Category: Obesity

Abstract

With the increasing cases of individuals suffering from obesity in the whole world, the healthcare provision sector has put in place ways that can make it possible to reduce its spread to a higher limits. The number of those infected is high among those middle age individuals and children that are brought up in urban settings. The most contributing factor is termed to be their lifestyles and lack of sufficient exercise. All these ignited the search for a more modernized way of dealing with the disease (Evidence Based Nursing, 2011). Availability, access and the dissemination of information about obesity was found to be the only efficient and quick way of dealing with the disease. The different providers of the education should be given proper training and resources to carry out the process fully. Individuals should be also willing to cooperate and provide any relevant information that may be required by the experts to properly carry on the exercise and provide the necessary and immediate remedies. Health education has proved to be of more practical in the developing nations since lack of access to information initially was the greatest cause of a number of diseases, some of which include obesity (Dietz, 2004).

Introduction

A high number of patients within the age brackets of 5-9 admitted in hospital with obesity cases have a secondary diagnosis of cardiovascular disease especially high blood pressure. Obesity rate for children between the ages of 6-11 years has increased from 7 percent in 1980 to approximately 20 percent in 2008. Similarly, those between the age brackets of 12-19 which represent the adolescent have recorded an increase from 5 percent to 18 percent over the same period. In the year 2008, of all children more than one third was obese or overweight. Overweight refers to having surfeit body weight for a definite height from muscle, fat, water, bone, or a mixture of these factors, whereas, obesity refers a situation where an individual has excess body fat. Obesity and overweight occur due to caloric imbalance. This is due to factors like behavioral, genetic and environmental ones. The well-being and health effect of childhood obesity is both immediate and long-term (Malloch, 2010).

Research indicates that, among obese youths of 5-17 age brackets, 70 percent are likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease such as high blood pressure. In addition, they are prone to sleep apnea, joints, bone problems, psychological and social problems such as poor self-esteem and stigmatization.

The possible solutions necessary to curb this health condition are changing the lifestyle habits, for instance, healthy eating and adequate physical activity. These healthy lifestyle habits if adopted can lower the risk of being obese and acquiring related diseases. Again, the behavior of children in terms of diet and physical activity are externally influenced by different sectors of the society such as, families, schools, communities, childcare settings, faith-based institutions, the media, government agencies, medical care providers, entertainment industries and food and beverage industries. This means that such behaviors can be influenced for better. Moreover, a school setting plays a critical role through the establishment of supportive and safe environment with practices and policies that strengthen and support healthy behaviors. In addition, schools provide students with an opportunity of learning about and practicing healthy eating as well as healthy physical activity behaviors (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2010).

Implementation

Health education acts as a tool that will effectively help in the treatment of the disease. The education does not only deal with the prevention and basic knowledge on health but in addition it cultivates ideas that play a big role in reshaping the usual habits of people. Most of people whose lives are reshaped are those that practice unhealthy lifestyles. The cultivation of the new ideas in the minds of the individuals will not only affect the health lives of the existing generation but it will greatly influence the health conditions of a generation to come. The coming generation will benefit through a well conditioned and improved ideas on health matters. The ideas will help them to properly deal with the causes and treatment of the disease (Paxon, 2006).

Moreover, apart from physical health treatment, health education has helped a high number of individuals and aided them deal with the extreme effects of obesity that at times may result in death or detrimental health effects. This is clearly seen in the ability of education to deal with the issue of either emotional or mental depressions that accompany the excessive weight that one attracts due to obesity. The disturbances and stress can be well tackled through health education; this is when an individual is made to fully understand the chemistry that surrounds obesity and the likely ways in which treatment can be sought (Alska Medical library n.d).

The education given by the heath workers will act as a motivator for the people to re-look to their personal interests to improve their lives. The improvement in their living standards may amount to a total change in the kind of diet they eat and the amount of exercise they do on a daily basis. The knowledge on the consequences they are likely to face due to much eating will greatly change the ways of individuals who are considered as gluttons. When the populace is motivated, they are more than even willing to change, adjust or adopt new lifestyles that correspond with a healthy living (Melnyk, 2004).

Education on healthcare will also help educate a sense of individual responsibility in terms of health issues. The responsibility can even extend to a community and even members of the family. This vests the issues of healthcare in the hands of people (Cooper, 2009). People are well explained on their needed responsibilities that must be adhered to improve their health conditions. People as individuals, members of a family unit and as a society, will be the custodians of their own health. Various studies indicate that a high number of illnesses, obesity included, infect many people due to negligence and ignorance of what exactly they are suppose to do. With healthcare education that clearly singles out the responsibilities of an individual and community, the health being of the people will be improved (Frewin, 2009).

The education will also provide with an appraisal of what the population in a particular societal setting understand about obesity, their habits together with their attitudes. The collection of this information will reflect to some extend the spread and maybe the number of people that have the same problem or signs and symptoms of the disease. The appraisal will give the health workers to provide an immediate response to the disease. The health workers will have an easy way of looking into the existing deficiencies within the healthcare provision system and provide a solution (Krebs, 2007).

Evaluation

The outcome of the care provided to obese children is monitored to establish if the patient is following the stipulated diet schedule. The decrease in body weight is measured using BMI (body mass index). The monitoring exercise is labor intensive and should be carried out every two months. The data collected shall be used in generating most reviews and developments in the management of the situations. The data are also necessary for future policy interventions and changes in plans for administering the nursing care plans (Taylor and Francis, 2008).

Dissemination

The community health nurses and states can assess the retail food environment for children in order to understand the existing differences in relation to healthier food accessibility. Give incentives to farmers markets and existing supermarkets to sell healthier food or have subsidiaries in low-income places (Dontje, 2006). Again, the community health workers and state can expand their programs of availing vegetables and local fruits at schools as well as erecting salad bars near or inside schools. Nurses together with other authorities can also work to ensure that children consume less sugar and more vegetables (PaYízková & Hills, 2005).

Conclusion

The healthcare education on obesity deals mainly with the behavioral strategies that can assist an individual to deal with the reduction of weight. In most instances, individuals are encouraged to observe the behavioral strategies if they will want to live a life without heavy weights. If they will revert back to their usual lifestyles they are likely to have their weight loss regained. Other experts maybe employed to assist in changing the peoples minds set-up about their body size and image (Simko, 2009). Their techniques are helpful in the psychological makeup of the individual. Other rewards can be put in place so that individuals maintain the lifestyles that they are being introduced to without reverting to them immediately after the education (Rowder, 2007). If the system of healthcare education is fully embraced, it is likely to bear good fruits that will transform the health condition of all people in the world as the saying goes information is power.

In some instances, the population can be given a lecture on some of the available psychotherapy techniques that deal with food disorders. This treatment is necessary before any individuals suffering from obesity start losing weight.

References

Alska Medical library. (n.d). Evidence based practice (ebp). Web.

Cooper, C. (2009). Transforming Health Care Through the Use of Evidence-Based Practice, 1(1), Web.

Dietz, W. Z. (2004). Overweight in Childhood and Adolescence. London: Sage.

Dontje, K. J. (2006). Evidence- Based Practice: Understanding the Process: Evidence-Based Practice and Nursing. Web.

Frewin, D. (2009). Evidence-Based Healthcare. International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare. Web.

Krebs, N. F. (2007). Assessment of child and adolescent overweight and obesity. New York: Pediatrics.

Malloch, K. (2010). Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing and Healthcare. New York: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Melnyk, B. (2004). Evidence-Based Practice in Nursing and Healthcare: A Guide to Best Practice. Web.

Melnyk, B., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2010). Evidence-based practice in nursing and healthcare: A guide to best practice. Web.

PaYízková, J., Hills, A. P. (2005). Childhood obesity: prevention and treatment. NewYork: CRC Press.

Paxon, C. (2006). Childhood Obesity: The Future of Children. Princeton: Brookings Institution Press.

Taylor and Francis. (2008). The Role of Social Work Schools and Evidence-Based.

Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 8 (5). Web.

Rowder, C., (2007). Nursing research, Evidence-Based Practice and innovation. Web.

Simko, L. C. (2009). Evidence Based Practice: A Nursing Research Assignment. Web.

Evidence Based Nursing. (2011), Web.

Introduction: The Identification and Significance of the Health Issues

The sphere of contemporary medicine faces the problem obesity as a troublesome trend that proceeds to embrace the global citizens. The issue of overweight pertains to the so-called American lifestyle, which signifies fast food consummation as a payoff of the fleeting daily activities. Thus, it is said that the U.S. citizens fall into the category of top obesity-prone populations. Today, however, the problem extended to the scopes of all world megapolises.

