Are Health Professionals Especially Nurses and The Health Care Systems in A Unique Position to Mitigate Childhood Obesity?

The child obesity is rapidly growing in America. More than 40% American ages between 16-19 years are obese. However, the more concerning fact is that the 26% American adolescents are between the ages of 2-5 years are overweight and above15% among them are obese. The experts blame the society and the lifestyle of American that push towards the junk food besides the considerable evidences about its bad impact on the health. Moreover lack of exercises and physical activities is also a considerable reason behind the child obesity (Fox 2018). This report is intended to identify the key reason behind this problems as well as figure out the ways to prevent it.   

Several campaigns have been put forward to ensure that childhood obesity has been combated. However, there is limited realization that medical professionals are in a position to influence the fight against childhood obesity by applying different interventions to influence the obese children and also offer ad promote health techniques to those at risk. The interventions as mentioned by Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (2014) include the professional's commitment to understanding of obesity issues by the various stakeholders, advising the parents of pediatric care and measure to prevent obesity as well ensuring the appropriate community sensitization interventions on the issue are implemented.

I have a personal connection to the problem of childhood obesity because one of my cousins suffers from obesity, and we often take to the hospital for checkups. During the many visits, I always realize that there is a nurse who tries to offer to advice on practices that she could engage in for better health. I, therefore, realize that this is a role that nurses, in general, would play with a combination of other strategies in combating the rampant problem of childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is a topic of interest because it is a problem that can be managed and mitigated if there are appropriate measures and combined efforts of the various stakeholders in the society, more so those who are in a strategic position to play a major role like the health professionals.

There are various stakeholders in a society who are involved directly and indirectly in ensuring the success of the health professionals interventions or by benefiting from the interventions. The stakeholders include parents who have obese children and parents whose children are at high risk of being victims of childhood obesity. The parents ensure that they avail their children for treatment and various exercises that the professionals would administer and also ensure that they follow through with any recommendations on healthy lifestyle interventions. The other shareholders are the health institutions boards and the government who play a major role in the allocation of funding to be utilized in the implementation of the various interventions by the health professionals. Children are the other stakeholders because they are directly influenced by the interventions whether they are obese or at risk of being obese. For example, when various exercise and diet regimes are implemented, they are the ones who are directly involved by participating in it.

Vine, Michaela, et al., (2013) defines obesity as the excess accumulation of body fats as a result of above normal body mass index.  O’dowd (2018) noted that it is imperative for health professional to understand all aspects of obesity so that they can be in a better position to help. They can better aid the interventions if they are conscious of the comorbidities and the risk factors of childhood obesity. With the appropriate training on handling obese cases nurses can realize that when they when a child is above the 95percentile in the BMI index which basically indicates obesity, the child should be placed in a weight loss program especially if the organic issues like genetics are ruled at as the causes of obesity. Bryan, et al. (20130 agrees with the above argument and further indicates that some health professionals often assume that an obese child I due to dietary, and lifestyle causes, therefore, have a limited role in influencing the health path the child talks. However, it is their responsibility to determine and advise the patients on the best practices to reduce and prevent the condition since they are at a place of better understanding of the issue. School nurses, for instance, have a big role in ensuring that they collaborate with teachers and parents to ensure programs and practices that promote health. For example, ensuring a balanced diet in school meals and plenty of appropriate exercise in their physical education classes at school. Scholar Bryan et al. (2013) analyzes the different ways in which health practitioners specifically school nurses can coordinate with the teachers to ensure healthy, obese free children. He supports the intervention by school nurses in coordinating with the school matrons and administrators to establish a healthy food program, tailoring exercises to fit different students of different body weights and obesity risk levels and ensuring education of the children on the importance of healthy living and practices they can engage to ensure that they do not become obese.

