scholarly journals A Psychosocial Exploration of Body Dissatisfaction: A Narrative Review With a Focus on India During COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kanika K. Ahuja ◽  
Debanjan Banerjee
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Body Dissatisfaction ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Demographic Shift ◽  
Health Goal ◽  
Travel Restrictions ◽  
Public Health Goal ◽  
The Media

COVID-19 has been an unprecedented global crisis. Besides the public health impact, the pandemic necessitated measures, such as quarantine, travel restrictions, and lockdown, that have had a huge effect on digital screen time, dietary habits, lifestyle measures, and exposure to food-related advertising. At the same time, a reduction in physical activity, an increase of social media consumption, and an increase in fitness tutorials during the lockdown have contributed to body image issues. Emerging evidence from India suggests that peer conversations about appearance as negative body talk (fat talk) is particularly salient in contributing to body dissatisfaction and body perception ideals, which are more prevalent in women. Even though there has been an increase in research on the psychosocial impact of COVID-19, its influence on body image perceptions and consequent distress have been stigmatized and classified as under-spoken areas. With this background, this article reviews research on the biopsychosocial factors that influence body dissatisfaction among women, particularly the role of media. It also highlights the development of body image concerns in India, one of the worst-hit countries in the pandemic, through liberalization, importing Western notions of body instrumentality, demographic shift, and resultant social changes. Finally, the psychosocial strategies for positive body image ideas to prevent and mitigate the adverse effects of body dissatisfaction are discussed, particularly those that focus on cognitive behavioral techniques (CBTs) from the perspectives of positive psychology, media literacy programs, and involvement of the media. Interventions and further research to address body dissatisfaction among women, especially in the post-COVID aftermath, need to be a recognized as a public health goal.

scholarly journals Overview on Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act and its implementation: current update

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 463
Author(s):  
Dhwanit Thakore ◽  
Mahesh Chavda ◽  
Girish Parmar ◽  
Tejal Sheth
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Tobacco Use ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Tobacco Products ◽  
Health Goal ◽  
The Status ◽  
Public Health Goal ◽  
Almost All

Tobacco use- a major public health issue in India has an enormous effect on the lower SES population. . There is an evident link between tobacco use or consumption and poverty. The widespread use of almost all forms of tobacco among the Indian population can be attributed to the social and cultural acceptance in the country. Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 (COTPA) is the legislation that regulates tobacco in India. The prime objective of this review is to compile the literature with information about the laws regulating tobacco use and the status of implementation of tobacco control provisions covered under COTPA. Since effective tobacco control measures involve multi-stakeholders i.e public health, law, trade and commerce, industry, consumer, human rights and child development, coordinated efforts are required to successful enforcement. The outcome of the current literature is bridging the gaps to make the tobacco control a very important public health goal and thereby protect the population from the consequent morbidity and mortality due to tobacco use.

scholarly journals Return to Treatment in the Formal Health Care Sector: Evidence from Tanzania

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 29-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Achyuta Adhvaryu ◽  
Anant Nyshadham
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Health Care Sector ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Formal Sector ◽  
Health Goal ◽  
Public Health Goal ◽  
Formal Health Care

Improving access to the formal health care sector is a primary public health goal in many low-income countries. But the returns to this access are unclear, given that the quality of care at public health facilities is often considered inadequate. We exploit temporal and geographic variation in the cost of traveling to formal sector health facilities to show that treatment at these facilities improves short-term health outcomes for acutely ill children in Tanzania. Our results suggest that these improvements are driven in part by more timely receipt of and better adherence to antimalarial treatment. (JEL I11, I12, I15, I18, J13, O15)

scholarly journals Development of Vaccines against Visceral Leishmaniasis

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krystal J. Evans ◽  
Lukasz Kedzierski
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽  
Leishmania Donovani ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Past Infection ◽  
Health Goal ◽  
Disability Adjusted Life ◽  
Life Years ◽  
Public Health Goal

Leishmaniasis is a neglected disease resulting in a global morbidity of 2,090 thousand Disability-Adjusted Life Years and a mortality rate of approximately 60,000 per year. Among the three clinical forms of leishmaniasis (cutaneous, mucosal, and visceral), visceral leishmaniasis (VL) accounts for the majority of mortality, as if left untreated VL is almost always fatal. Caused by infection withLeishmania donovaniorL. infantum, VL represents a serious public health problem in endemic regions and is rapidly emerging as an opportunistic infection in HIV patients. To date, no vaccine exists for VL or any other form of leishmaniasis. In endemic areas, the majority of those infected do not develop clinical symptoms and past infection leads to robust immunity against reinfection. Thus the development of vaccine forLeishmaniais a realistic public health goal, and this paper summarizes advances in vaccination strategies against VL.

scholarly journals Protein Biotoxins of Military Significance

2006 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiří Patočka ◽  
Ladislav Středa
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Terrorist Attack ◽  
Chemical Warfare Agents ◽  
Bioactive Molecules ◽  
Natural Substances ◽  
Health Goal ◽  
Public Health Goal ◽  
Warfare Agents ◽  
Public Health Officials