It is crucial to identify a precise definition of obesity so that to perceive the specifications of the disease. Thus, it should be taken into consideration that the illness may be described only in correlation with the Body Mass Index (BMJ). This screening tool is based on a simple quantification and may be deduced through a persons weight being divided by the height meters. Accordingly, the medical experts outline some standard weight ranges that determine whether a person has some problems with obesity or not. The index parameters differ, due to the age. Thus, teens and childrens weight norm is differentiated with an account of the growing stage while the adults mass is calculated, according to the standard range indication. Specifically, the BMI that is preserved in the range from 18 to 25 among grown-ups is considered to signalize average weight. Consequently, if the index number is high, the person faces the problem of obesity. Concerning children, one does not outline the standard index parameters since the BMI, in this case, depends heavily on personal height, precise age category, and some other factors. Modern medical tools offer some electronic calculators that assist both the doctors and the parents in quantifying the BMI for children.

Since the problem of obesity gradually acquires a status of global medical concern, the studies of the reasons that lead to the disease are critical in this respect. Due to the numerous investigations, one emphasizes three primary categories of grounds. These are poor diet, sleep deprivation, enhanced level of anxiety, and lack of physical activity. Therefore, the basic obesity treatment programs include references to the mentioned aspects.

The significance of the problem eradication stems from two fundamental public health implications. First, the medical specialists regard obesity as a considerable health threat since it leads to the development of cardiovascular complications (Appel et al., 2011). Second, the issue promotes obesity stigmatization, which disrupts the emotional and mental stability of the patients as well as initiates social threatening (Puhl & Heuer, 2010). Thus, people, who are likely to put on weight, tend to adopt cautious and frightful conducts since they live in fear of being teased, due to their abnormal weight. The dispute is relevant to me, for an enormous number of my friends and acquaintances suffer from social prejudices that are evoked by their overweight. Thus, as a conscious citizen, I am highly motivated to find a consistent solution for the obesity problem.

Targeting Audiences: Community Implications

Obesity problem refers to the general public health concerns since it focuses on the cross-population cohorts. Therefore, there are no particular groups of individuals, who are excluded from the obesity at-risk community, unless one refers to ill people, who are physically unable to gain weight. Nevertheless, the specialists in the sphere of social sciences claim that one can differentiate certain community groups that are classified according to the racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic factors.

According to the results of the recent evidence-based investigation that was conducted by a group of Californian scientists, the citizens with low incomes and poor educational backgrounds are likely to suffer from obesity disease more frequently than those people, who come from the wealthy social cohorts (Braveman, Cubbin, Egerter, Williams, & Pamuk, 2010). The tendency is explained through the common assumption, due to which the individuals with stable financial incomes have the opportunities to stick to healthy nutrition as well as perform regular physical activities. The study indicated the ethnic characteristics of obesity eviction as well. Thus, according to the findings of the work, non-Hispanic Whites and Afro-Americans constitute a group of overweight-prone citizens while the Hispanic community is claimed to be less vulnerable to the problem. However, the medical experts adopt a skeptic attitude towards the data since it is acknowledged that obesity is rather a subjective problem then an ethnic deviancy.

Besides, there is a strict opposition between child and adult obesity since there are different treatment programs that are dedicated to the age cohorts. The difference between the representatives of two groups is stipulated by contrasting reasons for obesity. Thus, children, who have some overweight since they are born, are targeted by the genetic factors that inflicted the problem. In contrast to them, adults may suffer from both genetic obesity and lifestyle-dependent overweight. Both cohorts face the same illness consequences. However, it is claimed that adults, who are genetically not obesity-prone have more chances to dispose of the problem.

Intervention Practices: A Study of Multilevel Obesity Treatment Foundation

The contemporary College Health Nursing practices account for the prevention of obesity on the initial stages of the disease development as well as the implementation of efficient intervention techniques that target the illness.

The foundation of professional academic treatment relies on a complex collaboration between the physicians, nursing organizations, and agencies. The stratum of the specialists opinions evicts the tendencies that direct the treatment programs. Thus, modern medical professionals investigate two fundamental issues: the weight loss rate and the adoption of lifestyle alterations as a way to treat obesity. Thus, due to the general doctors opinion, the most appropriate method of overweight reduction is a development of fast or moderate treatment programs (Nackers, Ross, & Perri, 2010). This conclusion defines the work of College Health Nursing practices and promotes professional weight management through the planning of rapid remedy programming. The work of nursing organizations is primarily directed to the separate sections of obesity treatment. Specifically, the organizational institutions that specialize in nutritional practices focus on the dietary regimes development while sports communities account for the elaboration of effective physical activity plans. The separate achievements of contemporary organizations are taken into consideration while implementing the treatment programs in College Health Nursing. Finally, the agencies relate to the legal grounding of obesity medication usage as well as a development of intervention strategies. For instance, the U.S. Food and Drug Agency handles a verification of obesity medicine effects as well as approving the official usage of drugs. The work of College Health Nursing should rely on the practices of legitimate state agencies since they provide some theoretical prescriptions for the effective treatment methods.

The contemporary intervention practices may be classified, according to the age groups of the patients. Thus, child obesity is treated through the school-based preventive techniques. The intervention implies that the medical sectors of every educational establishment is responsible for measuring the BMI among the students as well as making some recommendations about the learners curricula and dietary regimes (Hollar et al., 2009). Concerning the contemporary methods of adult obesity interventions, one regards technology-based methods and behavioral preventions.

College Health Nursing Implications: Reviewing Future Recommendations

The primary objective of a College Health Nursing activity is improving the quality of obesity prevention as well as raising the awareness of the disease conception and treatment methods. The efficient work of the academic institutions relies on overtaking the modern theoretical practices as well as interpreting the findings of practical investigations. One can outline a multilevel scheme of efficient knowledge transmission that dwells on contemporary methodological base. Thus, it is recommended for the College Health Nursing to ground the academic programs on separate aspects. First, it is vital to regard the issue of weight loss motivation, which includes the risk factors, supporting elements, and personal behavior adjustment. Second, the academic foundation has to provide some reliable information on the dietary regimes since healthy nutrition is a background of obesity treatment. This program has to be based on specific cohort guidelines, calories quantification, and products overviews. Third, the goals of physical activity programs have to be discussed in a College Health Nursing, for the citizens have to be provided with some consistent grounding weight maintenance. Finally, the work of academic institutions that specialize in public health has to be directed at the regular monitoring of the individual food and activities regimes. Moreover, a College Health Nursing suggests using the personal diaries that can help the learners to score their obesity treatment performance.

References

Appel, L., Clark, J., Yeh, H., Wang, N., Coughlin, J., & Daumit, G. (2011). Comparative effectiveness of weight-loss interventions in clinical practice. The New England Journal of Medicine, 36(5), 1959-1968.

Braveman, P., Cubbin, C., Egerter, S., Williams, D., & Pamuk, E. (2010). Socioeconomic disparities in health in the United States: What the patterns tell us. American Journal of Public Health, 100(1), 186-196.

Hollar, D., Messiah, S., Lopez-Mitnik, G., Hollar, L., Almon, M., & Agatston, A. (2009). Effect of a two-year obesity prevention intervention on percentile changes in body mass index and academic performance in low-income elementary school children. American Journal of Public Health, 100(4), 646-653.

Nackers, L., Ross, K., & Perri, M. (2010). The association between rate of initial weight loss and long-term success in obesity treatment: Does slow and steady win the race? International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 17(3), 161-167.

Puhl, R., & Heuer, C. (2010). Obesity stigma: Important considerations for public health. The American Journal of Public Health, 12(1), 1-10.

This week I have been working on a project that analyzes the relationship between obesity and other diseases. In this regard, Hauner (2016) maintains that nowadays, an increasing number of people suffer from having excess weight. The author argues that the main reason behind such a trend is the lifestyle changes, which implies that people started having high-sugar and high-fat diets and reduced activity. Other less significant reasons for weight gain include genetics, diseases, and medical side effects (Baothman et al., 2016). Moreover, an increasing number of scholars investigate the role of gut microbiota on metabolism, energy extractions from food, and endocrine functions (Al-Assal et al., 2018).

As a consequence, I discovered that obesity could cause diabetes (type 2), hypertension, cardiovascular and chronic diseases (Hauner, 2016). Additionally, the overweight is associated with cancer, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, gallbladder disease, breathing problems, and an overall reduction in quality of life (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2021). Furthermore, Li et al. (2016) found that obesity not only hurts the overweight person but also can negatively affect his/her offsprings health. The authors discovered that womens abnormal weight before giving birth increases the risk of childrens intellectual disabilities and an autism spectrum disorder. Therefore, it is evident that obesity can cause several dangerous and lethal diseases. For this reason, in order to address the problem that concerns more and more individuals in the population, certain steps should be taken.

