Obesity in the American society has become an important public health issue, especially among the public elementary school children. Obesity is the state of having an excess adipose or fat tissue in the body. Childhood obesity has rapidly worsened in the United States. Recent research by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey shows that the obesity prevalence in children aged 5 to 11 years was about 15%. This shows a drastic increase in the level of obesity compared with past surveys. This survey shows that increase in the level of obesity was particularly in Mexican American and Black children. Overweight affects both boys and girls regardless of their geographic boundaries, socioeconomic lines, and all ethnic and racial groups. Nevertheless, it is important to know the health risk that one may encounter trough overweight and obesity as well. An obese child is, however, prone to disease related to heart, and cancer.
The rapid increase in the prevalence of obesity in the United States has put more threats on the well-being of its population. To avoid such predicaments, there is need to come up with a health plan that can promote evidence-based behavioral change by intervening in medical settings. This plan may also include modifying the environment in which children live, study and play. Various initiatives have been proposed in the recent years by the health plans to address overweight among children (Watanabe, & Dickinson, 2015). Despite the challenges facing the proposed plans to support health, enough is known on aggressive steps on these important health problems.
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The need for the control of overweight measures is urgent, yet the availability of strategies that meet the stringent requirement of preventive clinical measures is few. It is, however, essential to act on the available evidence instead of waiting for the best possible evidence to arrive. Overweight does not lend itself to a simple medical solution especially in the pediatric population. Medical care does not necessarily involve the behavioral changes for implementation of strategies, but rather, the shift in the medical system and factors that affect the diet and physical activity. There are many factors why someone may become obese; the major factor is what one consumes (Watanabe, & Dickinson, 2015). What we eat matters a lot in as far as our body functioning is concerned. However, doing exercise is the ultimate answer for excess calories in our bodies.
In addressing this health crisis, a well-designed health plan can play a critical role. In the United States, at least two-thirds of the population aged eighteen is covered by the private health plans. This cover also involves the public in providing a substantial public coverage through Medicare and Medicaid. Health plans have greatly influenced the whole medical setting. These plans have influenced policies and environments surrounding the clinic through collaborations with partners such as the school, employers, and community organizations. To address obesity in children and adolescence children, various approaches are based on a theoretical framework which illustrates and document plans (Wen, & Su, 2015). Such plans include obesity care model, data collection, decision support, delivery system design, linking the clinic to the community resource, change in the environment, and self-management support.
Obesity care model focuses on the environment outside the clinic world. It focuses on the changes in the healthcare organization rather than those found in the nonmedical context. Weight control in the pediatric patient is majorly determined by self-management. For a proper self-management, nurses should help families to make the changes which help a child to manage his or her weight (Wen, & Su, 2015). This can be managed through, decision support, self-management support, and faster adoption of the delivery system design. These plans can in return establish a more effective and efficient through the adoption of an information system. This will help in the creation of environmental conditions required to support weight loss.
Decision support is the aspect of promoting clinical care that is consistent with scientific evidence. This is done through educating nurses, physicians in incorporating evidence-based procedures into clinical practice. Health plans are designed in a manner that it helps nurses to use evidence-based techniques to manage overweight and obesity. Formulation of a reliable medical education curriculum for nurses worldwide. Many health plans have come up with the obesity kits used in clinical obesity kits used in clinical setting. Pennsylvania, for instance, developed kits that recommend the basic protocol for early identification of overweight (Battaglia, Start, & Morin, 2016). The kits also include the Body Mass Index (BMI) calculators for nurses and the physician as well as clinical staff. It also consists of nutrition and physical activity materials that are self-educative for parents and children. Nonetheless, this kit also contains poster awareness aiming at the parents.
In the self-management support, parents and families are in a position to define the existing problem and the necessary solution. The nurses are involved in educating the families and patients solve the problem and allowing them access to the available resources. In developing a reasonable solution, patients are likely to try and control their weight. This skill is more achievable if the providers use techniques to boost families' ability in increasing patience confidence (Battaglia, Start, & Morin, 2016). Nurses should ensure they build confidence on patience by proper self-management support.
In the current era, young people spend more time in an environment that encourages more consumption of food rather than medical setting. To achieve a successful weight loss, families need to take food that contains fewer calories and increase the level of physical activities (Battaglia, Start, & Morin, 2016). However, it is important for a nurse to advise wisely the importance of establishing linkage between the clinical setting and the environment outside the clinic. For a good weight management, clinicians may choose to use certain tools to reach out on the availability of the community weight management program. Nurses, however, may choose to educate young people on the importance of working out rather than spending most of their time on a party. This may be done through awareness programs or seminars.
To control obesity and adolescent overweight, a multidimensional approach is required. This approach should include policy and environmental changes. The clinical approach recommends health plans that are direct to families but should be innovative. Such initiatives include the school-based initiatives. An effective school-based program reduces chances of overweight through promoting physical activities and eating the required amount of calories per meal (Jarrin, McGrath, Poirier, & Cohort, 2015). By way of recognizing school-based initiatives, some health plans have begun investing in them through sponsoring education activities based on the nutrition and physical activity. Such policies may also include awarding grants to change school policies in physical activities and food. Example of this wellness campaign is the Jump Up and Go! Supported by the states Departmental public health. This encompasses many school-based activities
With the available health plans, nurses ought to sphere head the reduction of obesity and overweight among children. Educating the families on the importance of keeping fit is an essential aspect that nurses are obligated. Taking food of low calories is essential especial for the children who may want to avoid obesity (Wen, & Su, 2015). Nurses have a role in educating families and parents on the need of making then ware their children may face in the event they become overweight. Nurses should also ensure they advise their patient on the importance of physical activities. As professional, nurses should advise schools on the importance of after-school activities that will ensure a child stretches their muscles.
While it is essential that we take calories, a measurable amount is important for health. Since overweight and obesity has been a major menace especially on young children, it would be important not only for nurses but parents and families to advise appropriately on how to avoid this problem. To avoid this problem, health measures ought to be taken to safeguard the wellness of children and help them to keep fit. Nonetheless, keeping fit is accompanied by our much we exercise. Exercise ensures we lose excess calories thus avoiding overweight. These issues can be well advised by the nurses and hospital practitioners. Nurses should be in a position to advise the patient on the measures they should take to lose weight.
References
Battaglia, R., Start, R., & Morin, M. (2016). Ambulatory care nurse-sensitive indicators series: Starting with the low-hanging fruit: Proposing the adaptation of health care measures to the role of the nurse in ambulatory care. Nursing Economics, 34(4), 199-205. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1812897577?accountid=45049
Jarrin, D. C., Mcgrath, J. J., Poirier, P., & Quality Cohort, C. G. (2015). Autonomic dysfunction: A possible pathophysiological pathway underlying the association between sleep and obesity in children at-risk for obesity. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 44(2), 285-297. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10964-014-0235-3
Wen, M., & Su, D. (2015). Correlates of leisure-time physical activity participation among Latino children and adolescents with acanthosis nigricans. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 17(5), 1330-1336. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10903-014-9977-y
Watanabe, K., & Dickinson, A. (2015). Comparative study of children's current health conditions and health education in New Zealand and Japan. Contemporary Issues in Education Research (Online), 8(2), 117-n/a. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1673824380?accountid=45049
