NURS 6512 Week 3 Obesity Essay Discussion examples

NURS 6512 Week 3 Obesity Essay Discussion examples

NURS 6512 Week 3 Main Discussion Post

Obesity is common among children in the United States and between 2011 and 2014 obesity was detected more in preschoolers than school-aged children (Ogden, Carroll, Fryar, & Flegal, 2015). The overweight 5-year-old boy with overweight parents will be at the center of this week’s discussion. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] (2015a), a child is said to be overweight when he or she has a body mass index at the 85th percentile and less than 95th percentile for children and teen of similar age and gender. The issue of childhood obesity is a multifaceted health problem, and the causes are parallel to those in adults which includes genetic and behavioral aspects.

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Health Issues and Risks

An overweight child is at risk for some diseases commonly type 2 diabetes and other conditions such as hypertension, liver disease and heart disease (University of California San Francisco [UCSF], 2015).  According to USCF (2015), about 40 percent of overweight children will experience some metabolic syndrome. NURS 6512 Week 3 Obesity Essay Discussion examples.

Additional Information Needed

Obtaining the child’s data such as height and weight will help calculate his BMI. The BMI is commonly used to assess total body fat. According to Faguy (2016), when you have both parents who are obese, it certainly increases the chances of their children becoming obese. To determine the cause of the child’s obesity, the following questions are vital.

1. What does your child eat in a day?
2. Does your child stay indoors?

iii.    Do you have a family history of obesity?

1. What do you think is responsible for your child’s obesity?

Encouraging caregivers

The best way to encourage caregivers would be to reinforce healthy eating such as including more fruits and vegetables and less fatty or sugary foods in the child’s diet. The parents also have to start eating right to be able to effect any change in their child. Encourage the parents to be more active than sedentary; educating them on the benefits of allowing the child to be physically active by going to the park or going on a walk with the child will aid in weight control. NURS 6512 Week 3 Obesity Essay Discussion examples.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015a). Defining childhood obesity. Retrieved from Walden Library Database

Faguy, K. (2016, January). Obesity in children and adolescents: Health effects and imaging implications. Radiologic Technology, 87(3), 279-298. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Ogden, C. L., Carroll, M., Fryar, C., & Flegal, K. M. (2015). Prevalence of obesity among adults and youth: United States, 2011-2014.  Retrieved from Walden University Database NURS 6512 Week 3 Obesity Essay Discussion examples

University of California San Francisco. (2015). Health risks of overweight children. Retrieved from https://www.ucsfbenioffchildrens.org/education/health_risks_for_overweight_childr

Week 3 discussion NURS-6512

The scenario: an overweight 5-year-old boy who has parents that are also overweight.   In the United States, the obesity rates in children have tripled in the last three decades (Obesity Society, 2014).  An estimated one of every six children are overweight, with children of Mexican and Native American decent being at highest risk for weights greater than the 85 percentiles, with estimates between 35-40 % (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention[CDC], 2017). These numbers make obesity the most common nutritional disorder in the United States.  The purpose of this week’s discussion explores how to gather information and encourage parental involvement in assuring and maintaining a healthy weight for their child.

In the scenario, both parents are overweight.  Studies have shown that children with two obese parents are 10-12 times more likely to be obese than children with parents that are not overweight (Fuemmeler, Lovelady, Zucker, & Ostbye,2013). The weight gain often occurs in early childhood between the ages of 3-5 years, these children tend to be less active physically and prefer foods high in fat to healthier options (Fuemmeler, Lovelady, Zucker, & Ostbye,2013).  Parenting style, a mother with diabetes during pregnancy (gestational) and lower income levels are also risk factors for childhood obesity (CDC, 2017) NURS 6512 Week 3 Obesity Essay Discussion examples.

Talking About It

The first step to addressing a child weight is to do a complete physical assessment to identify the presence of any abnormal findings.  The results of the physical assessment may provide a segue way for addressing a specific issue or lifestyle concern and offering options for change.  Observing the parents weight, asking questions related to activity level, food choices and eating habits along with physical assessment and height to weight ratios provide insight into the risk of obesity (Obesity Society,2014).  Socioeconomic status should also be considered and if warranted the practitioner should be able to suggest possible resources for assistance.  While addressing a child’s weight with a parent may be uncomfortable for both the parents and the provider, it is important that parents understand the health risks associated with childhood obesity. NURS 6512 Week 3 Obesity Essay Discussion examples.

Strategies for Prevention

There are many ways to approach the topic of obesity.  A few of the possible strategies include:  education regarding the likelihood of future health issues like heart disease and diabetes, encouraging diets low in saturated fats and carbohydrates, focus on the importance of an active lifestyle, tracking of health history, birth weights, ethnic, socioeconomic and environmental factors as well as monitoring the height and weight of all children yearly and calculating body mass index (BMI) in older children or adolescence (Obesity Society, 2014).

Conclusion

Obesity is not just about physical appearance.  It is about health and maintaining it.  Addressing the parents of an overweight child may be uncomfortable and the importance of a tactful approach cannot be understated. I believe that most parents want what is best for their children and will do what they can to assure the health of their child NURS 6512 Week 3 Obesity Essay Discussion examples.

Reference:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], (2017).  Childhood Overweight and Obesity.  Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/

Fuemmeler, B. F., Lovelady, C. A., Zucker, N. L., & Østbye, T. (2013). Parental obesity moderates the relationship between childhood appetitive traits and weight. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 21(4),

815–823. http://doi.org/10.1002/oby.20144

Obesity Society. (2014).  Childhood Overweight.  Retrieved from:http://www.obesity.org/obesity/resources/facts-about-obesity/childhood- overweight