preventing childhood obesity

Childhood Obesity

Many health issues that children have been faced with in the United States have decreased in intensity and prevalence over the past few decades, but they have been replaced by new problems that could cause even more serious long-term effects. One such, childhood obesity, is troublesome because it is can be the root cause of many more serious problems. Childhood obesity leads to an increased incidence of heart disease, diabetes and other serious health issues. The primary method for combatting childhood obesity is education of both the children and the parents, and nurses are among the most important means of providing that education. This paper examines the seriousness of childhood obesity and how nurses can be advocates of change.

Nurses are guided by a set of principles much like other professionals in health care and other occupations. For nursing, these guidelines answer the who, what, when, where, and why of decision making and general practice. Childhood obesity is just one area of nursing in which practitioners are guided by the standards and adhere to the scope of their profession. In particular, the scope and standards document gives nurses an outline to follow with regard to how they will react to and teach children, parents and communities with regard to this issue. By understanding research and the realities of the epidemic that is childhood obesity, the individual nurse can better understand how to assist patients in their fight against it.

Research has shown that during the last three decades children obesity rates have either doubled or tripled depending on the age range examined. This can result in serious health problems such as an increased chance of developing diabetes, but it is also a major financial and social issue. Childhood psychosocial development can be damaged due to peer reaction to obesity. Children, especially in their teen years, are very influenced by peer pressure and can be psychologically scarred by abuse received due to being overweight. Also, obese children have an increased chance of becoming obese adults and this has a significant effect on healthcare costs. According to a National Academy of Science report (2005), "The national health care expenditures related to obesity and overweight in adults alone have been estimated to range from approximately $98 billion to $123 billion…" These costs have been rising quickly over the past decade and will continue to go up unless significant changes are made in the levels of obesity in children.

These costs, both financial and physical, can be directly related to lifestyle changes that have occurred in the past three decades. Whereas children used to spend significant amounts of leisure time out of doors, electronic entertainment has decreased the likelihood that children will play outside. This means that they are much more sedentary and the chances of gaining weight are increased. The relevance of an education program can be traced to research that has been conducted on the best practices that can be used to encourage parents and children to change their habits.

The report from the National Academy of Sciences (2005) states that nutrition balance is the most important method of decreasing the incidence of obesity. This balance, the difference between the energy that is taken in and what is expended, has to be closely watched as the child progresses through the day. The report also looks at the large number of issues that are related to this simple balance that make it much more complex. It says "when considering the multitude of genetic, biological, psychological, sociocultural and environmental factors which affect both sides of the equation" the equation is much more difficult to rectify. As an example, children are influenced by the choices made by their parents, school and community with regard to both exercise and food choices. Therefore, influencing positive change is a much more difficult issue than it might seem to be at first.

This problem is especially prevalent in low income and minority populations. The reason for this can be seen in the fact that many low-cost foods are high in fat, simple carbohydrates and salt. Unfortunately, many healthy alternatives are more expensive and cannot be as readily obtained.

Due to all of the issues involved in this epidemic, solutions are very complex. Guidelines have been issued by different agencies that can have an effect on how this problem is solved, but the possible impact of the nursing profession can have a great deal of influence that has not been totally realized. Children will come into contact with someone in the healthcare community many times over their young lives. These people are generally respected as authorities in this area. School nurses, community health personnel, and those in hospitals and clinics can influence how young people and their parents view obesity.