Strategies for Tackling Childhood / Teenage Obesity

Community Advocacy Project-Health Policies

Course Project: Community Advocacy Project-Health Policies

Child obesity refers to a medical condition that mainly affects teenagers and children. This happens when their bodies store excessive body fat. A child can be classified as obese if his or her weight is above the stipulated average for the age and height bracket. Weight gain occurs when energy in the form of drink and food is more than the energy burnt off (Koplan et al., 2005). Few teenagers and children suffer from obesity because of uncommon genetic diseases. The following study endeavors to identify the existing policies that affect child obesity and explain whether they are adequate or need to be revised based on their limitations and strengths. It also explains the important aspects when addressing the issue of child obesity.

Current policies

The existing policies include early assessment of risk. This policy is necessary as early obesity in children can track to adulthood. It is shown that efforts to prevent obesity must begin early in a child's life. Experts recommend that in every routine pediatric visit, professionals should measure the child's height, weight and length in a standardized way using the most recent growth charts established by the World Health Organization. In fact, health professionals have the opportunities to alert parents of their children's excess weight early enough to allow prevention and intervention. These policies are not enough and more should be done to create and adopt others that will assist in the complete elimination of child obesity. This policy has a number of limitations in that equipment used in the collection of data is not consistent particularly in Philadelphia. There is racial discrimination evident in the collection of data in Philadelphia, hence, the disparities.

Suggested policies

Health practitioners should encourage parents and their children to create and practice healthier behaviors. Evidently, most individuals have increased the time spent in sedentary pursuits and reduced their participation in physical activity. Evidence suggests that increased physical activities reduce the chances of a child suffering from obesity. Early childhood educators and childcare providers should give children and teenagers opportunities to be physically active. Professionals should also counsel parents to allow their children engage in physical activity and reducing the time spent by children in sedentary activities.

Another important solution is to feed the children on healthy meals. Health care providers should educate the public on the health benefits of breastfeeding infants. They should support and promote breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months and later continued in conjunction with other provisions for one year or more. Children are less likely to be obese or overweight if they are fed on milk and dairy products, whole grains, nutrient-dense fruits and food low in fat. Childcare providers and parents should ensure that they feed their children with age-appropriate portions and healthy foods (Langwith, 2013).

Another way in which health care providers and parents can reduce the risk of child obesity is by limiting a child's screen time. Most children are kept indoors by social media characterized by the Internet, videos, digital media, video games and mobile media. Health care providers should encourage parents and childcare providers to limit the amount of time spent by children on screen and in turn encourage leisure activities with significant physical activity. Another policy that should be incorporated is increasing a child's sleep. In fact, short duration of sleep increases the risk of overweight and obesity. For this reason, health care providers should encourage parents to adopt practices that will promote healthy sleep durations.