MOD004494 Business Research Methods and Nutrition Transition

There has been a surge in the total number of people in the Malaysia, who has been suffering from obesity during the last 20 years. According to Costa-i-Font et al. (2013), this surge of the total obese patients have noticeable coincidence with the rapid rate of social and economic progress of the nation, which is regarded as a major effect of globalization. Castelnuovo et al. (2015), has termed the terms “globosity” which has resulted in the change of nutrition consumption of individual due to the effects of globalization.

According to Ali (2014), there is a huge effect of globalization, which has significant impact on the health on the global population. The effects of globalization, is able to remove poverty and helped in the economic improvement of many people in Malaysia. The transition of the nutrition is regarded as one of the major effects of globalization, which is regarded as the one of the major cause of obesity. The standard deviation with the increase of globalization has resulted in 23% increase of the total number of people suffering from obesity in Malaysia. There also has been 4.5% surge in the amount of nutrition intake among the people of Malaysia due to the economic development that has occurred due to the impact of globalization (Ahmad et al. 2016).

Rationale 

Obesity is one of the major chronic health issues among the people of Malaysia, which is responsible for causing several other health issues. It is important for the people to understand the link that is there between the effects of globalization and the cause of obesity that will help to improve the status of health of people of Malaysia.  

• To explore the effects of globalization on the nutrition intake
• To explore the cause of obesity among the people of Malaysia
• To explore the reasons for the connection of the globalization and obesity among the people of Malaysia.   

Research Questions 

• What are the effects of globalization on the uptake of nutrition?
• What are the causes of obesity among the people of Malaysia?
• What are the cause for the connection for obesity and globalizati
  
  on among the people of Malaysia?

According to the research work of Pell, et al. (2016), the link between the globalization and obesity can be explored from various relevant case studies, which describes the social and economical condition of a nation. The main purpose of globalization is to ensure that the people of a particular nation can acquire knowledge related to culture and lifestyle of other nations of the globe. This has resulted in the globalization of the food styles and encouraged the people to try out different types of food. Muda et al. (2015), have mentioned that the modem form of lifestyles that is involved by the effects of globalization is responsible for the change in the food habits among the people of Malaysia. The modern form of life styles that is developed due to the effects of globalization is mainly responsible for one of the main cause of obesity among the people of Malaysia.  

Policies of Globalization and Nutrition Transition

In the recent days, due to the occurrence of high level of nutrition transition among the people has increased their trends of taking up foods with high level of fat and sugars. As people of Malaysia are becoming busier, in their everyday life due to the effects of social and economic development, there is limited tine for the people to deal with the concerns that are related to food safety and the calorific value of the food. Moreover, as the economic development has changed the level of income for the people of middle income countries like Malaysia, people have been able to change time. The trading of the food along with the global resourcing is one of the major effects of globalization in the food industry.

With the help of policies in the global food policies, it is possible for the administration to regulate the dietary habits of the local people. Costa-Font and Mas (2016), have added in the context that the economic policies that are responsible for the globalization also has major impact in shaping the dietary habits of the and also can have the effects of change of the diets. According to Adeniyi et al. (2015), the incomes of the level of the people also have a significant impact on the dietary habits of the people. It is also possible to change and regulate the dietary habits of the local people with the attitude of the customers.

Goryakin, et al. (2015), have mentioned about the importance of the transitional food companies, which have resulted in the significant change in the food habit of the people. With the process of manufacturing and sales promotion process it is possible to deal with the foods that are consumed by the people of Malaysia.  

Food Availability and the rise of obesity in Malaysia 

Nearly 1.1 billion people all around the globe suffer from the effects of obesity that has resulted as one of the major chronic problems. The survey from the Malaysian healthcare department has seen that there are nearly 4.4% of the people who have suffered due to the consequence of obesity. According to the data that tries available from the food information source it is clear that shift in the dietary habits of Malaysian people has resulted in the rising cause of obesity. The food balance sheet from Malaysia has helped to evaluate the cause of obesity from each nutritional food values (Adeniyi et al. 2015). The increase of calorie content in each food in the last few decades has resulted in extra weight gain among the people. The health survey in Malaysia has indicated that the Rapid rise in the total number of obesity patient is mainly among the adult groups. The total percentage of adult people facing obesity has increased from 30% in the last 5 years from Amazon of just 16% (Vogl et al. 2014). It has also been seen that the risk of obesity is more among women as their food habits in the last few years tends to be of more calorific value.

Obesity and Globalization

The World Health Organization has announced that obesity has become one of the most Global chronic diseases. In the report of the World Health Organization and economic model has been adopted by globalization has been focused as one of the major contributor of global obesity. On the scale of globalization social index Global obesity has been rated as positive and significant effect. These results of obesity that have increased have been neglected due to the fact that globalization has being the backbone of all major economic development in various Nation across the globe.