The most effective preventive and control measures to counter excessive weight include a healthy diet and regular exercise (CDC, 2021). However, two problems may deter the success of treatment, including patients lack of understanding of his/her problem and self-stigma, which may reduce an individual belief in the possibility of change (Palmeira et al., 2016). For those reasons, healthcare professionals should seek to educate and support the people struggling with obesity.

Personally I think that I will be able to successfully manage the two functions mentioned above in my professional practice. I always believed in my good ability to educate people and communicate my own thoughts clearly and comprehensibly. Moreover, I have a friend who suffered from excessive weight in the past and who sometimes shares his experiences fighting obesity. Therefore, I hope that I will gain enough expertise to properly understand my patients and address their fears and self-doubts.

References

Al-Assal, K., Martinez, A. C., Torrinhas, R. S., Cardinelli, C., & Waitzberg, D. (2018). Gut microbiota and obesity. Clinical Nutrition Experimental, 20, 60-64.

Baothman, O. A., Zamzami, M. A., Taher, I., Abubaker, J., & Abu-Farha, M. (2016). The role of gut microbiota in the development of obesity and diabetes. Lipids in Health and Disease, 15(1), 1-8.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Adult obesity causes & consequences. Web.

Hauner, H. (2017). Obesity and diabetes. In R. R. Holt, C. Cockram, A. Flyvbjerg & B. Goldstein (Eds.), Textbook of diabetes (pp. 215-228), John Wiley & Sons.

Li, M., Fallin, M. D., Riley, A., Landa, R., Walker, S. O., Silverstein, M., Caruso, D., Pearson, C., Lyn-Dahm, J., Kiang, S., Hong, X., Wang, G., Wang, M. C., Zuckerman, B., & Wang, X. (2016). The association of maternal obesity and diabetes with autism and other developmental disabilities. Pediatrics, 137(2), 1-12. Web.

Palmeira, L., Pinto-Gouveia, J., & Cunha, M. (2016). The role of weight self-stigma on the quality of life of women with overweight and obesity: A multi-group comparison between binge eaters and non-binge eaters. Appetite, 105, 782-789.

Obesity Prevention Policy

State healthcare policy in Texas consists of and is based on laws and regulations regarding the proper functioning of the state healthcare system. As part of an effective health care system, state citizens receive medical services to diagnose, treat, and prevent various diseases. The healthcare system may also refer to policies related to health insurance, new technologies, and pharmaceuticals. All 50 states meet annually at the National Conference to make joint decisions on developing new health policies (Healthcare policy in Texas, 2021). Similar approaches are also being developed at the federal level and at the level of private organizations and local authorities. Health policies can be multi-pronged and include developing new legislation, launching local initiatives such as schools or hospitals, influencing certification requirements for health workers, and engaging the public and local communities. Such policies often apply to insurance and other compensation, which may be perceived as incentives or supportive charitable funding.

Obesity Prevention in Texas

Obesity is a national health problem, especially in Texas. The state is the leader in obesity rates in a population of all ages, exacerbating the risks associated with cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. Environmental factors can play a decisive role in the development of obesity. Typically, the socio-economic context significantly impacts the emergence of the problem in local communities in the state, regardless of other factors. Therefore, the state immediately needed to launch a policy to combat and prevent obesity in the population (Obesity prevention program, 2021). The policy focused on promoting healthy habits, raising awareness, and communicating healthy eating habits, including guidelines with the details of dietary prescriptions. When developing a new policy, it was decided to pay special attention to childhood obesity, as it is a significant predictor of excess weight in adulthood.

Therefore, in 2003, the Texas School Nutrition Policy was launched. As part of this initiative, the state has set nutritional standards. The policy focused on reducing the availability of unhealthy foods in schools, reducing portion sizes, and restricting the presence of harmful substances in meals, such as trans fats. Awareness campaigns were carried out that encouraged mothers to breastfeed. Residents were provided with better access to clean and fresh drinking water and physical activity were promoted through information in health facilities and schools. A fund was formed to fund healthy eating in state schools. The initial initiative was a success and was followed by the launch of the Obesity Prevention Program in 2013 (Obesity prevention program, 2021). The program brought together healthy eating, obesity prevention, work-based health programs, and daily physical activity promotion.

Three Characteristics in the Development of the Obesity Prevention Policy

One of the most important characteristics of any policy is its representation in legislation. Therefore, the program paid more attention to the existing legislation regulating healthy eating and developing new laws with good potential. Texas Constitution and Statutes include the Health and Safety Code, where Chapter 116 is dedicated to the Early Childhood Health and Nutrition Interagency Council (Texas Constitution and Statutes, 2021). In addition, Texas Health and Safety Code have a title 6 Subtitle A that covers the Food and Drug Health Regulation, including the Texas Food, Drugs and Cosmetic Act, Texas Meat and Poultry Inspection Act, Public Health Provisions Relating to Production of Baked Goods and other laws.

State responsibility is another important feature in any state policy. As mentioned on the Texas Health and Human Services website, the state declares responsibility for implementing the program in the areas of healthy nutrition, physical activity, and worksite wellness (Obesity prevention program, 2021). In the OPP Priority Status document, it is mentioned that the state is dedicated to improve key social determinants that most impact obesity; improve health equity; increase resources and capacity of local health departments and community organizations to address obesity (Department of State Health Services, 2016, p. 3). The state is also meant to transform environments in Texas with evidence-based interventions addressing physical activity and healthy eating, and evaluate intervention data to ensure successful, impactful, and efficient use of public health resources (Department of State Health Services, 2016, p. 3). Therefore, the state demonstrates responsibility for policy implementation and monitoring and control of its performance.

The third important element of the policy-making process is the relation to federal policy. The CDC guidelines and practical requirements represent the US obesity prevention strategies. Experts note that federal, state, and local policies usually align with each other since they have common goals (Shi, 2019, p. 75). Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity Prevention Strategies of the CDC feature The CDC Guide to Strategies to Increase Physical Activity in the Community, The CDC Guide to Strategies to Increase the Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables, The CDC Guide to Breastfeeding Interventions, and other documents (Prevention strategies and guidelines, 2021). Given the universal nature of the tips presented in the guidelines, they can easily be applied to the development of information campaigns within the framework of a state program. The cooperation between the federal, state, and other participants, like schools and medical organizations, is usually made possible due to political will and is enhanced by the planning elements of the policy.

References

Department of State Health Services obesity prevention program priority objectives 2016  2021. Web.

Healthcare policy in Texas. (2021). Web.

Obesity prevention program. (2021). Web.

Prevention strategies & guidelines. (2021). Web.

Texas Constitution and Statutes. (2021). Web.

Shi, L. (2019). Introduction to health policy (2nd ed.). Health Administration Press.

Introduction

Childhood and adolescent obesity have recently reached epidemic levels in the United States. About 17% of children in the United States are obese (Derks et al., 2017). Being overweight is a chronic disease characterized by excessive adipose tissue accumulation, usually due to excessive food intake and low energy consumption. This disease can affect all aspects of childrens lives, including their psychological, cardiovascular health, and overall physical health. The link between being overweight and its effects on overall health makes it a public health issue for children and adolescents. Due to the increasing prevalence of obesity among children, many studies have been conducted to determine which associations and risk factors increase the likelihood that a child will be obese (Sjunnestrand et al., 2019). Moreover, due to its importance to public health, it is necessary to monitor the growing trend towards obesity in children closely and sensitively. Obesity can be caused by genetic, psychological, lifestyle, diet, environmental, and hormonal factors. However, even though so many factors can influence the occurrence of obesity, parents are considered the main culprit. Many factors influence obesity in children, and the key ones are not the parents but the environment and genetics.

Pressure on Parents

The role of parents in obesity is not a key factor. The home and family environment has been studied for decades with the assumption that it is a decisive factor in determining the health and development of children (Derks et al., 2017). To reduce the risks of obesity, health professionals often recommend a strict diet instead of instilling healthy eating habits in children, which leads to a restrictive diet (Sjunnestrand et al., 2019). Many parents have to ignore childrens biological needs and feelings of hunger and satiety, reducing portions to achieve an average BMI level. However, studies have proven that dietary restriction, on the contrary, is a risk factor for being overweight since it can hinder the development of healthy self-regulation of food intake and, consequently, lead to overeating when food is freely available (Derks et al., 2017). Thus, the generally accepted opinion that parental behavior plays a crucial role in the occurrence of obesity in children leads to restrictive diets at home, as parents worry and try to help children. However, restrictive diets are most often a factor that increases the chances of obesity.

