Health advocacy campaign strategies and implementation
The policy problem addressed in this paper has to do with effective implementation of established programs for addressing childhood obesity in communities. Since, "there are reasons not to endorse the standard economic model's laissez-fire implications when applied to adults" and even more reasons when the model is applied to children (Anderson, et al, 2003). Moreover, children's lives are governed by their parents and by schools, but social conditions and policies have contributed to situations in which childhood obesity thrives. The provisions of en loco parentis may have more relevance today than ever before—schools must be enlisted to make meaningful changes that benefit the health of children and not just their intellect. The role of public health nurses in this arena is clearly one of advocacy, but an advocacy that is supported by an enormous corpus of policy and good will. It is only the political will—much of which resides at the local level—that is lacking.