According to Crane and Matten (2016), globalization is considered to be the biggest contributor of obesity and other chronic diseases all over the globe.  in the developing Nations, more people are attracted towards high fat containing food along with high content of sugar.  this translation in the dietary this translation in the dietary habits is considered to be one of the major effects of globalization in developing nations like Malaysia. Crane and Matten (2016), have mentioned about the effects of foreign direct investment which is also one of the major contributor to obesity. As Global food brands are making investment in the developing Nations more people are attracted towards the delicious high fat containing food. The policies of trade liberalization have also a significant effect on the nutrient translation process which can directly affect the cause of obesity. There is also high level of expectation from globalization which is regarded to promote good health. However, in reality the globalization has many negative effects on the health of the population of a developing nation.

Research Design and Methodology 

In this section of research proposal the researcher attempts to identify the method and design along with strategy that can be used to fulfill the objective. The methodology section will also try to justify the processes that are being used in the given case. With proper research methods, it is also possible to predict the expected outcomes and results. The methodology section will also help the research to gain effective opportunity that can help to gain authenticity of the result that is obtained at the end. 

Research Paradigm  

The aim of research paradigm of philosophy is to identify the essence of the study which is related to the subject area. There are four kinds of research philosophy that can be used by the researcher to fulfill their objective. As suggested by Taylor et al. (2015), the positivism research philosophy is based on the reality of existence. In this case scientifically proven techniques are applied to obtain the desired result. There is also the interpretivism philosophy which is based on the understanding of human experience and also proper recognition of human. The positivism philosophy is based on data which are collected from quantitative and qualitative method. This method of philosophy has been proved to be one of the effective ways to deal with logical analysis where data is readily available. There is also the pragmatism philosophy, which has combines both interpretivism and positivism in order to get better and accurate outcome of the research.      

The current study will focus on positivism mode of philosophy as there are readymade data available for obesity and its effect due to globalization. With the help of this research paradigm it is possible to accurately focus on the cause of globalization that has affected in obesity. It will also help the researcher to link all the theories and models related to the effect of globalization on country like Malaysia.  The other types of research paradigm will not be applied in this case as the topic area of the research needs scientifically accurate data in order to get better results.

Research Approach 

Research approach is the most crucial step for conducting the analysis and expecting the desired outcome of the research.  The approach of the research helps to identify the steps that need to be followed in the entire research work. The deductive form of approach in research work relies on available theories and models and attempts to relate those with the topic area of research and the relevant data that are collected (Flick 2015). There is also the inductive approach, which enables the researchers to deduce new model and theories relevant to the topic of the research and that can be used for further analysis.

The current study will use deductive approach which will enable the researcher to use all the theories and models relevant to the growth of obesity and effect of globalization. Moreover does the research area is to focus on both quantitative and qualitative mode of data, using the existing theories and models relevant to the research subject will help to get better results. On the other hand inductive approach will also be used for the researcher in order to derive the cause of obesity due to the effects of globalization. These theories can help in the future research work to reduce the cause of obesity and thereby ensuring that people are able to get high nutrition value food. 

Research Design 

The aim of the Research Design is to provide the basic level of guidance that the researchers need to be followed to fulfill the objectives. There are mainly three type of Research Design that can be used by the researchers. In exploratory Research Design the main objective of the investigator is to identify the cause for the issues that is raised in the research work. Hence, this type of research Design helps directly to confront the issues that are being raised. There is also that descriptive form of Research Design, which helps to describe the issue raised in the research work and also predict the future outcome (Panneerselvam 2014).

The current research work will use both exploratory and descriptive form of Research Design which will help to evaluate the cause of obesity due to globalization and also define in details using the collected data. Using two different types of Research Design will also help to better understanding of the research topic and get depth knowledge in the context.

Data Collection Process

With the help of the data collection process, it is possible for the researchers to collect valuable information relevant to the research topic. Data for the research what is the fundamental Need that will help the researcher evaluate and gain better knowledge about the topic area of the research. The data which is collected can be divided into both primary and secondary form which depends on the source from which it is being collected (Tarone et al. 2013). With the help of the both forms of data, it is possible to have better idea relevant to the subject area of the research.  

The primary forms of data are those, which is collected directly from the source by the modes of interviews and surveys. This form of data provides the latest information that is relevant to the topic area of the research. On the other hand, the secondary forms of data are being collected from the collected from the journals and research papers of the previously conducted research of the same or relevant topic area. The main advantage of the primary form of research and the data that is collected in the context is that it helps to get the idea about the latest updates and trends of the topic area of the research. The primary data can be divided into both qualitative and quantitative forms, where the topic area of the subject can be used to perform the future research work.

The current study, will mainly use the secondary forms of data,, which will analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative forms. The primary data will also be collected from the people, who are suffering from people of Malaysia, who are currently suffering from the consequence of obesity and overweight diseases. This will help to ensure that the data that is being collected can provide the wider information about the cause and effects of globalization that is causing obesity to the people of Malaysia.

Data Analysis

The data that is collected needs to be analyzed using the techniques the effective techniques. The quantitative forms of data analysis are done based on the fragment of information that is being collected. Billig and Waterman (2014), have mentioned that with the help of the quantitative data analysis method, it is possible to deal with the information and also the subject of human inclination. It is important to have relevant sample size in order to imply quantitative sample size, to have the best possible to result from the data that are being collected. In this case, as the sample size is large one, it is important to imply the quantitative forms of data analysis, which helps in the matter relevant to the cause of obesity and the effect of globalization.