There is a spectrum of several threat agents, ranging from nerve agents and mustard agents to natural substances, such as biotoxins and new, synthetic, bioactive molecules produced by the chemical industry, to the classical biological warfare agents. The new, emerging threat agents are biotoxins produced by animals, plants, fungi, and bacteria. Many types of organisms produce substances that are toxic to humans. Examples of such biotoxins are botulinum toxin, tetanus toxin, and ricin. Several bioactive molecules produced by the pharmaceutical industry can be even more toxic than are the classical chemical warfare agents. Such new agents, like the biotoxins and bioregulators, often are called mid-spectrum agents. The threat to humans from agents developed by modern chemical synthesis and by genetic engineering also must be considered, since such agents may be more toxic or more effective in causing death or incapacitation than classical warfare agents. By developing effective medical protection and treatment against the most likely chemical and mid-spectrum threat agents, the effects of such agents in a war scenario or following a terrorist attack can be reduced. Toxin-mediated diseases have made humans ill for millennia. Unfortunately, the use of biological agents as weapons of terror has now been realized, and separating naturally occurring disease from bioterroristic events has become an important public health goal. The key to timely identification of such attacks relies on education of primary care physicians, first responders, and public health officials.

scholarly journals Nutrient profiling for product reformulation: public health impact and benefits for the consumer

2017 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Undine Lehmann ◽  
Véronique Rheiner Charles ◽  
Antonis Vlassopoulos ◽  
Gabriel Masset ◽  
Jörg Spieldenner
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Food Product ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Dietary Intakes ◽  
Nutrient Profiling ◽  
Multi Stakeholder ◽  
The Impact

The food industry holds great potential for driving consumers to adopt healthy food choices as (re)formulation of foods can improve the nutritional quality of these foods. Reformulation has been identified as a cost-effective intervention in addressing non-communicable diseases as it does not require significant alterations of consumer behaviour and dietary habits. Nutrient profiling (NP), the science of categorizing foods based on their nutrient composition, has emerged as an essential tool and is implemented through many different profiling systems to guide reformulation and other nutrition policies. NP systems should be adapted to their specific purposes as it is not possible to design one system that can equally address all policies and purposes, e.g. reformulation and labelling. The present paper discusses some of the key principles and specificities that underlie a NP system designed for reformulation with the example of the Nestlé nutritional profiling system. Furthermore, the impact of reformulation at the level of the food product, dietary intakes and public health are reviewed. Several studies showed that food and beverage reformulation, guided by a NP system, may be effective in improving population nutritional intakes and thereby its health status. In order to achieve its maximum potential and modify the food environment in a beneficial manner, reformulation should be implemented by the entire food sector. Multi-stakeholder partnerships including governments, food industry, retailers and consumer associations that will state concrete time-bound objectives accompanied by an independent monitoring system are the potential solution.

Tiny or Tall, Mighty or Small—Music for All! Developing an Interactive Online Storybook to Promote Body Positivity in Children

2020 ◽  
pp. 152483992095240
Author(s):  
MariaLisa S. M. Itzoe ◽  
Rosemary Frasso
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Body Dissatisfaction ◽  
Body Shape ◽  
Social Comparisons ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Financial Barriers ◽  
Self Worth ◽  
Shape And Size ◽  
The Ideal

Body dissatisfaction and dietary restraint have been demonstrated in children as young as 5 years. Internalization of a thin-ideal is theorized to occur before the onset of body dissatisfaction and both have the potential to influence self-worth and impact multiple aspects of life. Across childhood, body dissatisfaction tends to increase while there is a parallel decline in positive self-concepts. Social comparisons also become more critical after the age of 7 years. Research suggests that early childhood (aged 3–8 years) may be the ideal time to expose children to content that counters unhealthy, unrealistic media ideals about body shape and size. This Practice Note describes the process of creating an evidence-based online storybook, Tiny or Tall, Mighty or Small—Music for All!, written to promote positive body image in children. Multiple steps were taken to complete this project, which required collaboration among experts across fields of public health, children’s literature, and music. The storybook can be downloaded as a PDF file for free, online, and integrates sound clips for each instrument to more fully engage readers. We hope that this electronic platform overcomes potential logistical and financial barriers of accessing a print copy and therefore allows the message of body positivity to reach a wider audience.

Body dissatisfaction: an overlooked public health concern

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 64-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michaela M. Bucchianeri ◽  
Dianne Neumark-Sztainer
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Body Dissatisfaction ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
The Public

Purpose – In contrast to the attention it has received in related fields of research, body image has remained understudied within the field of public health. This is highly problematic, given a growing body of evidence implicating body dissatisfaction in a range of other public health concerns. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – This commentary is based on a review of the public health, body image, eating disorder, and mental health literatures. Findings – Body dissatisfaction is implicated in a range of public health concerns, including impaired psychological health (e.g. depression) and eating- and weight-related problems (e.g. eating disorders, obesity). Originality/value – Given these associations, as well as the high levels of body dissatisfaction in the population, the authors argue for a critical need to address the prevalence of body image concerns as a public health issue worthy of greater consideration within programs and policies; dedicated funding for research on antecedents, consequences, and intervention strategies; and allocated resources for training.

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