How would you feel if you were told your ten-year-old child was dying because of heart disease? Or better yet, heart disease that could have been prevented. What if your child's routine check up with the pediatrician reveled he/she was in the 90th percentile for weight. Predicting the weight to only double in the next few years if your child remained in the current trend of eating habits and activity level. How would you feel if due to your child's weight his peers were bullying him? Causing low self-esteem and poor grades in school. if only you were more aware of how your influence as well as the television industry was exposing your children to unhealthy food choices causing them to desire sugary, high calorie, non-nutritious foods, leading to childhood obesity.
Childhood obesity is a major health concern. In 2014, more than one third of children were obese or overweight. This means that one in three families are affected by childhood obesity. The increase in prevalence of childhood obesity has caused American's to be more worried today than ever. Overweight or obese children can be traumatized physically and emotionally. Why should we allow our children to experience adult physical and emotional problems? Scarring them for life.
Childhood obesity leads to complex medical conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, asthma, breathing problems, sleep disorders, early puberty, low self-esteem, depression, and learning problems. Childhood obesity can be avoided. We have the power to change the environmental factors that are affecting our children. We must take into consideration how greatly the impact of parental/family influence makes on our children. Children imitate their parents, if a child is raised observing their parents eating fruits and vegetables, they will learn that it is normal to consume these healthy habits. Physical activity is another important factor, the physical activity of our youth has decreased in the last decade. Just look around you, our TV's are remote controlled, providing entertainment at just a fingertip away. Computers are portable, providing on the go entertainment. One can drive up to a restaurant and get food within five minutes. In the past, schools had mandatory physical education. These are just a few examples of how our society has become more sedentary, helping our youth to become obese.
Another way to solve the childhood obesity epidemic is to place limits on the types of Tv advertisement our society is being exposed to overall. Nutritional restrictions must be configured on all food and beverages advertised on TV. If restrictions were fixed on all TV commercials and only healthy alternatives were being advertised, the childhood obesity epidemic will decrease. This change as well as education parents on the effects of sedentary lifestyles will help to make an impact on our obese children. As nurses it is our duty to spread the work on the detrimental effects of childhood obesity. Education our patients on prevention and lifestyle changes will help change the obesity epidemic.
My children have attended several schools and they've all been able to deal with peanut allergies in less draconian ways. Most "peanut allergies" aren't even true allergies. Of the true allergies, most aren't even close to life-threatening. And my personal opinion is that if your child is one of those unfortunates for whom a mere brush from the hand of a kid who ate peanut butter half an hour ago is enough to cause anaphylaxis, you shouldn't risk school attendance.
I actually totally agree with you on this. I was just answering why some places have implemented draconian solutions for it.
In a lot of cases, I do believe parents contribute, such as allowing their children to sit on their glutei all day, or letting them have six donuts at a time (true example.) Nobody gets on "My 600 Pound Life" without some serious enablers!
But at the same time, I do believe it's partially a systems issue. Some parts of big cities have NO grocery stores within walking distance. Some people rely on public transportation, many are single parents working 2 and 3 jobs... Can you imagine how difficult it is to try to board a bus with a week's worth of groceries and a couple of babies? Or walking...if it's a safe place to walk? I'm not only talking violent areas, I'm talking extreme weather too. If it's over 110 degrees and humid, or like where I'm from, often under -30 degrees, and again with small kids, that's not safe to walk. For my public health class, we had to do a community assessment. In the neighborhood we chose, there was one store that looked a lot like a convenience store, minus the gas. You want to know every single fresh item they had? Easy-- milk, bananas, and red delicious apples.
Situations like that, I'm not sure what would help...but I don't think the answer is patient teaching, no matter how well-intentioned the nurse is.
Yeah food deserts are a big issue in america. I saw a documentary about it recently, and its insane the effects it can have. Its a big socio economic problems, and the solution is mot quite simple. Perhaps we should divest more resources from food programs towards those areas instead of cities which have plenty of access to good food.
In a lot of cases, I do believe parents contribute, such as allowing their children to sit on their glutei all day, or letting them have six donuts at a time (true example.) Nobody gets on "My 600 Pound Life" without some serious enablers!
