Design Interventional Models For Primary Care Providers

As per Healthy People 2020 most Americans do not consume healthy diets and are not physically active at levels needed to maintain proper health. As a result of these behaviors the nation has experienced a dramatic increase in obesity in the U.S with 1 in 3 adults (34.0%) and 1 and 6 children and adolescents (16.2%) are obese. In addition to grave health consequences of being overweight and obese. It significantly raises medical cost and causes a great burden on the U.S medical care delivery system ("Healthy People 2020," 2014, p. 1).

Although many individuals are uncertain about the increasing statistics associated with obesity, more than seventy percent of men and virtually sixty-two percent of women within the United States adult population are overweight or obese (Wilmore, Costill, & Kenney). Obesity refers to the condition of having an excessive amount of body fat. If an individual’s amount of body fat becomes too excessive, he/she is at a much greater risk of developing life-altering diseases such as heart failure, hypertension, type II diabetes, cancer, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, etc. (Wilmore, et al., 2008).

Obesity presents numerous health risks, both physical and mental. Obesity has been linked to or is a risk factor for many non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease (including stroke and heart) type two diabetes, many cancers (including breast, colorectal….), musculoskeletal conditions such as osteoarthritis, depression and mental health disorders. Obesity along with all of the alarming health implications have the ability to

Reducing the problem of obesity; there must be an organized educational, political and legislation movement that is supported at the community level. Information from evidence-based practices used by nurses, health care providers, and other collaborators like dieticians, physical therapists, and social workers help the client to achieve a more favorable outcome. These interventions focus on diet, exercise, and behavior modification should be encouraged by nurses. Giving the client the power to identify the factors that contribute to excess food intake, can help the client to eliminate or reduce causes. Establishing realistic weight loss goals and exercise / activity objectives like losing bodyweight 1-2 lb./week increase the likelihood of success, assessing the client’s knowledge and discuss well-balanced diet plans plays major role teaching about diet plans. Discussing behavior modification strategies, such as self-monitoring and environmental management can provide client is the reinforcement that is needed. (Pearson, 2015) Continuing assessment is necessary not only to evaluate the safety or weight loss strategies but also reinforce positive benefits of weight loss. Including families and other stakeholders, such as schools, parks, private partners and politicians at all levels, we can make the obesity issue a focus for change. (John, F., & Kirsten, P., 2014). For programs like this to be successful, outcomes should not

Obesity has been a problem in America for multiple years. Obesity rates in the United States are going to increase 37% in the next twenty-five years (Pomeranz 2009). According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases 68.8% of adults are overweight or obese, one in every 20 people or 6.3% of adults have extreme obesity and 3 in every 4 males or 74% of males are obese (Overweight and Obesity 2009). Once someone comes to the realization that they are obese, it can be hard to turn their life around and lose some of that weight that is making them obese. Obesity can be the cause of multiple health related issues that Americans face. For example, obesity can cause type two diabetes, cardio metabolic disease,

Consequently, the result of this negative trend caused obesity to be the second leading cause of preventable deaths with 18% of American adults dying each year (CDC, 2016). According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases “more than one-third (35.7%) of adults are considered obese. More than 1 in 20 (6.3%) have extreme obesity” (NIDDK, 2012).

One of the most important lifestyle factors influencing health outcomes is obesity. Specifically, obesity is widely recognized as a primary cause of poor health outcomes across all socioeconomic and ethnic groups in the US. The CDC reports that “people who are obese, compared to those with a healthy or normal weight, are at increased risk for many serious diseases and health conditions, including… all-causes of death (mortality), high blood pressure (hypertension), type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, certain cancers, and mental illness.” Thus, exploring

Within the last half century, the obesity rate in America has increased by twenty one percent from thirteen percent to thirty four percent of adults; while the percent of the population considered overweight has remained stagnate at thirty-four percent. Unfortunately, the increase in the obese population poses a large threat to the health and well-being of United States citizens. Obesity is not only an accumulation of fat mass, but has been linked to many diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. The strain that each of these respective diseases contributes onto the United States healthcare system is great, but how exactly does obesity contribute to the occurrence of these three diseases? What health factors are affected by obesity and lead to the development of chronic illness?

Obesity has dramatically increased in the United States over the past two decades. Along with obesity come many serious, preventable health conditions. Currently, more than one-third of adults in the United States are obese (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2015). If current trends continue, experts predict that half of all Americans will be obese by the year 2030 (CDC, 2015). Body mass index (BMI) is said to provide the most useful population-level measure of overweight and obesity (National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), 2015). Using tools such as the adult BMI assessment, health care providers can identify problems and work with patients on a solution to decrease the incidence of obesity and maintain

Obesity also is having a devastating effect on the American economy. In 2013 the total cost of obesity related medical problems was $190 billion approximately 21% of the total US health care cost (PHIT America p.1). This year already Americans have spent $32,160,950,000 on obesity related problems and the number continues to rise. In 2013 Americans spent $3.4 billion more and burned 938,000,000 gallons of gasoline then we would have had to if our obesity rate was where it was in 1960 (PHIT America p.1).The Society of Actuaries estimates that last year employers lost $164 billion due to obesity related issues with employees in America alone (PHIT America p.1). The list of obesity related expenses goes on and on. It is predicted by 2030 $580 billion will be spent each year on the health care for obesity related issues alone, in less our current situation changes.

The enormity of this economic burden and the impacts that excessive weight take on human health and the well-being are increasing. The awareness of individuals, communities, states and nations are slowly acknowledging the problem, yet necessary interventions are limited at all levels and the essential tools and knowledge to combat the rising tide of obesity are not uniform.

Increasingly high obesity rates among the U.S. population have both personal and societal ramifications. For the individual, increased body mass has been linked to a myriad of health issues including heart disease, Type II diabetes, high cholesterol, cancer, strokes, kidney & liver disease, and hypertension. (Wilmore, et al., 2008) On a societal level, the Center for Disease Control estimates that obesity related medical care costs reached a staggering $147 billion in 2008 with obese patients costing $1,400 more per patient than those that fell into a "normal" weight rage (CDC). Obesity-related diseases may also contribute to millions of lost workdays and higher insurance premiums (CNBC).

This research paper will address the issues of adults’ obesity in the United States. It includes obese population, effects of obesity on major health damages and life expectancy, and potential solutions to prevent and reduce the impacts of obesity on American adults. Obesity is a critical issue in today’s society because more than one-third, which is 35.7 percent, of adults are considered to be obese today in America, and the number is still increasing. Furthermore, obesity is a potential cause for many diseases, such as cancer, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and more.

While the primary care providers will be the front line for providing the suggested counseling interventions, the emergency and urgent care facilities within the county an also reach out to at risk patients when they provide care to them. Given that many patients do not have a PCP and rather seek care at these other types of facilities, these partners too can intervene and become part of the initiative to reduce obesity through the

The trend of health care costs is still primarily based on treatment and less on prevention. Adult obesity is a significant cause of preventable chronic diseases and one cause of increased health care costs in the United States. The cost of obesity impacts each state and community. Adult obesity can be associated with chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, osteoarthritis, and some cancers, just to name a few, and account for more than 75 percent of U.S. health care cost. Currently, costs range from $147 billion to nearly $210 billion per year. If this trend continues, obesity-related medical costs alone could reach 66 billion a year by 2030.