Influence of the External Environment

Supporters of the fact that parents are the main factor in the occurrence of overweight in children often argue that the external environment forms childrens diet and eating habits. However, they forget that the childrens climate does not end in the parental home. School is one of the most critical places for effective intervention and the fight against obesity, as children spend most of their time at school. The food environment next door to the school is strongly associated with being overweight. For example, a mini market within 800m of the school was associated with higher overweight among students (Jia, 2019). The availability of high-calorie and less expensive foods, combined with the widespread advertising and easy availability of these products, have significantly contributed to the growing trend toward obesity (Sjunnestrand et al., 2019). Thus, it can be noted that the environment also has an essential influence on the occurrence of overweight children.

Genetic Factors

The other most significant argument is that a genetic predisposition forces parents to adapt eating styles for their children. New research suggests that parents do not cause new nutritional features in their children but become a reaction to existing ones. The study found that children with a higher genetic body mass index had a higher level of parental restrictions. Children with a lower body mass index had a higher pressure level, suggesting that parents adjusted their strategies for each child (Quah et al., 2019). Obesity is found in genetically predisposed people and includes biological protection against increased body fat, the mechanism of which can be partially explained by the interaction between brain reward and accumulation of lipid metabolites or other mechanisms. which damage the neurons of the hypothalamus (Sanyaolu et al., 2019). Even in families where fraternal twins differed in their genetic predisposition, parents were stricter with twins who tended to have more weight and put more pressure on twins who tended to weigh less (Selzam et al., 2018). The results of these studies challenge the prevailing view that parental behavior is the main factor influencing a childs weight.

Counterargument

However, parents can still influence their childrens high body mass index. As a result of the study, it was found that the body mass index of each child depends on the mothers BMI by an average of 20% and the fathers BMI by 20% (Dolton and MiMi, 2017). This ratio was constant for both developed and developing countries, for the country with the highest percentage of obesity among the population, such as the United States, and vice versa, such as China and Indonesia. The analysis seems to be demosntrating that the degree of influence of parental BMI on the childs body weight is not uniform. The parental contribution is lowest in the thinnest children  about 10% of the mothers BMI and 10% of the fathers BMI. In obese children, this proportion can reach 30% for each parent (Dolton and MiMi, 2017). Their tendency to be overweight is more than half determined by heredity and the familys lifestyle. Thus, parents still play a role in their childrens obesity, not behaviorally, but at the genetic level.

Conclusion

Thus, the argument that parents are the cause of obesity in children seems to be not valid. The pressure exerted on parents in connection with body mass index indicators affects the formation of a diet at home. This leads to restrictive nutrition measures, which can only worsen the problem in the future. Therefore, society must pay attention to the fact that childhood obesity is not the parents fault. Although a complete picture of all the risk factors associated with obesity remains unattainable, many studies have concluded that environment and genetics are of the highest importance in the development of overweight in children and adolescents. The external environment, such as the organization of meals and physical activity at school, and the availability of fast-food restaurants and shops near the school, are all strongly connected with increased body mass index. It is also important not to forget that genetic factors also play a role. The genes responsible for the feeling of satiety and food satisfaction are regulators of the eating behavior of children. Summarizing all the above, one can say that parents do not play a vital role in the occurrence of obesity in children.

Works Cited

Derks, Ivonne PM, et al. Testing the Direction of Effects Between Child Body Composition and Restrictive Feeding Practices: Results from a Population-based Cohort. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol.106, no. 3, 2017, pp. 783-790.

Dolton, Peter, and Mimi Xiao. The Intergenerational Transmission of Body Mass Index Across Countries. Economics & Human Biology, vol. 24, 2017, pp. 140-152.

Jia, Peng, et al. Effects of School Neighborhood Food Environments on Childhood Obesity at Multiple Scales: a Longitudinal Kindergarten Cohort Study in the USA. BMC Medicine, vol. 17 no. 1, 2019, pp. 1-15.

Sanyaolu, Adekunle, et al. Childhood and Adolescent Obesity in the United States: a Public Health Concern. Global Pediatric Health, vol. 6, 2019, 2333794X19891305.

Sjunnestrand, My, et al. Planting a Seed-child Health Care Nurses Perceptions of Speaking to Parents about Overweight and Obesity: a Qualitative Study within the STOP Project. BMC Public Health, vol. 19 no. 1, 2019, pp. 1-11.

Selzam, Saskia, et al. Evidence for Gene-environment Correlation in Child Feeding: Links Between Common Genetic Variation for BMI in Children and Parental Feeding Practices. PLoS Genetics, vol. 14 no. 11, 2018, e1007757.

Quah, Phaik Ling, et al. Longitudinal Analysis Between Maternal Feeding Practices and Body Mass Index (BMI): A study in Asian Singaporean preschoolers. Frontiers in Nutrition, vol. 6, 2019, p.32.

Introduction

Obesity is a chronic, recurring disease, and the prevalence rate of obesity in both economically developed countries and developing countries is comparable to the epidemic. The development of obesity is based on the fact of a prolonged, positive energy balance, which occurs when food is consumed in quantities exceeding energy consumption, or when energy consumption is reduced. Obesity refers to polyetiological diseases, and exogenous factors that serve as provocative moments are most often called malnutrition and decreased motor activity. It is critical to note the fact that exercise cannot be considered as an effective tool for weight loss, but it does help individuals to maintain their normal and healthy weight.

Obesity

Obesity is part of the polycystic ovary syndrome, and obese pregnant women have more pregnancy complications before and during childbirth. Until 1980, the frequency of obesity in industrialized countries did not exceed 10%. According to the research, more than 1.6 billion of the worlds population were overweight, including more than 400 million are obese (Drenowatz 98). According to the forecast, by 2016, over 2.3 billion people will be overweight, and more than 700 million will be obese (Land 62). According to the results of epidemiological studies, the undisputed world leaders in the prevalence of obesity are the countries of Western Europe and the United States (Drenowatz 99). Thus, obesity poses a threat on a global scale, which makes the issue urgent and top-priority.

The widespread prevalence of obesity among young people worsens the current demographic situation. For instance, 66% of obese women have infertility associated with impaired production of sex hormones and a high risk of developing cervical, ovarian, and breast cancer (Chatree et al. 789). Based on the research, some authors believe that for all types of obesity, the nutritional factor, especially the fat content in the diet, plays the main role in its development, while others, despite the numerous reliable endocrine and metabolic factors contributing to the development of obesity, are only of secondary importance. Most scientists conclude that obesity is a multifactorial process, in the development of which genetic, metabolic, individual psychodynamic, socio-economic, and cultural factors play a role (Karasu 87). However, it is critical to note that the pathogenesis of obesity remains not completely clear.

Causes

The main factors causing this pathology can be combined into several groups. Firstly, it is a genetically determined phenomenon that does not allow the body to spend excess calories in the form of heat. Secondly, it is overeating in childhood, which forms a functional morphological basis for the expression of a genetic phenomenon and the development of obesity as a pathophysiological process. Thirdly, this is the formation of perverse endocrine reactions due to an increase in the main metabolism expressed in the appearance of abnormal eating habits (Karasu 90). Fourth, this is a decrease in physical activity, contributing to the preservation of excess body weight and aggravating the course of obesity.

Considering the role of the nutritional-hyperdynamic factor, it is necessary to take into account not only the absolute amount of energy consumed and digested but also the qualitative composition, as well as the eating regimen in determining the risk of obesity. It is shown that obesity contributes to a lack of protein in the diet, weakening the specific dynamic effect of food. As a rule, obesity, with an equal caloric excess, develops faster if the intervals between meals are large and the portions are plentiful. Evidently, with this diet, a high concentration of insulin is held longer. Late eating contributes to obesity, which is a shift in the maximum of food activity in the late evening hours (Land 64). A tendency towards disturbance of circadian rhythms, characteristic of disorders of the hypothalamic function, is manifested here.

Physical Exercise

Some people go to the gym, in the hope that this will solve all their problems with being overweight. They manage to lose 2-3 kg, after which the weight begins to increase due to a set of muscle mass (Land 68). Having not received a visible result, a person is disappointed and leaves the gym forever. Thus, the main role of physical activity is more in maintaining weight than in reducing, although regular physical activity helps to reduce weight more effectively, maintain the rate of weight loss, and avoid prolonged plateau phases. With weight loss without exercise, a person loses not only fat, but also muscle mass, and physical activity allows her to be saved. Thus, the exercise-only acts as an assisting measure for the overall weight loss, but it cannot be used as a primary approach.