But at the same time, I do believe it's partially a systems issue. Some parts of big cities have NO grocery stores within walking distance. Some people rely on public transportation, many are single parents working 2 and 3 jobs... Can you imagine how difficult it is to try to board a bus with a week's worth of groceries and a couple of babies? Or walking...if it's a safe place to walk? I'm not only talking violent areas, I'm talking extreme weather too. If it's over 110 degrees and humid, or like where I'm from, often under -30 degrees, and again with small kids, that's not safe to walk. For my public health class, we had to do a community assessment. In the neighborhood we chose, there was one store that looked a lot like a convenience store, minus the gas. You want to know every single fresh item they had? Easy-- milk, bananas, and red delicious apples.
Situations like that, I'm not sure what would help...but I don't think the answer is patient teaching, no matter how well-intentioned the nurse is.
I spent a big chunk of my childhood in a poor neighborhood in Detroit in a car-less single-mother family and I can absolutely testify that this is 100% true. Public transportation is a joke in cities like Detroit, and even with buses try taking a bus to the suburbs and coming back with a load of grocereis of any size. A logistical nightmare for a single parent who is already spending hours everyday on the bus just to get to and from her minimum wage job. Party stores are the primary source of food for far more people than most would believe. And it really is a major barrier to any sort of proper nutrition.
I know some will scoff at this, but it's a vicious cycle for many poor families.
Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
I claimed physical activity, not ability ( it just was a typo, sorry for the confusion) And being indoors pretty much leads to less physical activity, than going outside and playing. We don't need a multi-million dollar study to know that.
Right, and I imagine Red doesn't disagree. But I too was confused by the "physical ability" statement.
I think govt education should just come out and call highly processed food garbage and eaten regularly contributes to IR, diabetes and heart disease.
They can sell it but we can call it like it is. Don't like it, make it a real food and market it.
And stop saying we "should" eat 8 servings of grains/day. I can't believe they used to say 11.
Grains are an important part of the human diet, the problem is the type of grain we are consuming. If the grains have been processed too much they loose most of the beneficial qualities. Grains are an important source of energy ( fruits are a better one, but who eats that many servings of fruits a day). Again my guess is that the decreased physical activity would be the bigger culprit in this matter, as we are not burning the fuel we consume. Therefore we need to adjust our intakes based on that.
This is only remotely related to childhood obesity but based on the demographics and stats of our nursing staff, education, means, time, safety, climate, access to fresh produce and healthcare aren't related to our obesity rates. This is in a semi rural affordable part of California.
Of our nursing staff incl part time and management ranging in age from 30-75..
64% are over weight. And I don't mean middle age fluffy, but enough to contribute to metabolic syndrome risk.
21% are morbidly obese. That number could be higher but I'm basing it on undeniable outward appearance, I don't know their BMI's. 2 are our youngest with no kids.
If this group is losing the weight epidemic, I don't know where to start when it comes to those who are poor, uneducated and in unsafe food deserts.
This is only remotely related to childhood obesity but based on the demographics and stats of our nursing staff, education, means, time, safety, climate, access to fresh produce and healthcare aren't related to our obesity rates. This is in a semi rural affordable part of California.
Of our nursing staff incl part time and management ranging in age from 30-75..
64% are over weight. And I don't mean middle age fluffy, but enough to contribute to metabolic syndrome risk.
21% are morbidly obese. That number could be higher but I'm basing it on undeniable outward appearance, I don't know their BMI's. 2 are our youngest with no kids.
If this group is losing the weight epidemic, I don't know where to start when it comes to those who are poor, uneducated and in unsafe food deserts.
Thats why I say that in many situations is a matter of choice, people do this to themselves. But we cant deny that some problems do exist that hinder a part of the population.
I don't think it's strictly a matter of choice. Of course they could have chosen to eat and exercise differently but I don't think it's simple for everyone. One thing I believe is that our food culture is horrible for some metabolisms. We're all thrown into it together and some metabolisms are completely unforgivable.
I just can't be self righteous about it, I was given something I didn't earn, and if I throw a little effort into it I get pretty immediate results.
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I actually totally agree with you on this. I was just answering why some places have implemented draconian solutions for it.