Childhood Obesity

Paper Summary:

The incidence of obesity has increased to epidemic proportions in Europe, the US and Canada. This paper discusses how, as nurses interact with young families and with communities, they are in position to have a positive impact on addressing this pubic health problem. It looks at how nurses have the ability to use many of the standards of practice when intervening with childhood obesity and how assessment and implementation are probably the two most important nursing standards when trying to combat childhood obesity. Through assessment the nurse can determine if the patient is obese and through implementation will educate and identify ways to promote a healthier lifestyle. The different actions nurses can take are also explored.

From the Paper:

"Research shows that there numerous factors can affect a child's tendency to gain weight. In some cases, there is a genetic propensity to gain weight, while in other individuals, eating serves as a psychological "release" mechanism (Banning, 2005). Expert's estimate that genetic factors could be responsible for around 25 to 70 percent of the variations in body weight (Banning, 2005). As this suggests, nurses, first of all, should understand the processes involved and the latest research data on the causes of obesity and the mechanisms involved. Obesity is regarded as an "abnormality of the feeding regulatory mechanism" (Banning, 2005, p.165). In obese children, the number of fat cells present in the body can be as much as three times higher than in normal weight children (Banning, 2005). "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Banning, M. (2005). Obesity: pathophysiology and treatment. The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health, 125(4), 163-167.
• Guidelines for Childhood Obesity Prevention Programs: promoting healthy weight in children. (2003) Health Weight Journal, 17(4), 60-63.
• Henry, L.L. & Royer, L. (2004). Community-based strategies for pediatric nurses to combat the escalating childhood obesity epidemic. Pediatric Nursing, 30(2), 162-164.
• Myers, S. & Vargas, Z. (2000). Parental perceptions of the preschool obese child. Pediatric Nursing, 26(1), 23-33.

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