Nevertheless, it is critical to understand that there are various types of exercises, which possess different biochemical pathways. In the muscles, chemical energy is converted into mechanical energy, and the fuel for muscle is adenosine triphosphoric acid or ATP. The muscle can perform work in aerobic and anaerobic modes. In an aerobic regimen, ATP recovery in muscles occurs with the participation of oxygen. The aerobic pathway of ATP resynthesis is associated with the oxidation of glucose and fats, and in this case, CO2, water, and other decay products are formed. The oxidation reaction in muscles is a stable final process and determines the bodys ability to perform moderate-intensity physical work for a long time (Estévez-Herrera et al. 4101). In this case, the body is in a stable state  there is no accumulation of lactic acid, and oxygen debt is not formed.

Conclusion

In conclusion, exercise is important to maintain weight for a long time. Many studies show that those who exercise regularly maintain reduced weight at this level much more successfully than those who continue to lead a sedentary lifestyle or stop exercising after reaching a certain weight level. Physical activity can prevent a repeated increase in body weight not only due to an increase in energy expenditure but also due to an improvement in mood, the emergence of self-esteem, which in turn contributes to the observance of the diet. However, the biochemical changes induced by exercise does not facilitate weight loss.

Works Cited

Chatree, Saimai, et al. Adipose Y5R MRNA Is Higher in Obese than Non-Obese Humans and Is Correlated with Obesity Parameters. Experimental Biology and Medicine, vol. 243, no. 9, 2018, pp. 786-795.

Drenowatz, Clemens. The Obesities: Various Paradigms Addressing a Single Problem. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, vol. 10, no. 2, 2016, pp. 97-99.

Estévez-Herrera, Judith, et al. ATP: The Crucial Component of Secretory Vesicles. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 113, no. 28, 2016, pp. 4098-4106.

Karasu, Sylvia R. The Obesities: An Overview of Convergent and Divergent Paradigms. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, vol. 10, no. 2, 2016, pp. 84-96.

Land, Nicole. Gooey Stuff, Intra-Activity, and Differential Obesities: Foregrounding Agential Adiposity within Childhood Obesity Stories. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, vol. 16, no. 1, 2015, pp. 55-69.

1. According to the forecast, by 2016, over 2.3 billion people will be overweight, and more than 700 million will be obese The given values are not mentioned in the article, but it is based on the references stating that there an increase of obese and overweight people and information based in the article, which use WHO data. You can explain that the article uses Evans article as a reference for an increase of epidemic and it shows its own estimates in 2010. Thus, by combining WHO data, Evans estimates and the statements made in other references, which come from the given article, I put the numbers based on the understanding of the articles, but I put it as by 2016, because I also used 2010 article in the context of Land.
2. For instance, 66% of obese women have infertility associated with impaired production of sex hormones and a high risk of developing cervical, ovarian, and breast cancer This data is also based WHO data which is used in the references of the article, but the overall statement is made on my own understanding of Y5R MRNA and mRNAs overall, which are involved in hormonal regulation and cancer. I cited the article because it bases its context on a wide range of source among which is WHO data, but because I added my own understanding through the context of the article, I referenced Chatree.
3. Late eating contributes to obesity, which is a shift in the maximum of food activity in the late evening hours The article mentions on numerous occasions that Euro-West conceptualization and its understanding is part of the problem. In addition, it uses Kerns book on healthy choices, thus, the statement is derived from the Lands article.
4. They manage to lose 2-3 kg, after which the weight begins to increase due to a set of muscle mass 2-3 kg is arbitrary number that I used as an example for the fact that weight loss is not a proper metric, because muscle also increases weight due to exercise. The in-text was put because the author uses Barad and other references to claim body intra-acts with the goal of people.

Please note that none the in-texts are quotations, therefore it is based on the article with its sources and my own understanding. In addition, I used this article because it uses a lot of references, which makes it richer to give these claims.

This essay shall discuss the health issue of obesity, a social health problem that is, unfortunately, growing at a rapid rate. More people are becoming obese at present due to much easier access to unhealthy foods and less effort to maintain a regular exercise routine for fitness. For example, in America, the convenience brought about by fast food, instant meals, TV dinners, and other quick fixes have become a normal alternative to food cooked from scratch with natural ingredients and a meticulous cooking process. Processed food and drinks have found their way to supermarket shelves, ready to be purchased and consumed, and provide the satisfaction of hunger or thirst faster than traditionally prepared dishes and beverages (Ahima, 2011). The World Health Organization (WHO, 2013) has come up with reports that the rate of obesity has grown, nearly doubling since the eighties. In 2008, more than 1.4 billion adults aged 20 years and above have been diagnosed as overweight. Of this number, over 200 million men and almost 300 million women were considered obese. This means obese people have an excess of fat tissue in their bodies. Mascie-Taylor and Goto (2007) claim that it is the level of fat that signals if the individual is at risk of more serious diseases such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and many more.

Although it is overweight and obese individuals who directly suffer the consequences of unhealthy lifestyles, it is a society that carries the burden (Finkelstein et al., 2003). Obese individuals have come to that state due to their unhealthy habits and they should be responsible for amending their lifestyles to get back to the path of health. The consequential illnesses associated with obesity contribute to increased health care utilization, increased health care expenditures, and loss of productivity (Finkelstein et al., 2003). Regardless of socioeconomic status or educational level achieved, the lack of awareness among those who are just a little overweight leads to a consistent increase in obesity among them causing them to gain weight excessively over time thus leading towards prolonged suffering for themselves as well as their families (WHO, 2006). In addition to this, the fact that the overall costs for health care systems have risen alarmingly high means that there is even more strain on governments to meet these needs (WHO, 2006).

Media has contributed much to the prevalence of obesity as well as instilling bias against obese individuals. It seduces consumers with advertisements of high fat, high caloric processed foods that look irresistibly delicious and then criticizes overweight and obese people with negative feedback (Pearl, Phul & Brownell, 2012). Such negative bias creates discrimination towards overweight and obese people who may suffer from low self-esteem because of it. It is likely that instead of being encouraged to adopt more healthy habits, they may engage in even more self-destructive behaviors, for example, eating more unhealthy food with the belief that it will ease their pain or become more physically inactive, so as to avoid being seen by others. Emotional pain can exacerbate the negative outcomes of obesity.

Hence, society in general needs to do its share in disseminating relevant information to the public about obesity prevention. This can be achieved by teaching people to make lifestyle changes that help them manage their weight well (Johnston & Harkavy, 2009), such as maintaining a healthy balanced diet and a regular exercise regimen. It would be ideal if this is achieved from the grassroots level. School children should be educated on the perils of obesity as early as possible, especially since they are still at an age when they are impressionable and docile. With regard to adults, health promotion efforts to help individuals modify their lifestyle behaviors that contribute to obesity involve much motivation and empowerment to have more control over their health (Mizock, 2012). Information on the adverse consequences of engaging in unhealthy behaviors such as the overconsumption of junk food coupled with idleness may push people to change their behaviors into more healthy ones based on the information provided to them (Yang & Nichols, 2011).

Indeed, health care providers and everyone concerned with peoples health should adopt a more sociological lens when addressing the issue of obesity if they are to reach more people to shift to a healthier lifestyle and significantly reduce the risk of developing more serious illnesses caused by obesity.

References

Ahima, R.S. (2011) Digging deeper into obesity. The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 121(6), 2076-2079.

Finkelstein, E. A., I. Fiebelkorn, & G. Wang (2003) National medical spending attributable to overweight and obesity: How much, and whos paying. Health Affairs, 3(1), 219226.

Johnston, F., & I. Harkavy. (2009) The Obesity Culture: Strategies for Change. Public Health and University-Community Partnerships London: Smith-Gordon.

Mascie-Taylor, C.G.N., & R. Goto (2007). Human variation and body mass index: A review of the universality of BMI cut-offs, gender and urban-rural differences, and secular changes. Journal of Physiological Anthropology, 26, 109112.

Mizock, L. (2012) The double stigma of obesity and serious mental illnesses: Promoting health and recovery. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 35(6), 466-469.

Pearl, R., L., Puhl, R. M. & Brownell, K. D. (2012) Positive Media Portrayals of Obese Persons: Impact on Attitudes and Image Preferences. Health Psychology, 31(6), 821-829.

World Health Organization (WHO) (2006) Body Mass Index (BMI) Classification.

World Health Organization (WHO) (2013) Obesity and Overweight, Web.

Yang, Y.T, & Nichols, L.M. (2011) Obesity and health system reform: private vs. public responsibility. The Journal Of Law, Medicine & Ethics: A Journal Of The American Society Of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 39(3), 380-386.

