Jornal de Obesidade e Terapia para Perda de Peso

Abstrato

Wellness Program for EAMC Personnel: Challenges to Effect Change in Perception, Behaviour and Attitude

Lorena Tuico Perdigon

The continuing rise in the prevalence of obesity calls for policies and strategies to address obesity and its resulting health- related problems. Implementing intervention programs on healthy weight management in the healthcare setting is challenging. Issues to consider are: management support to the program, physical and human resources to carry out the program, and the target group-the healthcare personnel-and their perception, and reception of the program. It is ironic that as healthcare personnel speak of and labour to prolong life and improve the quality of living between now and death, they themselves neglect to live a healthy life. The main concern here is the healthcare personnel, particularly their attitudes and behaviour, influenced by the organizational culture and individual beliefs, as one major challenge in the implementation of programs to address obesity. Among the lessons that could be learned from successful programs in the healthcare settings are: having clear plan of action, obtaining full support from management, creating a core team, innovating and maximizing resources, strengthening linkages, providing education, counselling, and a program of physical exercise. Following the causation pathway of weight problems- from environmental, lifestyle, and individual causes- obesity can be prevented through dedicated and concerted efforts to motivate behavioural change, and influence feelings and beliefs in an identified specific health concern, which is obesity.