Obesity Improving Health Outcomes - 520 Words

While exploring possible health issues and a population to focus on for my project, I was overwhelmed by the number of issues we are faced with everyday. I narrowed the search down to obesity and the population I would like to focus on is the adolescents. Health People 2010 identified overweight and obesity as one of the top ten leading health indicators that needs serious attention. Obesity has reached epidemic levels globally; being a significant threat to our own nation’s health. Adolescent obesity rates have more than tripled, as the adult obesity rate has doubled since 1980’s (Trust for Americas Health, 2011a). It was interesting to learn of particular statistics and trends concerning adolescent obesity in our nation. Geographic†¦show more content†¦It’s not easy growing up in today’s world as an adolescent. The psychological, physical, social, and environmental factors can have significant negative impacts on their health. During the adolescent phase it is a very â€Å"extraordinary plasticity† period (Steinbeck, Baur, Cowell Pietrobelli, 2009, p. 2). These individual’s habits, attitudes, and physical morbidity develop during this phase. This establishes the pathway and blueprint that influence their long term health and wellbeing. When deciding what approach I would take when addressing this epidemic problem, I decided on health promotion and prevention. The two are so closely interrelated that it is hard to separate. However, health promotion and prevention also have over lapping boundaries with health management, marketing, community empowerment, and policy. In order to promote and prevent this epidemic, we need to rely on the policies (that regulate food and exercise in our schools and communities), the marketing (that promote and provide the tools to make our nation aware about this epidemic), and community empowerment (to support our nation about how to permanently change their lifestyles and way of thinking). I chose health promotion and prevention as it draws from the actions of these other elements. In order to be most effective, a system-wide approachShow MoreRelatedThe Healthy People 2020 Objective Nutrition And Weight Status Essay1451 Words   |  6 PagesThe Healthy People 2020 objective Nutritio n and Weight Status has a goal of improving the diet of Americans, thus improving their overall health. â€Å"Diet quality is critically important to the prevention of many types of chronic disease† (Wilson et al, 2015, p. 302.) According to Healthy People 2020 (2014), â€Å"a healthful diet helps Americans reduce their risks for many health conditions, including: overweight and obesity, malnutrition, iron-deficiency anemia, heart disease, high blood pressure, dyslipidemiaRead MoreThe Health Status Of The United States775 Words   |  4 PagesThe health status of the population in the United States is a national priority. The Healthy People 2020 outlines priorities and to improve the health of individuals and communities across the country. Healthy People 2020 is defined as a comprehensive set of national objectives for â€Å"improving the health of all Americans† (Healthy People 2020, n.d, para. 1). The Healthy people 2020, is aimed at improving the health of in dividuals and communities and envisions â€Å"a society in which all people liveRead MoreEssay On Knowing The Needs In The Community1124 Words   |  5 Pagesthe average amount of income is between $30,000 and $39,000 (â€Å"Seneca County Health Assessment 2014-2017,† n.d.). In order to find out what the need is within the community research of secondary data was used. After reviewing the data available the one community need is addressing obesity with children. Currently 38.6% (2,699) of Seneca County children are considered overweight or obese (â€Å"Seneca County Community Health Assessment (CHA)/Community Service Plan (CSP) 2016-2018,† n.d.). The communityRead MoreObesity And Obesity Related Diseases896 Words   |  4 PagesObesity is primarily measured in body mass index or BMI, a BMI over 30 is considered obese. Until recently, there has been a steady rise of the obesity prevalence over the last three decades. The American taxpayers and the medical communi ty face a huge challenge with regards to the 34.9% of adults and 16.9% of children who struggle with obesity (Ogden, Carroll, Kit, Flegal, 2014). Even with the prevalence of obesity remaining flat, morbid obesity, a BMI of over 40 has increased by two to threeRead MoreThe Ethical Regulation Of Transnational Food Companies And Implement Strategies That Promote Healthy Diets846 Words   |  4 Pages Over the last 20 years the worldwide prevalence of obesity has more than doubled, making it the fastest growing cause of disease and death worldwide1 . The expanding markets in developing countries due to globalization have attracted the influx of multinational food and drink companies into these countries with aggressive marketing strategies targeted mainly at children. This has resulted in a nutritional transition from traditional plant based diets to western high fat, energy dense diets withRead MoreThe Prevalence Of Paediatric Obesity1731 Words   |  7 PagesThe prevalence of paediatric obesity has escalated to epidemic proportions, with 28.2% of children and adolescents aged 2 to 15 classified as either overweight or obese in 2015 (Health Survey of England, HSE, 2015). The factors that can contribute to childhood obesity includes genetics and environmental factors such as increasingly sedentary behaviours and caloric intake (Arluk, Branch, Swain, Dowling, 2003; MacKenzie, 20 00). Increased obesity in youth leads to an array of co-morbidities includingRead MoreObesity Essay1253 Words   |  6 PagesChildren and adolescents with obesity and obesity related diseases reported to have systemic inflammation and evidence of endothelial activation. A recent study indicated that severely obese with metabolic syndrome schoolchildren (10-15 years) had a significantly higher cIMT, -IL-6, IL-1ÃŽ ², TNF-ÃŽ ±, VCAM-1, ICAM-1 levels and other CVD risk factors compared to lean counterparts, 79 along with other studies153,154 obesity is associated with endothelial activation and inflammatory process in obese childrenRead MoreEvaluation Of An Assessment Tool For Improving Adoption Implementation Of Clas Standards870 Words   |  4 PagesIntended Outcomes Individual and community level outcomes included: †¢ Increased awareness/knowledge of health disparities among health providers, community health workers, and participants †¢ Improved behavior related to physical activity and nutrition †¢ Increased health screenings of racial and ethnic minority populations †¢ Increased and improved training in delivery of health education and health education topics for bilingual and bicultural populations Systems-level outcomes for this project included:Read MoreObesity : A Study Focused On Obesity1435 Words   |  6 PagesA study focused on obesity published by Navaneelan and Janz (2014) concluded that, â€Å"Obesity has become one of the world’s greatest health concerns and threatens to undo gains made in life expectancy during the 20th century† (p. 1). â€Å"Obesity is defined as abnormal excessive fat accumulation that may impair health† (World Health Organization, 2015). In order to tackle the concerns of obesity, nurses should develop an understanding of the family’s needs and goals in order to determine family nursingRead MoreChildhood Obesity in Saudi Arabia1348 Words   |  6 PagesDescribe a challenge or opportunity associated with improving public health in a selected region of the world. Childhood Obesity is one of the vastest challenges that faces the globe generally and Saudi Arabia specifically; obesity in children is an epidemic problem internationally that requires the collaboration of health care providers. The overweight children and adolescent’s number have multiplied in the last decades in the progressed countries where there is an apparent alteration in activities