Social Media Campaign Objective

Since childrens health is a great concern of their parents, the campaign will be designed in a way that will attract both parents and childrens attention. The rates of childhood obesity in the US are alarmingly high: the prevalence of childhood obesity has grown by over 10% over the past four decades (Cunningham, Kramer, & Narayan, 2014). The risk is particularly high for children from families with low socioeconomic status (Gibbs & Forste, 2014). The statistics indicate that in 2011-2012, as many as 16.9% of children and teenagers in the US were obese (Ogden, Carroll, Kit, & Flegal, 2014). African American and Hispanic children suffer from obesity more than other ethnic groups (Ogden et al., 2014). Wrong dietary choices and low physical activity are considered as the major causes of childhood obesity (Sahoo et al., 2015; Xu & Xue, 2015). Therefore, the campaign will be focused on changing dietary habits and increasing the physical activity of the target population group.

The purpose of the proposed social media campaign is to raise the awareness of the target population about healthy foods. However, the emphasis will be put not on suggestions given by some popular persons or on internet pages. The project aims at suggesting the information approved by a dietician specifically for the selected target group. Also, a professional fitness instructor will be engaged in the program. This group is comprised of children aged from 3 to 17 who suffer from obesity. Other aspects defining the target population are the low socioeconomic status and belonging to Hispanic or African American ethnicity group.

Social Marketing Interventions

A variety of programs aimed at reducing the risk of obesity has been suggested by healthcare practitioners and scholars. Among them, diet interventions are highly popular (Wang et al., 2015). It is also noted that healthy video games have the potential to alter childrens attitudes toward food consumption (Lu, Kharrazi, Gharghabi, & Thompson, 2013). Taking into consideration the data from previous studies, it seems relevant to combine these two aspects and create a diet-focused intervention based on social marketing tools. Therefore, the current campaign will comprise two population-focused social marketing interventions: (1) a video game application for children aged 3-12 and (2) a trivia game for the age group of 13-17.

Rationale

The reasons for choosing these interventions are associated with childrens interests and preferences. First of all, playing a game is much more interesting than listening to a lecture (even a video one). Secondly, by inviting kids to play games, it becomes easy to engage them in a serious project without putting emphasis on its gravity. Thus, the participants will learn about healthy eating habits through exciting games. For the younger group of children, a video game is offered since they enjoy playing at this age. For the older group of participants, a trivia game is suggested. It is both entertaining and informing. The ultimate rationale behind the interventions is engaging the target population in the healthy food consumption process. It is expected that children will influence their parents purchasing habits.

Social Media Platforms

To communicate with the target audience, social media platforms as Facebook and Twitter will be used. With the help of these websites, the leader of the campaign hopes to reach out to the older group of children and the parents of the younger group of children. Facebook and Twitter are among the most popular social websites (Oh & Syn, 2015). Social media platforms suggest ample opportunities for sharing information, inviting users to visit a page, and receiving feedback. The choice of Twitter and Facebook is justified by the possibility to engage a large number of users in the campaign. Even when someone does not belong to the target population group, they may share the data, which will help children suffering from obesity and their parents to learn about the project.

Benefits of Social Media Platforms

The advantages of using Facebook in supporting preventative healthcare include:

• it has a large number of users;
• it is easy to share the purpose of the project and explain its major objectives;
• users can repost the information about the interventions;
• users can invite their friends to visit the page of the campaign.

The benefits of using Twitter are the following:

• it has many users;
• the messages are sort but informative;
• even a person who is not registered can read a post and get interested in the campaign;
• users can retweet messages, thus letting more people know about the project.

Benefit to Target Population

There are several advantages of the health message for the target population. First of all, they will be educated on what foods are healthy in the comfort of their own homes. The participants will not need to go anywhere, so they will save time on commuting. Another aspect to be mentioned in this respect is that the children will not be subject to teasing or stigmatization. Secondly, the children will be able to receive education while doing an enjoyable activity. Finally, they will be able to arrange chat groups to do fitness and diet challenges.

Best Practices for Social Media

The use of the following practices can enhance the outcomes of any social media campaign:

1. Creating a plan: it is necessary to structure the work of the project and leave no areas uncovered;
2. Connecting the parts: one should arrange the work of all aspects and make sure that they correlate with each other;
3. Listening and learning: it is crucial to collect feedback from users and make the necessary changes to improve the work;
4. Minding security issues: it is important to secure the information on the campaigns webpage;
5. Revising: every three-four months, it is necessary to review the campaign, evaluate its achievements and drawbacks, and make alterations.

Stakeholder Roles and Responsibilities

There are several major stakeholders involved in the campaign, each of them having different roles and responsibilities: the leader of the project (the community health nurse), children, parents, the dietician, the fitness instructor, and the IT specialist. The roles and responsibilities of the dietician and fitness instructor involve writing a plan that will help to decrease obesity rates in the target population group. Also, these specialists will create the trivia game for the older age group. The IT specialist will be accountable for designing a video game based on the plan written by healthcare specialists. Also, this professional will create Facebook and Twitter pages for the campaign promotion. Parents duty will be to engage their children in participating in the interventions. Childrens role will involve joining the campaign, playing games, and working on altering their diet and fitness habits. The leader of the campaign will be responsible for arranging the project and supervising all the activities.

Potential Partnerships

In order to promote the implementation of the campaign, it is necessary to form partnerships with organizations having similar goals. A potential public association might be established with the Health Department of Miami-Dade County. Private cooperation might be arranged with the main childrens hospital in Miami-Dade County, Nicklaus Childrens Hospital. This organization could help the campaign by offering information about it to its customers. Also, the hospital has a page on Twitter and Facebook, which will make it possible to promote the campaign on social media.

Implementation Timeline

The timeline of the campaign is reflected in the table below.

How to Evaluate Effectiveness

The assessment of the campaigns success will be performed by comparing childrens body mass index (BMI), heart rate, and physical activity before and after the intervention. Also, the awareness of parents and kids will be evaluated and analyzed at the beginning and the end of the project (GreenMills, Davidson, Gordon, Li, & Jurkowski, 2013). The campaign will be considered effective if the knowledge of key stakeholders increases and the BMI and other vital signs improve.

Measurable Tools

The following tools for evaluating the campaigns effectiveness will be employed:

• a quality of life questionnaire before and after the intervention;
• the adoption of behaviors recommended by the campaign;
• the BMI and heart rate measurements before and after the project;
• physical abilities and activity of the children before and after the campaign.

Cost of Implementation

The costs are approximate and will be adjusted when the campaign is launched. It is expected that stakeholders will be willing to perform some duties on a volunteer basis, which will allow saving some money. Also, if the program is successful, it is expected that some charity funds will help to promote it. The cost of implementing the campaign is reflected in the table below.

Reflection on Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing is one of the most successful ways of promoting healthier lifestyles for populations. In the current project, the support of such marketing is invaluable. With the help of Facebook and Twitter, the community health nurse will be able to share the information about the campaign and its major goals. What is more, social media marketing will promote communication with the participants and will allow sharing feedback.

Reflection on Future Nursing Practice

The suggested social media campaign will be of great help in the future nursing practice. The project will promote the development of managerial and other professional skills. Also, the campaign will assist in enhancing research skills. The comparison of the participants vital signs before and after the intervention will develop nursing skills. Overall, the campaign will have a highly positive impact on the future nursing practice.

References

Cunningham, S. A., Kramer, M. R., & Narayan, V. (2014). Incidence of childhood obesity in the United States. The New England Journal of Medicine, 370(5), 403-411.

Gibbs, B. G., & Forste, R. (2014). Socioeconomic status, infant feeding practices and early childhood obesity. Pediatric Obesity, 9(2), 135-146.

GreenMills, L. L., Davidson, K. K., Gordon, K. E., Li, K., & Jurkowski, J. M. (2013). Evaluation of a childhood obesity awareness campaign targeting head start families: Designed by parents for parents. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 24(Suppl. 2), 25-33.

Lu, A. S., Kharrazi, H., Gharghabi, F., & Thompson, D. (2013). A systematic review of health videogames on childhood obesity prevention and intervention. Games for Health Journal: Research, Development, and Clinical Applications, 2(3), 131-141.

Ogden, C. L., Carroll, M. D., Kit, B. K., & Flegal, K. M. (2014). Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the United States, 2011-2012. Journal of the American Medical Association, 311(8), 806-814.

Oh, S., & Syn, S. Y. (2015). Motivations for sharing information and social support in social media: A comparative analysis of Facebook, Twitter, Delicious, YouTube, and Flickr. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 66(10), 2045-2060.

Sahoo, K., Sahoo, B., Choudhury, A. K., Sofi, N. Y., Kumar, R., & Bhadoria, A. S. (2015). Childhood obesity: Causes and consequences. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 4(2), 187-192.

Wang, Y., Cai, L., Wu, Y., Wilson, R. F., Weston, C., Fawole, O.,& Segal, J. (2015). What childhood obesity prevention programmes work? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Obesity Reviews, 16(7), 547-565.

