July 2013: Question 1
Question 1: In our overweight and obese
society, employers and executive boards are hiring people to come up with
programs to aid in the health and wellness of their staff for insurance and
other health cost benefits. What
programs would you design and implement for the population in this study to
improve health and increase the number of active duty military personnel that
meet the Healthy People 2010 objectives?
What barriers might you face when developing these programs?
posted by Unknown @ 1:13 PM
18 comments
18 Comments:
A major issues that I think you are going to face with this population is the lack of stability in their schedule. They may get deployed and will not be able to prepare their own meals. I would suggest providing education for these individuals. They are all going to have vastly different nutritional knowledge so providing those who lack knowledge with education will be a great start. I also think that providing them with some type of incentive might initiate the motivation the eat healthier and work well with this population. Another thing that may be helpful is looking at the food items on the military bases and making sure that they have healthy options available. You can also give the military personnel recipes they can cook at home on their own or for their family.
According to the article, a high prevalence of skipping breakfast at least twice per week and a high prevalence of consuming meals at, or from, restaurants were the two greatest barriers identified that may prevent military personnel from meeting the Healthy People 2010 objectives. Thus, providing nutrition education and cooking demos might encourage military personnel to adopt more healthful eating behaviors. Specific goals of this program might include decreasing reliance on restaurant foods through instruction on how to prepare easy, healthful meals from home. Also, providing practical advice on how to quickly prepare healthy, on-the-go breakfast options might be another goal.
One barrier I might face when implementing these programs is a lack of interest, poor participation, and/or disinterest in actually using the information and techniques taught following completion of the program.
I would suggest putting a program in place that acted as a reward system. For example, if an individual were to attend a health fair or cooking demonstration they would receive credit towards their insurance and health care costs. Typically this population gets most of their health needs covered so it would be a challenge to come up with a reward that would be appealing. As Beth already mentioned, the lack of stability in their schedules would be difficult. Flexibility and a variety of "training" sessions would help overcome this challenge.
I think the best way would be to make nutrition education part of their training program, and required classes for continued active duty. The topics would be general healthy eating topics and how this can be accomplished by those in the military. Some barriers would be interest and participation. Since it would be required, they would go, but if they aren't motivated to make any changes, they information may not be helpful.
Sarah S said...
As the military already meet the physical activity objectives, my program would focus more on nutrition and eating healthier. Obviously there are many that may rely on MRE's if they are deployed elsewhere, but for those who are at a base with more options I would focus on making better choices at the dining centers as well as their homes when they are there. I would try to get a hold of their menus and see what is offered so that I had that knowledge before talking to them. I would try to highlight the fact that your body works much better when it is properly nourished, and as they need to remain healthy and have their bodies functioning at optimum efficiency for their service, eating well will help them greatly in the long run. Barriers I may run into is them not wanting to listen or feeling that it is not possible to make good choices, but I would try to encourage them, be supportive, and not show a judgmental attitude.
There are many ways to improve the outlook for service members. I might attempt to implement a fitness program offered on base to service men and women. I would see what resources were available (such as a room for classes, equipment such as weights and bands, and the availability of interested individuals to teach courses on a rotating basis if budget didn't allow to hire trainers. Despite the increasing rates of obesity in the military, I still know many service members who enjoy the physical aspects and have teaching skills in one or more particular fitness areas. If it were a community-based program (volunteers, equipment donated) it could be free use for anyone on base. The base could implement a rewards program for those who use the facility regularly and/or lose weight that would give them a discount on healthy items at the commissary, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grain items. A certain number of reward points from healthy foods and fitness use could be applied to a reduced health insurance cost for service members. This is all in an ideal world, it would require personnel to track the rewards points, people who are willing to volunteer or donate, a significant budget if the previous is an issue, and significant coordination with the commissary to see if discounts such as those are possible.
There are many ways to improve the outlook for service members. I might attempt to implement a fitness program offered on base to service men and women. I would see what resources were available (such as a room for classes, equipment such as weights and bands, and the availability of interested individuals to teach courses on a rotating basis if budget didn't allow to hire trainers. Despite the increasing rates of obesity in the military, I still know many service members who enjoy the physical aspects and have teaching skills in one or more particular fitness areas. If it were a community-based program (volunteers, equipment donated) it could be free use for anyone on base. The base could implement a rewards program for those who use the facility regularly and/or lose weight that would give them a discount on healthy items at the commissary, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grain items. A certain number of reward points from healthy foods and fitness use could be applied to a reduced health insurance cost for service members. This is all in an ideal world, it would require personnel to track the rewards points, people who are willing to volunteer or donate, a significant budget if the previous is an issue, and significant coordination with the commissary to see if discounts such as those are possible.
Beth brings up a great point, the lack in stability of scheduling is an issue I hadn't thought about. Considering this issue, education would be very important, especially on how to choose healthy meals if they are eating out a lot.
I think it is important to look at the foods they are serving on the military base. If healthy food choices are prominently displayed, they may be eaten more frequently. Recipes for creating those healthy foods should also be available. This way, when the military personnel get home, they can create the same healthy dish. A barrier to this may be that the military personnel do not like the healthy foods or are not ready for a change in types of foods served.
I would say provide nutrition education for the military and their families. Perhaps it could be an online module that is required for them to do. Also, I feel like they need to have stricter requirements for their physical training. I have heard from my boyfriend that some people in his unit fail their PT test, but it is somewhat shrugged off and nothing is done. It would also be a good idea to provide the soldiers with nutrition facts of MRE's. I feel like most are unaware of what they are eating. A barrier that could be faced would be time conflicts/constraints.
As Courtney shared, providing recipes for highlighted menu items is a wonderful idea to promote healthful options. Hopefully the dining facility wouldn't be too much affected financially by providing recipes for its menu items. It would be unfortunate, from a business perspective, to give its customer base a reason to eat at home rather than in the facility.
As Courtney shared, providing recipes for highlighted menu items is a wonderful idea to promote healthful options. Hopefully the dining facility wouldn't be too much affected financially by providing recipes for its menu items. It would be unfortunate, from a business perspective, to give its customer base a reason to eat at home rather than in the facility.
I like Emily's idea of making nutrition a required course. It wouldn't have to be a long, detailed course, but enough to get the soldiers thinking. I also agree with Kaiti's reward system. I know that Methodist just started something similar to that and it is working. It might be a little tough to implement a system like that in the military, but it could work.
I would have to agree with Lynetta that healthy on-the-go options will be beneficial. In general, we live in a fast paced society and I think that the military population would largely benefit from quick and easy breakfast items to take with them.
I would have nutrition classes be apart of their normal training. I think a barrier would be lack of interest. They would all attend, but if they are uninterested the education may not be helpful. I think it would also be important to make the classes interactive and different from what they are used to. This may increase interest and in turn lead to more success in reaching the goals.
I think Kaitlin's suggestion of a rewards program could be interesting. If it could affect their health care costs that would be ideal. However, even if it was able to add up to them getting an extra day off or something smaller I think it would be a good incentive.
Courtney makes a good point about supplying the population with recipes and healthy cooking tips in addition to nutrition education. Many people struggle with putting nutrition plans into action but recipes would help bridge that gap.
I agree with Sarah's idea. Teaching them the affects of healthy eating on their body could be a huge motivator. I also agree with Kaitlin, a reward system could also help motivate them into healthy eating.
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