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Nursing Increased Childhood Obesity

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Nursing Increased Childhood Obesity
Challenges in Nursing: Increased Childhood Obesity
& the Effects on Nursing
Lance Van
Middle Georgia State College

Challenges in Nursing: Increased Childhood Obesity
& the Effects on Nursing
Modern nurses encounter many difficulties while fulfilling their role as a patient advocate, educator, and partner. One major task nurses are confronted with is the growing epidemic of childhood obesity as younger patients are being treated for serious conditions usually associated with adult patients. According to the American Nurses Association article, Fighting Childhood Obesity, “approximately 13 million obese children in the United States, and the rate of childhood obesity has [increased] from 14.8% in …show more content…
Many cultures have different views on the determining factors of obesity. Penn and Kerr (2014) explain, “… [childhood] obesity is a consequence of dietary neglect, with parental choices causing detriment to a child’s health and well-being” (p.20). Parents have a major impact on their child’s daily activities and overall routines thru unhealthy customs such as poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyles. As a result, these practices are superimposed on the child observing these type of behaviors. Many parents instigate behavioral factors in obese children by making their children eat everything on their plate. Children grow up with this learned behavior of eating unhealthy meal proportions, and it trends continuously through generations. Likewise, children who do not see their parents actively engaged in physical activity tend to develop the same fitness practice. As parents acknowledge the risk factors for childhood obesity and become better role models, childhood obesity will become …show more content…
Nurses may enlighten parents in a non threatening way by identifying defining characteristics of childhood obesity. Information can be provided to bring awareness through sharing comprehensible literature and clear health related statistics. School nurses can actively advocate for healthier lunch options to be made available in schools and help children and parents understand healthy proportions by putting together nutritious selections. Nurses may promote exercise routines that children and their family can actively participate in by implementing strategies that are cohesive to the interests of the children. These interventions will reverse childhood obesity by incorporating a collaborative effort among nurses, parents, and
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