School Nurses

It is no secret that childhood obesity is a problem in America. With children having to take physical education courses in school, it combats obesity in a way that they may not get at home. “Children and adolescents who are obese are likely to be obese as adults and are therefore more at risk for adult health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis. One study showed that children who became obese as early as age 2 were more likely to be obese as adults” (Childhood Obesity Facts). Teaching children about the importance of a healthy lifestyle at a young age can help them be less at risk for diseases

The changes to both student health needs and healthcare during the 21st century have an impact on school nursing practice today. It was because of these changes that the “National Association of School Nurses (NASN) developed the visual and conceptual Framework that explains the key principles of school nursing and provides structure and focus to current evidence-based school nursing practice” (NASN, 2016, p.45). The ultimate goal of the framework for the 21st century “is to provide a resource to guide school nurses in their practice” in order “to help students be healthy, safe, and ready to learn” (NASN, 2016, p.45). The framework for the 21st century school nursing practice consist of

“During the past two decades, the prevalence of obesity in children has risen greatly worldwide. Obesity in childhood causes a wide range of serious complications, and increases the risk of premature illness and death later in life, raising public-health concerns.” (Ebbeling, Pawlak & Ludwig, 2002 p.471) Currently in the Australian community and schools there is an obesity epidemic in young people with many children doing less and less physical activity then advised. “In 2007-08 the National health survey, run by the Australian Government indicated that 24.9% of children aged 5-17 years old were either overweight or obese” (Healthy Active, 2009). These figures show that children are not being properly educated about healthy

     The rising rates of obesity and overweight among kids and teens in the U.S. have become a concern for parents and society. Some educators and schools have even begun sending home information to raise family awareness about children’s weight status and the risks of obesity.

Health has become a very popular topic in today’s society; how to lose weight, healthy body mass index, proper foods to eat to give your body nutrition, certain exercises to help lose weight here or gain muscle there, lower prices for a gym memberships, it seems to be a topic we are hearing about all the time now. However, there seems to lack of conversation about the health of the younger generation. Obesity among children is a growing problem in today’s society (Ogden, Carroll, Lawman, Fryar, Kruszon-Moran, Kit 2015).

“The physical and emotional health of an entire generation and the economic health and security of our nation is at stake” a quote made by the First Lady, Michelle Obama, as she launches her comprehensive initiative to change the way children think about nutrition and physical fitness (“Learn the Facts,” 2010). Three decades ago, children lived active lives that kept them healthier. They walked to and from school, ate home cooked, reasonable portion meals with vegetables and played outdoors most of the time. Today, children ride the bus instead of walk, eat more fast food and snacks throughout the day because parents are busier, and watch more television or play video games rather than be active outside with peers (“Learn the Facts,” 2010). Young children are becoming overweight and obese along with being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes more frequently. They are making poor dietary choices, inadequate physical activity, and spending too much screen time all contributing to the obesity crisis. One of the effective solutions to reversing the trend of childhood obesity is to provide safe, affordable and accessible after-school health and physical fitness educational programs for all school ages across the nation.

Reducing the effects of childhood obesity requires early interventions and parents play a primary role in the proper management of childhood obesity. Childhood obesity correlates with dietary preferences and habits, which sets in early childhood. Almost one in four school-aged children in NSW are overweight/obese. To shape a child 's wellbeing, parents need to place decent health practices such as nutritious meals, substantial sleep and physical activity, and overall good education. Parents who are overweight or obese themselves or have negligent parenting methods can heighten the risk of childhood obesity among their children. Thus, it is crucial that nurses focus on family interventions rather than individuals.

Waking up before the sunrise is a daily routine. Early morning film sessions, class, then practice, which dominates the day. There are few moments in between for food and socializing, but the life of a student athlete is anything but ordinary. Sleep, eat, practice and school are all an athlete knows, and with the pressures of campus life it becomes even more difficult. No time for much of anything, let alone getting a job. Like most students, these athletes need money, but do not have a spare second to work. Without any source of income, athletes are put at a major disadvantage. Their full-time job is athletics, in addition to rigorous college-level courses. The possibility of becoming a professional and making millions becomes very appealing. This course of action leads to student athletes making money illegally, dropping out of school, or leaving school early without a degree to try and make it professionally.

In 2015, we estimated that 107.7 million children and 603.7 million adults were obese worldwide (The GBD 2015 Obesity Collaborators. 2017.). These numbers will continue to rise because of many reasons. There are quite a few families that rely on convenience, so instead of cooking a healthy home cooked meal some families will eat fast food simply because it is easy and quick. Some families may not have time because they are busy with work or other social activities. As a nurse, we can educate parents and their children about healthy lifestyles like eating habits and the importance of

Childhood obesity is a major public health epidemic which has significantly risen over the past three decades and there is no chance in sight of slowing it down unless real action is taken. This major health crisis continues to reduce individuals’ quality of life and has caused severe health problem like heart disease which is the leading cause of death in the United States and around the world. In most cases, obese children grow up to be an obese adult. The prevalence of childhood obesity can be addressed through education initiatives such as school prevention programs because children spent a majority of their time outside of the home at school, therefore school provides a great opportunity to educate and improve a child’s health at an ideal point before the problem gets worst. My paper will focus on childhood obesity prevention in Hill Top Middle school Lodi, New Jersey.

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

In the United States alone children’s health is rapidly deteriorating. Since the early 1980’s childhood obesity in America has skyrocketed, leaving overweight children in danger. While obesity is defined as the condition of being very fat or overweight. One third of children “qualify as obese” (Davies), and meet the criteria to be labeled as “overweight as a result of poor eating habits, and a minimal amount of physical exercise. However, the lack of knowledge parents possess surrounding childhood obesity is determent to youngster future. When dealing with such an austere problem as obesity, parents should become more knowledgeable, supportive, and increase family activities to diminish childhood obesity.

Dalton, S. (2005). Our Overweight Children: What Parents, Schools And Communities Can Do to Control the Fatness Epidemic. Berkeley: University of California Press.

The obesity epidemic is at an all-time high as evidenced by the fact that there are more overweight and obese people than those of healthy weight in the U.S. today. Many political, medical and surgical interventions have proven to be largely unsuccessful. There has only been marginal success with government led nutritional initiatives such as First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign. The key to ending this obesity epidemic lies within health promotion. Nurses possess the essential skills and training developed from nursing practice to use health promotion and preventative health care to target at risk clients and communities before obesity develops. Through teaching, especially children what foods they should eat and the right portion size we can save the next generation from an obesity epidemic.

The percentage of children with obesity in the United States has more than tripled since the 1970s (“Healthy Schools.”). Childhood obesity is a medical condition that affects children and teenagers who contain excess body fat. This condition is very common today, having about 3 million cases per year (“Healthy Schools.”). A sign that a child is suffering from obesity is when their weight is well above the average for a child’s height and age. Today about one in five school children, ages 6-19, are obese (“Healthy Schools.”). I will be addressing the causes, health complications, treatments, controversy, and supporting obese students.