It is also important for the researcher to have a particular data analysis plan, which will help to deal with the proper techniques of data analysis. The quantitative data, which is being analyzed in the process, will help in the methods that are relevant to the subject area of the research work. The data that will be analyzed will be represented in the forms of charts and bar diagrams, which will help in the process of proper interpretation.

Ethical issues 

It is important for the researcher to follow a certain code of ethics in order to ensure that the result and data which is obtained can be reliable and also can be used for reference in the future (Dave et al. 2016). In order to collect secondary data from previous journals and articles it is important for the researcher to grant permission from the copyright holder and also to ensure that no illegal steps are taken to collect the data. During the time of collecting primary data from interview and survey the researcher has to ensure that they do not force the participants to provide information. It is also important for them to ensure that is some private information about an individual is published it needs to be done using proper data form. They also need to use authentic source in order to collect the data which will ensure that they will get high quality result and can be used as a reliable source.

Research Timeline

The timeline of the research helps on to decide upon the sequence of events that needs to be carried out in the research. In the very first week of the research, the main highlighting area of the research is selected, which will help to decide upon the subsequent steps of the research work. The next step is the construction of the literature, which will help in the process of selecting the appropriate methods of the research. The data is collected in the subsequent week, which helps in the process of selecting the methods of the research. The process of data collection took two weeks as it is the most important part of the research work. In the subsequent process, the data is analyzed and represented in proper tabular and chart forms.

In the following weeks, discussions and conclusion of the work is done. Finally in the final week, the data, which is analyzed, is being published. The total time of the research work is of 9 weeks.     

Table 1: Time line of the research

Reference:  

Adeniyi, O.V., Longo-Mbenza, B. and Goon, D., 2015. Female sex, poverty and globalization as determinants of obesity among rural South African type 2 diabetics: a cross-sectional study. BMC public health, 15(1), p.298.

Ahmad, N., Adam, S.I.M., Nawi, A.M., Hassan, M.R. and Ghazi, H.F., 2016. Abdominal obesity indicators: Waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio in Malaysian adults population. International Journal of Preventive Medicine, 7.

Ali, A., 2014. An exploration of dietary patterns and the relationship with obesity in the Malaysian population (Doctoral dissertation, University of Southampton).

Billig, S.H. and Waterman, A.S. eds., 2014. Studying service-learning: Innovations in education research methodology. Routledge.

Castelnuovo, G., Pietrabissa, G., Manzoni, G.M., Corti, S., Ceccarini, M., Borrello, M., Giusti, E.M., Novelli, M., Cattivelli, R., Middleton, N.A. and Simpson, S.G., 2015. Chronic care management of globesity: promoting healthier lifestyles in traditional and mHealth based settings. Frontiers in psychology, 6, p.1557.

Costa-Font, J. and Mas, N., 2016. ‘Globesity’? The effects of globalization on obesity and caloric intake. Food Policy, 64, pp.121-132.

Costa-i-Font, J., Mas, N. and Navarro, P., 2013. Globesity: is globalization a pathway to obesity?.

Crane, A. and Matten, D., 2016. Business ethics: Managing corporate citizenship and sustainability in the age of globalization. Oxford University Press.

Dave, A., Cumin, J., Chung, R. and Hunt, M., 2016. Engaging Ethical Issues Associated with Research and Public Health Interventions During Humanitarian Crises: Review of a Dialogic Workshop.

Flick, U., 2015. Introducing research methodology: A beginner's guide to doing a research project. Sage.

Goryakin, Y., Lobstein, T., James, W.P.T. and Suhrcke, M., 2015. The impact of economic, political and social globalization on overweight and obesity in the 56 low and middle income countries. Social Science & Medicine, 133, pp.67-76.

Muda, W.A.M.W., Kuate, D., Jalil, R.A., Nik, W.S.W. and Awang, S.A., 2015. Self-perception and quality of life among overweight and obese rural housewives in Kelantan, Malaysia. Health and quality of life outcomes, 13(1), p.19.

Panneerselvam, R., 2014. Research methodology. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd..

Pell, C., Allotey, P., Evans, N., Hardon, A., Imelda, J.D., Soyiri, I. and Reidpath, D.D., 2016. Coming of age, becoming obese: a cross-sectional analysis of obesity among adolescents and young adults in Malaysia. BMC Public Health, 16(1), p.1082.

Tarone, E.E., Gass, S.M. and Cohen, A.D., 2013. Research methodology in second-language acquisition. Routledge.

Taylor, S.J., Bogdan, R. and DeVault, M., 2015. Introduction to qualitative research methods: A guidebook and resource. John Wiley & Sons.

Vogli, R.D., Kouvonen, A., Elovainio, M. and Marmot, M., 2014. Economic globalization, inequality and body mass index: a cross-national analysis of 127 countries. Critical Public Health, 24(1), pp.7-21.