The Importance Of Childhood Obesity In Nursing Practice

Childhood obesity in America is a growing disease that has become an epidemic problem that has lasting psychological effects, because of advertisement of fast food, lack of physical activities, and parental control; which has made food become a major health issue in many young teenager's lives today. Childhood obesity is something that most kids inherit from his or her own parent. When it comes to child obesity, there is a great deal of understanding of the causes and consequences of this kind of problem. There are important necessary steps to take in order to take preventative action.

Adler, N. E., & Stewart, J. (2009). Reducing Obesity: Motivating Action While Not Blaming the Victim. Milbank Quarterly, 87(1), 49-70. doi:10.1111/j.1468- 0009.2009.00547.x

Childhood Obesity can lead to a wide variety of health problems that can be both immediate and/or long-term. Obesity is the condition of

At the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) located in Durham, North Carolina, approximately one-third of the patients are obese. For the past ten years, studies were conducted that estimated, 25-35% of the patients at the VHA were considered obese or overweight. The VHA introduced the patients to a program called, “MOVE!”. The programs goal was weight management to help patients overcome short-term weight loss goals and create a positive reinforcement that encourages to stay at a healthy weight. It was introduced in 2006, and has helped approximately six million veterans lose weight. This program was implemented in 153 hospitals and 956 outpatient clinics. This program started when VHA clinicians noticed the rate of obese patients coming

Obesity has been a problem for many Americans. People miss out on most of life because of obesity. They can’t move, they can hardly breathe, and some people even die early because of obesity. Obesity in adults is difficult enough. But, what could be worse than adult obesity? Well, childhood obesity definitely earns the top spot.

Obesity in both adult and children is a major public health crisis. Childhood related obesity is an increasing concern with respect to the health and wellbeing of a child.

For this reason, I believe there is great need to campaign for new legislation and social programming that addresses the following supportive evidence for obesity resolution. According to Frieden, Dietz, and Collins, implementing legislation that heavily taxes unhealthy food will help reduce consumption of these foods. Decreasing the cost of healthy foods, subsidizing farmer’s markets in underprivileged areas, creating zoning legislation that prohibits the building of fast food restaurants in the vicinity of schools and recreation areas, prohibition of unhealthy food advertisements directed at children, requiring restaurants to offer healthy food options for kids with the nutritional information listed on the menu, increase active transportation and recreation, and improve physical activity programs will also reduce childhood obesity (Frieden, Dietz, & Collins, 2010). The difficulty in implementing these solutions is monetary and political. The businesses negatively affected by these changes will fight against them and the cost of subsidizing groceries for the impoverished areas will cost.

Obesity is an increasing epidemic affecting the United States in an alarming and negative way. In the past centuries it was rare for Americans to be obese. Today they’re numerous factors contributing to the epidemic but they can be reversed with awareness of the severity of the issue, it’s affect on health, and a willingness to make changes in their daily life.

In this assignment, I will critically appraise obesity and reflect on the implications this has in paediatric nursing. I will consider government response to this issue and critically appraise the Obesity Plan, as well as discussing the recommendations from the bold and brave document prior to the plan. I will be reflecting on how this issue impacts upon children’s nurses now and in the future taking into consideration the impacts of policy implementation.

More and more Americans are becoming obese every single day. “More than half of Americans are overweight, including 1 out of 5 children. Nearly one third are obese”. (Wooten) Childhood obesity is a serious and common

Childhood obesity can lead to a life long struggle with obesity. The National Institutes of Health discovered that “The percentage of overweight Children has increased, by almost 50% in the last two decades of the 20th century… It has also been observed that about 40 percent of overweight children will continue to have increased weight during adolescence and 75-80% of obese adolescents will become obese adults” (National Institutes of Health). This proves that the increase in childhood obesity has led to an escalation in obesity in adults.

As defined by the World Health Organization, obesity is “an abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. a BMI greater than or equal to 25 is overweight and a BMI greater than or equal to 30 is obesity”. Being obese or overweight is especially common in the US and is increasing nationally and globally. As per The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing (OJIN), recent studies show over 67% with BMI greater than 25 and Americans between the ages 26 - 75 are 10% to 40% morbidly obese with BMI greater than 30. Excess weight greater than the ideal body weight is a danger to one’s health. Obesity is one of the major risk factors for many diseases such as, Metabolic syndrome, osteoarthritis, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory compromise, intra-abdominal pressures, skin conditions and mental illness and last but not least, some cancers. As a nurse, anticipating obesity-related issues will only increase and nursing care plans will have to adjust as this epidemic continues. This epidemic can and will affect the goal of Interdisciplinary Team Health Care members in providing Holistic Care in an individual who is obese.

Obesity is a major problem in America. Over one-third of the American population falls into the obese category. In children, obesity can be devastating in more ways than just physical afflictions. The childhood obesity problem has more causes than just diet.

Childhood obesity often leads to adult obesity,which is linked to serious conditions and diseases like two types of diabetes. There

Childhood obesity has increasingly become an issue in healthcare over the decades. Children with obesity are more likely to develop chronic health conditions. Childhood obesity often leads to adult obesity, which puts a person at risk for developing type II diabetes, heart disease, and other serious health conditions. My phenomenon of interest is childhood obesity. An associated concept is self-efficacy. This is important to nursing because variables that influence attitude and behaviors can be modified through nursing action and significantly promotes motivation to reach improved health and an enhanced quality of life at all stages of development.