A major contributor to childhood obesity is a physical and social environment that promotes foods high in fat and calories and minimizes the opportunities for physical activity. Despite the strong environmental influences that encourage overeating and sedentary behavior, weight maintenance is viewed as a personal responsibility. Addressing the obesity crisis requires a paradigm shift away from blaming individuals for the lack of willpower to control their eating and physical activity to one of recognizing the "obesigenic" environment as a primary determinant. This article addresses the obesity crisis from individual, family, local community, and public policy perspectives. Emphasis is placed on the role of nurses and nursing, acting to promote change with individuals and families and acting as advocates for multilevel policy initiatives, in reversing the epidemic and improving the health of future generations. (Budd & Hayman, 2008)
As the largest group of healthcare professionals, nurses are well positioned to be influential in preventing, identifying, and treating obesity and promoting advocacy efforts for multilevel policy changes necessary to create less obesigenic environments. (Budd & Hayman, 2008) Nurses have a professional and moral obligation to advocate for social changes that promote healthy lifestyles, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children, the disabled, and persons living in poverty.
Nurses can partner with patients and families in implementing tailored weight control or weight loss behavior, including: encouraging nutritious diets, encourage families from avoiding sedentary behavior, teaching parents the basis of portion sizes and healthier grocery shopping, and overall increasing families’ awareness of importance of good nutrition. (Budd & Hayman, 2008)
Budd, G. & Hayman, L. (2008) MCN, The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing, Volume 33 Number 2, Pages 111 – 118.
Cowen, P. S. & Moorhead, S. (2011). Current Issues in Nursing. (8th Edition). St. Louis: Mosby.
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