Public Health Ethics
docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
San Francisco State University *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
HEALTH ASS
Subject
Health Science
Date
Nov 24, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
5
Uploaded by mbotekevin
1
Public Health Ethics
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course
Instructor’s Name
Due Date
2
Public Health Ethics
The Impacts of Paternalism on Public Health Programs and Services
Paternalism can be defined as any act that tends to interfere with the freedom of other
individuals without their consent with the excuse of claiming that such actions are inclined
towards promoting one’s interests, even though this tends to harm the second party. Similarly,
public health policies may be perceived as somewhat of a form of paternalism since they often
tend to influence the general public to keep them healthy and safe (Caswell et al., 2021). Under
most circumstances, power may be utilized as an intervention measure on behalf of individuals,
even in scenarios where the person involved has not requested it. The Ontario school food and
beverage policy was implemented in school programs within Canada to make healthier food
choices for learners to choose from. In addition, schools are required to ensure that they educate
their students to ensure they garner sufficient knowledge of the foods that are right and healthy to
consume, which in turn creates healthier persons in the community. By doing so, such an
approach is inclined toward reducing the number of chronic diseases and other related health
complications, such as obesity (Caswell et al., 2021). This includes awareness of health
challenges associated with consuming foods such as sugary drinks and how they can contribute
to the obesity epidemic.
Public officials are expected to guarantee that all schools in the country are in a position
to follow the set policies associated with the consumption of healthier food options since this can
help minimize the risk of varied diseases. The primary aim of the Ontario School Food and
Beverage Policy is to create an environment where children can access healthy food options by
ensuring that schools are provided with healthy foods at all times (Caswell et al., 2021).
Consequently, this can assist in reducing risks associated with obesity cases among young
3
individuals and promoting healthy behaviors within learning environments. When learners are
exposed to healthy diets, they are more than likely to record competent learning outcomes.
Public health interventions among young children are of particular importance are they will help
in the eradication or reduction of cases of childhood obesity both in the present and in the near
future.
Public health officials have been at the forefront of ensuring that the state government
finds a way of reducing the risk of harm associated with poor eating habits among the public
before severe outcomes are witnessed. Public health programs require the government to play a
primary role in intervening in a scenario where the general public's health is compromised. Low-
income families are more susceptible to being affected by cases of obesity mostly because they
cannot afford healthy diets that are relatively costly compared to unhealthy food options (Potvin
Kent et al., 2019). Thus, obesity is believed to be more prevalent among low-income families
compared to their wealthier counterparts. In a case where persons who are not obese choose to
come up with intervention measures aimed at assisting the obese without their consent or
knowledge, this may attract a one-sided interaction. This can be said to be a form of paternalism
in the public health sector.
How Autonomy and Beneficence May Be In Conflict With the Ontario School Food and
Beverage Policy (OSFBP)
Beneficence and autonomy may conflict with the OSFBP policy in a way that all
individuals are allowed to make personal decisions regarding choosing what they prefer to eat
(Potvin Kent et al., 2019)
. Although the Ontario School Food and Beverage policy is set to
control the types of diets that students are exposed to, this does not seem to prevent them from
selecting their preferred dietary options, irrespective of whether or not such foods may have
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
4
adverse effects on their overall health or not (Hanning et al., 2019
). Thus, people choose to eat
foods that may be under the regulation of the policy in question, resulting in a conflict between
beneficence and autonomy and the OSFBP.
Effects of OSFBP on Adolescents
The policy has clear regulations on consuming foods that are often common among
adolescents, such as fatty foods and sugary products, as they may have adverse health impacts
(Hanning et al., 2019
). The purpose of doing so is s as it reduces the rate of obesity among
younger generations, in this case, the adolescent age group.
Expected Achievements by Public Health Officials
Public health officials aim to reduce the consumption of unhealthy food products among
the young generation to eradicate increased cases of childhood obesity.
To reduce the consumption of sugary beverages as they can expose people to disorders
associated with diabetes.
Ultimate Goals of Public Health Officials Who Support School Food Policies
To overcome the consumption of fatty foods to avoid related health disorders.
To reduce and control problems associated o sugary drinks among school-goers.
To improve dietary options among young people to guarantee their overall health.
5
References
Caswell, S., Naylor, P. J., Olstad, D., Kirk, S., Mâsse, L., Raine, K., & Hanning, R. (2021).
Recreation Facility Food and Beverage Environments in Ontario, Canada: An Appeal for
Policy. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(15), 8174.
Hanning, R. M., Luan, H., Orava, T. A., Valaitis, R. F., Jung, J. K., & Ahmed, R. (2019).
Exploring student food behaviour in relation to food retail over the time of implementing
Ontario’s school food and beverage policy. International journal of environmental
research and public health, 16(14), 2563.
Potvin Kent, M., Velazquez, C. E., Pauzé, E., Cheng-Boivin, O., & Berfeld, N. (2019). Food and
beverage marketing in primary and secondary schools in Canada. BMC public
health, 19(1), 1-10.