Vine, Michaela, et al., (2013) further discusses the need for the expanded role of health practitioners in combating childhood obesity and ensuring a healthy society. Nurses also have a role in ensuring incentives that bring sensitization and training programs to the community. They should set up forums where they educate people on obesity and encourage an open communication system where they can seek clarification and ask questions on the issue. They note that interventions by the healthcare providers should not end at the clinic but should expand to the community where they establish strategies for community models for recruitment of parent and children in community interventions like house follow-ups and initiation of family-oriented activities among others. Vine, Michaela, et al., (2013) further supports that caregivers should play a role in combating the problem by noting that caregivers and nurses should educate the parents of infants on child obesity matters when they attend their clinic sessions. The nurses should schedule their time so they can be able to have time for educational matters. The health institutions have a role in ensuring that they avail educate personnel in primary health care, so the ratio of patient to nurses is balanced, and the nurses are not overwhelmed by the number of patients that do not have time to interact with the patients and offer advice on matters concerning healthy living.

I realize that there are various interventions that have been established by medical professionals in the past but have failed in addressing childhood obesity. It is therefore imperative to properly analyze the various interventions before implementing them to establish their rate of success. The interventions should favor factors such as; they can be universally applied as early as possible in the life of the infant, the interventions should be inclusive of all stakeholders especially the parents, family and the primary caregivers. In agreement with the above thought process the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario “Primary Prevention of Childhood Obesity” Second Edition, May 2014 is an issue that discusses the various ways health practitioners can contribute to the prevention of childhood obesity. The issue notes that the interventions for the prevention of childhood obesity developed by the practitioners should be tailored to target multiple behaviors not just focus on one issue such as eating habits. They also recommend that the interventions should be that they can be implemented by utilizing multiple approaches and that; they can be implemented concurrently in different and multiple settings.

Daniels, Stephen R, and Sandra G. Hassink (2015) the obesity prevention other than the treatment has become the public health priority. In this regard, the American pediatricians have integral role and efforts in preventing the obesity among the children in America. According to the” Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention” report of Institute of Medicine 2012 the healthcare providers are considered as the key component for ensuing the successful weight control among the American children. In this regard, to review the preventions of child obesity and the role of pediatric evidence-informed practical approaches are used. The pediatricians use the longitudinal development and appropriate life-course approach that enables them to earlier identification of children that are on the path of the obesity. So that they can reduce the high risk dietary along with the unhealthy activities and behaviors of the children. According to this report the pediatrician should promote the increased the intake of vegetables and fruits, sugar free beverages and reduced the food having high caloric density. Moreover, the pediatrician should also reduce sedentary behavior and promote the healthier lifestyle with physical actives of moderate to vigorous for 60 minutes daily.

Accoridng to Rabbitt, Aifric, and Imelda Coyne (2012) the obesity si considered as a long-term significant health problem that is alos common among the adolescensst and childen specifiaclly in the westren countries. Obesirty is not only dangerous abut lots of health isseus and risk are also associated with it. The obbesity of overweiaght among the children or adolescents can contributes diabities and also increased the risk of developing the cardiovascular diseases amongthem in their adulthood. In this regard, the prevention of obesity alos prevents the rsik of developing secondary complication that might develop in their adulthood. In this regard, the nurses palys very important role in preventing child obesity. Nurses can provides nuttitionla advice to both the children and their paresnt for the prevention of obesity. In this regard, weight management programmes are used that offers various stratgeies for increaing physical activities and reducing the caloric intake. The most challanging yet important aspect of Nurses action is to used te whole family approch to prevent or cure obesity among the childfren. Mainly because it is very difficult for eth obese children to alter their physcal as well as dietary habits without the suppport of their families. Thereofre, it is important for the nurses to involve the entire family as the multidispilinary team in order to effectively address the obesity of the children (Rabbitt 2012)

Robinson, Alison, et al (2013) has explanied the role of nurses, current practices and attitudes towards the prevention of chid obesity as the part of primary heathcare. The nurses enables the children and their parenst to prevent the child obesity and ensure weight loss y porvding them routine advices. The obese children suffering from obesity loss their ocnfidence due to their grwoing weight in such situation the  Nurses motiavte the children to loss their weight and adopt heathier lifestyle to achieve. In this regard, the nurses provides suggestiona nd stratgies to adopt healthier lifestyle that is integral to prevent obesity. However, considering the seriousness of growing child obesity and the significant of nurese’ role in the prevention is alos important to improve the competenceis of the practicing nurses. Thereofre,  Robinson, Alison, et al (2013) has also empahsised on  the trainings of the nurses so that they can play efectively role in the prvention of the obesity among the children and enabels them to adopt healthier lifestyle  (Robinson 2013)

