Childhood obesity. Problem analysis. Solution. Nursing Essay

CHILDHOOD OBESITY
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Introduction
Childhood obesity has been on the rise, and it has tripled in the last few decades  CITATION Cen181 \l 1033 (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). It is a disturbing trend that casts doubt on the future of the country because it affects the next generation. It also shows there are some things which need to be looked into that are fueling this trend because it is a result of multiple factors. Childhood obesity can be decreased by creating intervention measures, education in schools and physical activity.
Problem analysis
Obesity prevalence in children aged 5-19 in the United States has tripled since 1970 CITATION Fry14 \l 1033 (Fryar, Carroll, & Ogden, 2014) and data from 2015-2016 show that nearly 1 in 5 school age children and young people (6 to 19 years) in the United States have obesity. Obesity has immediate and long-term effects on the physical, social, and emotional development of the children. Obese children are more likely to be teased and bullied by colleagues in school. Bullied children have low self-esteem and are more likely to be depressed which adversely affect their academics. Secondly, obese children are more likely to be obese in their adulthood if the necessary steps are not taken to ensure the child grows into a healthy weight and maintain it. Thirdly, obese children are at higher risk of having other chronic health conditions and diseases that influence physical health. Some of these conditions include heart diseases, bone, and joint problems, sleep apnea, asthma, etc. The incidence of childhood obesity shows that obesity is highest at the youngest ages and it decreases with age through adolescent CITATION Che161 \l 1033 (Cheung, Cunningham, Naryan, & Kramer, 2016)Incidence proportions may differ by gender, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status and hence strategy to fight this issue must account for its prevalence and differences in age and demographics. The variables greatly vary, but the is an underlying commonality; fast food industries, children, targeted marketing with unhealthy sugary foods, lack of proper awareness of the issue in the community and poor design of children's programs which do not encourage regular exercise to metabolize excess calories.
Solution
There is a need for Intensive awareness campaigns on healthy lifestyles for children. Technology has made children less active which makes them store more fat. They are hooked to television and video games which are relatively stable leisure activities compared to playing outdoors. They are relatively inactive lifestyle has significantly made children more obese, and there is a need for intensive campaigns that educate children on healthy living and structuring their school curricula to involve a lot of active outdoor activities. Children need to be encouraged to play outside and adopt active and healthier leisure activities as opposed to technological devices. Parents can be sensitized on the importance of outdoor playtime for children and reinforced in schools and through the media by professional associations, government agencies and or non-governmental bodies championing healthy living.
Parenting plays a role in childhood obesity CITATION Lin06 \l 1033 (Lindsay, Sussner, Kim, & Gortmaker, 2006). Parents have authority over the foods their children eat and the activities they participate in. Thus, an intervention measure aimed at parents and involving them in structuring a healthy environment for their kids and advising them on the best feeding principles can help bring down obesity. Parents ought to remove and or limit access to calorie-rich temptations and replace them with healthier options such as veggies and fruits. Parents can also limit screen time for the children since too much screen time encourages a sedentary lifestyle and reduces the time that could be spent on other healthy activities such as outdoor playing or their hobbies. Additionally, obesity is also genetic, and parents who are predisposed to the condition can learn better ways to raise their children in a way they are less likely to become obese.
At the community level, there is a need to restructure the school curriculum to teach a healthy lifestyle to children. School curriculum for kids ought to be structured in a way it encourages an active lifestyle in school, and it features content that teaches children on healthy eating habits. Teaching children how to make healthy choices and the consequences for their food choices can help instill healthy lifestyle discipline. Children can be taught in simple yet effective ways of healthy living such as drinking more water. Additionally, the American people have to revolutionize their habits and adopt healthy living habits. I.e., Americans hardly walk, and their food portions tend to be bigger (eat to their fill). They also have a strong dislike for vegetables and higher affinity for high-calorie foods and sugary desserts after meals CITATION Sen06 \l 1033 (Senauer & Gemma, 2006). Americans can adopt healthier choices embraced by the Japanese of walking, cycling in and around cities, eating more vegetables, eating fewer foods, less carbonated and sweetened drinks intake among others. These mannerisms if cultivated will be reflected in the reversal of childhood obesity trends.
There also needs to be a legislative framework to contain the multinationals who aggressively target children with unhealthy foods. Britain has banned corporations from targeting children with advertisements CITATION Sch16 \l 1033 (Daneshkhu, 2016) and Americans can borrow the idea if teaching kids make healthy food choice strategy is to be effective. The academic reforms have to be supported by a legal framework, and the stakeholders of the education sector have to institute them.
Benefits
Intervention measures aimed at parents are likely to be more effective because they target the caretakers of children. If they understand the detrimental effects of obesity, they can help raising children who are conscious of their health. Since parents have authority over the children, ...