The World Health Organisation (WHO) Ottawa Charter defined health promotion as “the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health. To reach a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, an individual or group must be able to identify and realise aspirations, to satisfy needs, and to change or cope with the environment”. (WHO 1986)
According to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (1986): political science can help address health inequalities, environmental, biological or socio-economic problems that cause illness in our society.
The United Kingdom Public Health Association (UKPHA) affirms health promotion helps to protect and improve the well-being of society, as well as being the most effective. (UKPHA 2009)
Obesity is recognised as a world-wide epidemic. In 2006, the National Heart Forum collected statistics which showed that in England 22% of men and 23 % of women were obese, and it predicts that these figures are set to rise if people fail to adopt healthier lifestyles. Ainsworth (2007) highlights those around one in five children were overweight in 2005. The National Obesity Observatory (2010) supports the statistics and predicts that “by year 2050, 60% of adult males and 50% of adult females and 25% of children will be affected by obesity”. WHO (2006a) defines obesity as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation, which can be distinguished by a body mass index of 30 or above using a measurement of height and
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