Xu, S., & Xue, Y. (2015). Pediatric obesity: Causes, symptoms, prevention and treatment (review). Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, 11(1), 15-20.

Introduction

Obesity has become one of the most rampant health issues among people of all ages in the United States. It is vital to understand what factors contribute to this problem, as obesity leads to multiple severe illnesses and lowers the quality of life (Zhang et al., 2015). One of the primary causes of obesity is a sedentary lifestyle, which often includes excessive screen watching periods (Guo et al., 2019). Scientists predict that up to 60% of morbidity and mortality outcomes will occur due to non-communicable diseases, which are often caused by obesity (Zhang et al., 2015). This research paper aims to prove that excessive television watching is linked to obesity among children and adults.

Prevalence of Obesity

Obesity rates vary significantly among the population based on various socioeconomic factors. Both adults and children are affected by obesity, with over 20% of the worlds population have issues with excessive body weight (Rosiek et al., 2015). Over 40 million children across the globe are considered obese, and this epidemic continues to grow rapidly (Zhang et al., 2016). In the past decades, peoples primary activities have shifted towards a more passive lifestyle. Adults, on average, spend over half of their waking hours on sedentary activities (Rogerson et al., 2017). This effect is especially prominent in developed countries, such as the United States and European countries (Rosiek et al., 2015). However, developing countries also suffer from this issue due to globalization, for example, through mass cheap food production (Rosiek et al., 2015). Obesity rates continue to grow, and this fact implies the need for a significant change in society.

There are other factors that contribute to obesity, yet television watching is one of the primary markers for the prediction of excessive body weight. Even though genes do contribute to the development of obesity, this susceptibility can be regulated by making healthy lifestyle choices (Hruby et al., 2016). In the United States, the young generation has the highest exposure to screens, which makes them the most vulnerable population (Kenney & Gortmaker, 2017). This prevalence signifies that it is essential to begin the much-needed change in lifestyle within youth.

Effects of Television Watching and Links to Obesity

Excessive television watching causes numerous effects, the combination of which leads to poor health of the population. Rogerson et al. (2017) state that high TV viewing is associated with low household income, low education, poor self-rated health, and the consumption of energy-dense snack foods (p. 4). Watching television is an inexpensive and easily accessible activity, which makes it the most prevalent issue amongst low socioeconomic status (Rogerson et al., 2016). In addition to this, high-calory food and drinks are also cheap and are regularly promoted among this population (Rosiek et al., 2015). It is essential to focus on this part of the community when creating policies that aim to alleviate the issue.

Television itself promotes unhealthy habits by promoting products that lead to poor health. Studies show that children who watch television for prolonged periods have higher BMI, which leads to a decrease in both mental and physical health (Rosiek et al., 2015). Screen-viewing is often associated with larger sugar intake, primarily due to the higher exposure to advertisements for unhealthy food and drinks (Kenney & Gortmaker, 2017). Mindless eating while watching television is one of the most prominent unhealthy behaviors that is promoted by advertisements (Avery et al., 2017). Researchers also discovered that people tend to eat an excessive amount of salty snacks and fast food when watching television outside of regular dinner time, which also breaks habitual food intake control (Kenney & Gortmaker, 2017). Television watching and other screen-viewing activities have an adverse impact on sleep cycles, both directly, making people stay up for longer, and indirectly, causing people to lose sleep due to eating at inappropriate times (Kenney & Gortmaker, 2017). The combination of these factors leads to an increase in adverse health effects.

Risks Associated with Obesity

There are numerous risks that arise from having an excessive BMI, many of which can significantly decrease the quality of life. These effects vary depending on the age of the affected individual. The most impairing and deadly risks are prominent in older people, however, childhood obesity leads to early exposure to these risks (Guo et al., 2019). Obesity is one of the primary causes of premature deaths, chronic morbidities, and lower quality of life (Hruby et al., 2016). Relative risks grow exponentially with increased BMI while normalizing ones body weight decreases the chances of developing type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and multiple types of cancer (Hruby et al., 2016). These risks become more prominent with age, especially if a person leads a sedentary lifestyle (Rogerson et al., 2016). Moreover, Rogerson et al. (2016) highlight the prevalence of excessive TV viewing in people with CVD, particularly amongst older people from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds, which is especially harmful to this risk group (p. 12). Older people must take more significant concern regarding their physical activities and diet to avoid these outcomes.

However, these statistics do not imply that excessive body weight in younger people has a lower impact. Zhang et al. (2016) state that childhood obesity is linked to diabetes, asthma and sleep disorders (p. 13). Tahir et al. (2019) state concludes that television viewing at least 4 hours/day in childhood may be associated with higher odds of overweight/obesity throughout life (p. 291). In young people, disturbances in sleeping cycles, the lack of physical activity, and inappropriate diet can also lead to depression and other mental health problems, as well as lower their grades (Kenney & Gortmaker, 2016). Childhood obesity leads to further incline toward an unhealthy lifestyle, weakens the immunity system, and causes preliminary deaths.

Conclusion

In conclusion, excessive screen watch has a direct adverse effect on body weight. Parents have a strong influence on the dietary choices and the amount of screen-viewing time that their children are allowed to have, making them responsible for promoting healthy behavior (Avery et al., 2017). It is vital for parents to follow these habits as well, and to limit their television watching to set an example. Guo et al. (2019) state that the United States and other high-income countries have mainly focused on physical activity promotion and have issued health guidelines, but do not actively focus on people with sedentary lifestyles (p. 89). There are multiple ways to change ones lifestyle to avoid weight gain. Primary ways to prevent obesity are physical exercise and a proper diet, which can be unattainable for people who follow a sedimentary lifestyle (Guo et al., 2019). More research regarding influencing peoples lifestyles is required, and the current prevalence of this disease calls for more drastic measures to prevent its spread. Obesity is a significant issue in modern society, and the efforts to eradicate it are not enough.

References

Avery, A., Anderson, C., & McCullough, F. (2017). Associations between childrens diet quality and watching television during meal or snack consumption: A systematic review. Maternal & Child Nutrition, 13(4). Web.

Guo, C., Zhou, Q., Zhang, D., Qin, P., Li, Q., Tian, G., Liu, D., Chen, X., Liu, L., Liu, F., Cheng, C., Qie, R., Han, M., Huang, S., Wu, X., Zhao, Y., Ren, Y., Zhang, M., Liu, Y., & Hu, D. (2019). Association of total sedentary behavior and television viewing with risk of overweight/obesity, type 2 diabetes and hypertension: A dose-response metaanalysis. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 22(1), 79-90. Web.

Hruby, A., Manson, J. E., Qi, L., Malik, V. S., Rimm, E. B., Sun, Q., Walter, C. W., & Hu, F. B. (2016). Determinants and Consequences of Obesity. American Journal of Public Health, 106(9), 16561662.

Kenney, E. L., & Gortmaker, S. L. (2017). United States adolescents television, computer, Videogame, smartphone, and tablet use: Associations with sugary drinks, sleep, physical activity, and obesity. The Journal of Pediatrics, 182, 144-149. 

Rogerson, M. C., Le Grande, M. R., Dunstan, D. W., Magliano, D. J., Murphy, B. M., Salmon, J., Gardiner, P. A., & Jackson, A. C. (2017). Television viewing time and 13-Year mortality in adults with cardiovascular disease: Data from Australian diabetes, obesity and lifestyle study (AusDiab). Heart, Lung and Circulation, 26(11). Web.

Rosiek, A., Maciejewska, N., Leksowski, K., Rosiek-Kryszewska, A., & Leksowski, A. (2015). Effect of television on obesity and excess of weight and consequences of health. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12(8), 9408-9426. 

Tahir, M. J., Willett, W., & Forman, M. R. (2018). The association of television viewing in childhood with overweight and obesity throughout the life course. American Journal of Epidemiology, 188(2), 282-293. 

Zhang, G., Wu, L., Zhou, L., Lu, W., & Mao, C. (2015). Television watching and risk of childhood obesity: A meta-analysis. The European Journal of Public Health, 26(1), 13-18. Web.

Introduction

Some people have referred to it as a pandemic that is not getting the full attention it requires. Obesity and specifically childhood obesity have been on the increase in the developed world for the last 10-15 years. Childhood obesity represents serious health consequences in the future and looking at its major causes will be the subject of my essay. (PaYízková et al, p 12)

The Reality

A lot of media attention has been focused on America and that it is becoming a fat country with states like Mississippi leading the list. Even the likes of Canada are aware of the impending health crisis that is likely to befall in the future and countries as far as Egypt and China realize providing sufficient healthcare to this expanding population will be a tall order. Health experts still feel the general public is not grasping the situation seriously.

