Analyze how ethical concerns affect the work of healthcare professionals
There are several ethical concerns that impact and affect the work of healthcare professionals. It is due to the complex environment under the rules of many laws in the system, such as an abortion conducted by any health professional is legal and according to the law, but at large considered as an unethical concern. Moreover, confidentiality, relationships with the patients, and consent are considered as important ethical concerns 1.
In the case of confidentiality, the professionals have to act in a proper way and have to abide by the rules. It is a legal as well as an ethical concern. The professionals have to keep their information safe about their patients. It is due to the fact that this information could damage the patient if released in any case. So, if any time the information of a patient is released, then the health professionals have to face several issues.
Relationships with the patients are also critical elements for the healthcare professionals, such as sexual relationships with the patients are not allowed and ethically it is not correct. But if any time any healthcare professional engages in any sexual relationship with a patient, then it is unethical and he/she has to face several issues.
• Analyze a contemporary health issue. Obesity
Obesity is a specific condition in which an individual consumes a huge amount of body fat which is not healthy for the human body. The overweight people are called obese and have gained extra weight and increased their obesity level. This problem is not related to the developed nations of the world but spread almost all over the world. In the United States of America which is considered as one of the most developed nations in the world, the obesity level is much higher than the other countries. The statistics show that 58.6 % of people in the United States are badly caught in the evil hands of obesity 2. Out of 58.6 % of people, 32.8 % are United States adults while 25.8 % are children, so it’s 13 % more than the statistics carried out in 2010 2. It shows that the obesity rate is higher in the country as more than half the population of the country is in the hands of obesity. It’s an alarming issue and should be handled so that more people could be saved from health and hygiene issues. Americans have a huge obesity rate and should reduce the regular eating of fast food because the fast food diet generates expensive health issues, such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, and obesity.
Obesity mostly brings health issues that damage the human health structure. People tend to think that obesity is not a problem, they think if they feel fit and be on a good weight scale then they are safe from the hands of obesity. But it is true, and they may be misinformed because they may not be obese then, but many become obese in the future. Obesity could happen anytime in the life of people. Obesity sometimes came from the parents to their children. If the parents are obese, then their genes of obesity can move to their kids or even their grandchildren. People who are obese are usually overweight and don’t get encouragement from their friends and family to do physical activities such as exercise, jogging, riding the bike, and playing sports. These are mostly the ones who believe that obesity could create problems for them like health issues. But many people are the ones who are not so much considered their health and easily spend their lives with health and obesity issues. These people are mostly foodies and food lovers who give priority to their favorite food over their health. Obesity is not a health problem like a common cold or fever in which people can just take a pill or few drops of liquid medicine for a few days and get away with it. Obesity can lead to health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes, and cancer. In coronary heart disease, cholesterol, calcium, and other fats build up to form plaque in veins that lead to the heart. It causes the blood vessel to narrow down and eventually leads to slow blood flow to the heart 3. High blood pressure is another problem related to obesity; it happens when there is a lot of pressure against the vein, and it causes a lack of oxygen to organs in the whole body that needs oxygen. Stroke is another health issue came from obesity, and it happens when a plague breaks apart, and blood clot starts to form. Once it forms nearby your brain then, it stops the blood flow that causes the lack of blood into the brain, and eventually causes a stroke. Obesity is a stigma in people’s life that follows the person throughout his/her life until he/she makes any decision to reduce its level.
Obesity not only causes health issues and damages the physical body structure, but it also impacts the mental and psychological health status of people. People who have obesity problem mostly gets a label on them, like how animals get that they are useful or not. This labeling might cause a state of depression for obese people. The labeling for obese people includes such statements that they are lazy, not hard-working, slow, stupid, foolish, and not right for the role model. Many times, in various settings this labeling might cause overweight people some troubles and issues. For example, when an obese person goes out in search of a job even with a nice presentation, he might get rejected for the job. The reasons include that the recruiter will first examine the figure of the person’s body and get bad or wrong impression that the person must be lazy or messy and will not be a good role model for future employees as a leader. In high school, kids who are often overweight might not get as good treatment as other normal body weight kids do. Sometimes these kids might get harassed or bullied by other kids that think they are perfect. These situations could lead to stress, depression, and different psychological factors that damage the mental health status. Many small ingredients are added to regular food which makes people obese. For example, in the Hot Cheetos, there is 11g of saturated fat and 250 mg of sodium inside it 4. This amount of saturated fat and sodium is more than regular intake. People should control their diet; they should cut back on eating a meal from fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Burger King, and a lot other restaurants. For example, Mcdonald’s Big Mac contains 540 calories and 29 g of fats in one meal alone 5. These many calories are almost half of 1,500-1,800 calories and 50-60 g of fat that is recommended for Americans for one day 5.
Obesity levels could cause physical and mental issues, and there should be solutions for it so that more people could spend a healthy life. Reducing the obesity level is not that hard but not as easy as a person might think. To get rid of obesity, people must first come together a take a strong decision to fight against obesity; after all, there is no gain without any pain. Strong willpower, consistency, and encouragement are the three most important factors that could reduce the obesity level of a person. Healthy diet plans, consistent workouts, and exercises are some best and most valuable solutions for obese people to reduce their obesity levels. Exercise is a healthy body workout that is based on some physical body movements that usually end on a positive note of sweat from all over the body and help to improve the body. In the modern world today, exercise has become part of most of the people who consider that workout essential. Along with exercise and workout, obese people should also eat more vegetables to replace meat, and give up meat that contains a lot of saturated fat, and other junk food that contains saturated fat that is bad for the body. While this was one solution for one problem related to obesity, the other solution for another problem related to obesity is still yet to come. If society wants to stop the problem related to obesity then they must first change their view of overweight people.
In conclusion, obesity is a stigma in modern society which needs to be reduced by scientists and doctors in the form of finding medication as a solution to obesity. Awareness could also be beneficial and really helpful for obese people to reduce their obesity level. It is a necessary and important step toward health. If people make the right food choices and proper choices to stay fit, then nothing can stop them from fighting obesity.
References
1. Greenwood B. Legal & Ethical Issues that Health Care Professionals Face. Workchroncom. Available at: http://work.chron.com/legal-ethical-issues-health-care-professionals-face-5648.html. Accessed March 8, 2018.
2. Khan A. America Tops List of 10 Most Obese Countries. Health USnewscom. 2014. Available at: https://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2014/05/28/america-tops-list-of-10-most-obese-countries. Accessed March 8, 2018.
3. Coronary heart disease: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. Medlineplusgov. 2018. Available at: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007115.htm. Accessed March 8, 2018.
4. Calories in Flaming Hot Cheetos – Calorie, Fat, Carb, Fiber, & Protein Info. SparkPeople. 2018. Available at: http://www.sparkpeople.com/calories-in.asp?food=flaming+hot+cheetos. Accessed March 8, 2018.
5. Muntel S. Obesity Action Coalition » Fast Food – Is it the Enemy?. Obesityactionorg. Available at: http://www.obesityaction.org/educational-resources/resource-articles-2/nutrition/fast-food-is-it-the-enemy. Accessed March 8, 2018.
