventative measures, and adherence to treatment interventions. According to Hodgkinson et al. (2019), educational interventions targeting at-risk populations can improve their health literacy, influence and promote preventive behaviors and activities, and enable people to sustain preventive and treatment strategies, including healthy diets and physical exercise. As a result, it is valid to associate the identified patient interventions with improved patient outcomes.

Cost Savings

Obesity and overweight inflict a massive cost burden on individuals, families, and healthcare systems. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] (2022), obesity costs the United States government approximately $173 billion annually. More essentially, a high prevalence of obesity-related diseases, including cardiovascular conditions, some types of cancer, and diabetes, exacerbate and increase care costs. As a result, implementing the identified measures can reduce care costs by promoting preventive behaviors and acts, providing early obesity screening and detection opportunities, and improving people’s health literacy.

Patient Ratings

Patient ratings are products of consumer experiences and satisfaction levels. Positive experiences and highly satisfactory healthcare services can improve care acceptability, appropriateness, and utilization. The proposed patient interventions for preventing and treating obesity are engaging and evidence-based. Hong et al. (2019) argue that obesity is a stigmatized condition that leads to weight-based discrimination. As a result, engaging patients and at-risk people in early BMI assessment, education programs, and follow-up plans can enhance their health, reduce susceptibility to obesity-related conditions, and curtail care costs. Participative and practi