The current measures that are being undertaken are focused on increasing the accessibility of various services to people of all sizes. Aircraft seats are now more accommodative and stretchers in hospitals are coming in bigger sizes. While such measures help in accommodating every person, our efforts should instead be focused on finding the causes of childhood obesity and look at policies that could be implemented to reverse it. (PaYízková et al, p 14)

The focus should be on the younger generation because statistics have shown a majority of obese people had issues with their weight when they were still growing up. A variety of reasons have been given as to the reasons for childhood obesity. Many parents including the most recent ones lament that kids nowadays are just not playing. Riding bicycles around the neighborhood is just not the in thing currently. Most of them would prefer to stay indoors with their Wii or x-box.

This coupled with the high intake of junk food is blamed for the current weighty issues afflicting our children. Some critics are calling for the ban of TV commercials that advertise junk foods but the fact is most adults agree that these commercials were there when they were growing up and they did not affect their weight that much. Most of them attribute their lean stature to their participation in various physical activities; something they believe is the solution to the current problem.

The reality is however, most neighborhoods in todays urban centers do not incorporate a playing area for children when they are being constructed. Of course, there will be the odd jungle gym for the young g toddlers but the 10-15-year-olds have had their playing grounds invaded by parked cars.

There just isnt enough room to play softball or soccer. Maybe this is a change in lifestyle that each generation goes through and what we should be looking at is ways to accommodate the current challenges. Bear in mind that during the Industrial revolution, some social experts questioned whether the fabric that holds the family unit together will remain intact with thousands of young men and women migrating to the major cities from their farms to look for employment. (Shephard et al, p 104)

Childhood obesity represents a change in lifestyle that is sweeping through many urban cities in America. Technology has simplified everything whereby you can have everything delivered to your doorstep; from groceries to newly purchased furniture. This laid-back approach to life amongst the adult population could be the reason why the kids growing up are less inclined to engage in physically demanding activities. As explained earlier North America is facing a serious obesity pandemic.

The notion that the changing lifestyles in their respective urban areas no longer fly because the Scandinavian countries and the likes of France do not experience this problem to a large extent yet they are equally developed economic wise like Canada and the United States. Before we look at the likely causes for childhood obesity in North America, a rundown of the statistics as to the extent of the problem will give us a clearer picture of what we are currently facing.

Statistical Evidence

Every study conducted indicates that the number of overweight children is likely to increase worldwide by a significant number and this poses new challenges to the healthcare and economic status of these nations. Close to half of the children in North and South America will be overweight by 2010.(Associated Press) This is quite shocking.

Quoting the US Surgeon General, in the USA the number of overweight children has doubled and the number of overweight adolescents has trebled since 1980. (Associated Press) Obesity amongst children aged between 12-17 years has shot up from 5% to 13% in boys and 5% to 9% in girls between 1966 to 1970 and 1988 to 1991. (Associated Press) This data isnt recent enough to reflect todays situation but everyone is in general agreement todays figures are probably far much worse. (Associated Press)

Further studies have shown that childhood obesity doesnt afflict the entire population equally but certain ethnic groups have borne the greatest brunt. African American and Mexican American adolescents ages 12-19 were more likely to be overweight, at 21 percent and 23 percent respectively, than non-Hispanic White adolescents (14 percent). (Department of Human and Health Services-USA) Still focusing on this demographic, overweight adolescents have more than 70% chance of growing up as overweight adults. This leads to an increased risk of developing diabetes and high blood pressure. With the hard figures already available as to the extent of the problem, the next task should be to look at the factors that lead to the continued prevalence of childhood abortion. (Department of Human and Health Services-USA)

Diets Being Adapted

The kinds of foods being consumed by children nowadays have always raised more than a few eyebrows but no one, other than the parents, has ever undertaken any serious measures to reverse this trend. The lifestyles are certainly to blame where both adults and children are eating a lot of their diet away from home. The choice foods are quick snacks that are washed down with sugar-sweetened drinks.

The nutritional composition of these foods and drinks are found to be wanting but children still opt for them because they are easily available and taste better than the greens. Parents are also to blame in that the traditional home-cooked meal is a declining routine in most households and most children are now growing up consuming low-cost delivered meals. The pie-chart below shows the proportion of consumed vegetables in the years 1999-2000 by children aged between 2-19 years:

The chart shows that only 21% of young people are eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. (Department of Human and Health Services-USA)An interesting observation is that close to half of all vegetable meals constitute fried potatoes (French fries). Another common beverage, soda has been consumed extensively by both adolescent boys and girls. Thirty-two percent of adolescent girls and 52 percent of adolescent boys consume three or more eight-ounce servings of soda per day. (Department of Human and Health Services-USA)

Cases of children as young as 7 months old consuming soda have been reported. Milk consumption has also been declining in todays generation and this applies to both adults and children. In 1977-1978, adolescents drank 1.5 times as much milk as any other beverage and in 1996 they consumed twice as many sugar-sweetened beverages as milk (Department of Human and Health Services-USA) The diet has certainly undergone some metamorphosis in the last 30 years or so. Most adults who fall in the 30-40 age bracket also consumed part of these diets while they were lids but surprisingly enough they were not obese. Another factor played a part which we will look at.

Participation in Physical Activities

Junk foods contain a high number of calories and fats that can only be broken down through participation in a physically exhausting activity. While some people are fortunate enough to have a high metabolic rate in that the consumed food can be easily broken down by the body, the majority of the population has to break a sweat to lose weight. The energy we get for our day-to-day activities comes from the food we eat when it is broken down by enzymes in the body.

If we do not undertake any strenuous activities, the body has minimal energy requirements and stores these foods (which are mostly carbohydrates from junk foods) as fat inside our bodies. (Barnett et al, p 241) This fat is what translates to the added-on weight. Another point worth noting is when fat (or starch) is broken down by the body; it has the capacity to produce twice as much energy as proteins or other food sources.

The problem is a breakdown of fat is a cumbersome procedure that requires a lot of input from the host. That is why losing added weight requires a lot of effort. Watching television or playing computer games may sharpen ones mind but it does little to increase the metabolic rate in the body. It is estimated that children in the United States are spending 25 percent of their waking hours watching television and statistically, children who watch the most hours of television have the highest incidence of obesity. (Department of Human and Health Services-USA) Bear in mind that the average youth watching television is probably consuming some form of a high-calorie snack. Getting our children off the sofas and into gym shorts is probably the first step to solving the obesity riddle.

Conclusion

Research has shown that people with certain genetic traits have a higher likelihood of developing obesity, if not during their childhood than later in life. The data is not foolproof since it doesnt explain the success rate of reversing this trend if the subjects par-take in physical activities. Another scientific study has shown that children born from overweight parents also have an increased chance of developing obesity but this fact hasnt been conclusively proven. (Bendich et al, p348)

A common point that has been raised is the increased availability of automobiles and taxis is to blame for the reduced physical activities in all age groups of the population. Frankly, this notion underscores the argument we have been trying to make in this essay. (Shephard et al, p 107)

Take the example of the caveman in pre-historic mankind. Archeological evidence has shown that cases of obesity were pretty marched non-existent and this wasnt because of the diet he was consuming. Some health gurus are calling for the adaptation of the caveman diet which was mostly meat. Early men had a high life expectancy and causes of diabetes and heart diseases were unheard of. This is even though red meat is vilified in todays culture.

The only difference was he had to track his prey for days or even weeks before he delivered the killer below; which was a physically demanding activity in itself. That is why the caveman was lean and athletic. Not because he only ate meat. A change in todays lifestyle is necessary to minimize future cases of childhood obesity. While health experts are putting the blame on television commercials for influencing the eating habits among children, the buck stops with the parents who have the greatest influence on a childs eating habits. Besides this, they should encourage the children to partake in physical activities.

After a long day hunting, the caveman was probably too tired to think of inventing something like the telephone, leave alone television. Probably after a long day on the football pitch, between the game console and a good nights sleep, your child will choose the latter.

Works Cited

Associated Press, 2006, Study: Child Obesity Expected to Soar Worldwide,. Web.

Barnett Anthony H, Sudhesh Kumar, Obesity and Diabetes, Wiley.com, 2004, pp 241-245.

Bendich Adrianne, Deckelbaum Richard J, Preventive Nutrition, Humana Press, 2005, pp 347-349.

Department of Human and Health Services-USA, Childhood Obesity. Web.

PaYízková Jana, Hills Andrew P, Childhood Obesity, CRC Press, 2000, pp 12-17.

Shephard Roy J, Miller Henry S, Exercise and the Heart in Health and Disease, Marcel Dekker, 1998, pp 104-107.