Vine, Michaela, et al (2013) ahs accessed the role of priamry care in the treatemnt and provenetion of obesity among the children. Accroidng to  the writers it is important to identify the successful model for  integrating the primaity care and communty based efforst in order to accelerate the progress for eth prevention of childhood obesity. The rapidy growing childhood obesity indicates the needs to develop and adopt new stratgies that includes post assessment or more than the change of behaviour on the individual level. In this regars, the ealier childhod period is the most critical time for healthy lifestyle developemnt and growth. During this time, community health centeres and primary care pediatricians have the opportunity to counsel parent about the importance of healthy lifestyles  and healthful behaviour. In this regard, the community resourecs also has an intergal role to play. The primary healthcare physicians can also eduacte the people, promoet healthy lifestyle practices and serve as the role model in the obesity revention initiatives (Vine 2013).

Dietz, William H., et al (2016) have access the importance and role of obesity mangement in the improvement of health-care training and the prevetion system care. The prevelance of obesity creates enormous clinical burden. The obesicty is also growing due to the unhealthy lifestyle and lack of behaviour change stragies for the people sufferieng from obesity. However, the obesity can be preventes and cure through various differnet means includig healthy diet, increased physical activities and behavioural change practicies. Moreover, following the continuouslly incresing issue of obesity the healthcare prodvider are focusing on the new and innovative innoavtive stratesgies and treatments for health care . However, the efectivenss of these innovatives stratgies and  treatmenst depends upon the competencies of pediatrician and nursing. If the healthcare provides effectively use the healthcare strategeis that can ebale the people suffering from obesisty  to adot healthy lifestye by changing their bahviour and increased tehri physicla activities . These prcaticies enable the obese to reduced the weight.  (Dietz 2015)

Bourgeois, Nicole, et al. (2016) notes that care professionals can ensure policies to involve the stakeholders especially the parents in coming up with effective strategies and intervention for childhood obesity prevention. He notes that the involvement of those directly affected would ensure successful implementation and effective strategies. Nurses also have a role in advocating for policies changes or policies that ensure increased funding and other resources like personnel for child obesity prevention. This is because they understand well what obesity entails and the struggles the patients go through and exactly could be done to prevent. They are therefore able to explain and successfully pitch to the relevant institutions for more funding in the program they are also able to advocate for other resources in the health institution allocation of time and material resources like tents so they can successfully hold forums for education in the communities.  

In conclusion all major health departments and parents have to work together to end this epidemic to end childhood obesity. Start educating our children about the risks of being overweight and what food they should consume to live a healthy life. Moreover, it is equally important to focus on the continuous training of the practices nurses to enhance their competencies. In this way, highly trained nurses will be able to provide better services to the children and their parent to prevent the child obesity as well as adopt healthier lifestyles.

References of Are Health Professionals Especially Nurses and The Health Care Systems in A Unique Position to Mitigate Childhood Obesity

Bourgeois, Nicole, et al. "Interventions for the prevention of childhood obesity in primary care: a qualitative study." CMAJ open 4.2 (2016): E194.

Bryan, Charity, Lisa Broussard, and David Bellar. "Effective partnerships: how school nurses and physical education teachers can combat childhood obesity." NASN School Nurse 28.1 (2013): 20-23.

O’dowd, Adrian. "Child Obesity: Government Considers New Direct Interventions." BMJ 361 (2018): K2292. Web.

Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario. “Primary Prevention of Childhood Obesity” Second Ed, (May 2014) www.rnao.ca/bestpractices

Vine, Michaela, et al. "Expanding the role of primary care in the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity: a review of clinic-and community-based recommendations and interventions." Journal of obesity (2013).