Nursing Intervention For Obesity : Reducing The Problem Of Obesity

The objectives for the Healthy People 2020 program include desired progress in nutrition and weight issues, and there are few communities in the country that do not need to pay a significant amount of attention to these problems (Healthy People, 2012). New Jersey is actually faring better than many states across many indicators, including overall obesity, however overweight and obesity as well as the behaviors that place people at risk for developing obesity are still major problems for adults and for children in communities across the state (CDC, 2012; Manalapan Board of Health; New Jersey Department of Education, 2010). Addressing childhood obesity in a manner that corrects problems from the outset and that teaches preventative methods in a proactive attempt to reduce both childhood and adult obesity levels is a key concern of Manalapan Township, specifically, and this issue is examined further in the following pages.

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).

The first step is to educate the people about obesity and ways of preventing it. As community health nurses, we must collaborate with other professionals to help educate the population. Schools can be the first step of prevention. Educating students about healthy eating choices can promote healthy eating habits in the future. We can ask non profit organizations

Individuals are attempting to shed pounds and keep it off with weight reduction facilities promptly accessible, calorie relies on menus, and open strategy activities went for supporting a more advantageous populace,. The rehashed cycle of weight reduction and recapture demonstrates that the straightforward cure of eating more advantageous and practicing consistently isn't working.

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

America, like any other country, has its assortment of problems: immigration, debt, or foreign affairs but one issue that is rather hard to overlook, literally, its obesity epidemic. The extra pounds have become a sight all too common in America’s society, “men are now on average seventeen pounds heavier than they were in the late seventies, and for women that figure is even higher: nineteen pounds.” (Kolbert). Obesity does not just affect adults in this way either, the kid population has been getting bigger, according to the numbers on a scale “the proportion of overweight children, age six to eleven, has more than doubled, while the proportion of overweight adolescents, age twelve to nineteen, has more than tripled.” (Kolbert). This issue has been a major concern to doctors and scientists for decades and in recent years, has even has the American Medical Association recognizing obesity to be a disease (Pollack). That is a highly debatable statement because obesity itself is a preventable lifestyle. Obesity is avoidable and curable to all (or at least most) of its sufferers. For some citizens, obesity is not a choice, rather genetics, but for the majority of the population, obesity is caused by an unhealthy diet and lazy lifestyle, and for these certain individuals, through a lot of work and discipline, the return to a healthy lifestyle is not as impossible as it may appear.

Extreme dieting may produce results, but they are often not lasting results. In order to achieve healthy goals, Maxfield suggest there must be a change in our daily habits. She argues that food is not inherently good or evil, but our lifestyle could be. Instead of cutting out foods that have been deemed by society as “unhealthy,” humans need to learn to trust their bodies to meet their needs (Maxfield). Goals to meet these expectations should be monitored by healthcare professionals(HCP). HCP can make an impact on their patients by “offering simple and concrete advice (start a realistic exercise program, eat at home ... not just "lose weight"), and emphasizing that even small changes can lead to big health gains” (Gaines). By making goals, setting plans and following up with their patients, HCP can contribute significantly in curing

Another area is the campaign’s push for more effective widespread medical treatment. All of these changes are in part of changing public health policy. The campaign gives statistics and informs to influence policy makers to change current public policy on the prevalent and national disease of obesity. The sponsors of this campaign are the leaders involved with the medical and political sides of the obesity epidemic including public health providers, medical providers, and academia. They work together in this campaign to provide information on all sides of medical care, public policy, and overall health conditions and well being.

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

The Health and Social Care Information Centre [HSCIC] (2016) report that obesity prevalence in the UK has increased by 11% between 1996 and 2016, with 58% of women and 65% of men being overweight or obese. The World Health Organisation (2016) define obesity as the disproportionate build-up of fat that could harm an individual’s health. Obesity is measured using Body Mass Index (BMI). An individual’s BMI is measured using an individual’s weight and height, by dividing the weight in kilograms by the square of the height in metres. If an individual has a BMI higher than 30, they are classified as obese (NHS, 2016).

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.

America is facing a growing danger that has been gradually taking more and more years off of the life expectancy of its citizens. Obesity has been a growing issue throughout the United States over the last few decades and is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in the country. This health issue, particularly childhood obesity, is definitely a health equity issue that needs to be addressed. Being overweight stems from and creates its own complexities that undoubtedly affect the determinants of health. There are two main angles public health can attack this issue from; developing a healthy public policy and developing personal skills with regards to health.

Obesity in adults can lead to an increased chance of obesity in children (Yipu, de Groh, M & Morrison, H, 2013). It is important that nurses focus on educating and preventing childhood obesity, and not just treatment or medication solutions. Providing benefits and support to families through public policies forms a base for healthy childhood development. Nurses can prevent obesity by providing high quality early child education regardless of parents’ wealth. Nurses should focus on a primary heath care setting in order to look at the situation as a whole and emphasize health promotion and prevention care in a community/population. It is also important for parents to understand the health risks their children face by them being obese, such as hypertension, risk of stroke, etc. Nurses should advocate for laws that protect the rights of minority groups, particularly concerning employment rights and health care accessibly. Nurse should be aware on the social determinants of health so they can educate and provide the tools to be successful. By understanding how the social determinants of health can affect their patient, nurses can strengthen their communication and also advocate for their patients by finding strategies to assist them. Public health nursing is essential to provide awareness and education to promote the health of the community. Nurses need to

The case study provided regarding diet and weight management has led me to explore the role of a nurse specifically during the management of obesity. The investigation aims to determine how a nurse can intervene and control obesity. The research generally looks at the role of the nurse in managing a patient that is clinically classed as obese. Obesity is calculated using BMI measurements (appendix 1). Limitations to this investigation from a personal perspective are that I haven’t yet practised as a nurse so I can’t use reflection on my own practise as a learning tool. Taking this into consideration I have sourced my information with the use of secondary research methods, thus meaning the

Although nurses recognize that obesity is a growing problem in schools, at present there is indication that school nursing resources are not being fully used in schools. School nurses are unwilling to taking more active parts in preventing and treating childhood obesity. While school nurses support interventions and are aware of childhood obesity risks, they tend to be less accepting of treatment and counseling for obese children in the school setting. Researchers found that one-third of the school nurses did not advise treatment for weight loss, and one-half of the nurses offered obese children with counseling and referral only when parents asked for help (Moyers, Bugle, & Jackson, 2005). Another study found that only about 40% of nurses