Obesity and its Impact on Health
Obesity is a worldwide epidemic, particularly in high-income countries such as the United States. Obesity has alarmed health professionals after research connected it to higher health risks. Obesity has been linked to a number of health problems, and obese children are more likely to develop chronic diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and psychosocial impacts that contribute to low self-esteem (Rabbitt & Coyne, 2012).
Policies to Address Childhood Obesity
Many policies have been devised and enacted by national governments, state governments, and municipal governments to help prevent and reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity. According to Swinburn (2008), policies and legislation are grouped into statewide or community policies and school-focused policies that ensure healthy eating and physical activities. This present paper covers physical activities and healthy eating in school settings that have helped reduce childhood obesity.
Literature Review
In recent decades, the prevalence of obesity has increased extensively (Lazarou& Kouta, 2010; Maher, 2016; Goran, 2017). There are an estimated 170 million children who are overweight, a number that has raised concern globally (WHO, 2012). According to Langford et al. (2015), prevalence rates in low-income countries has been recorded lowest while it is highest and growing in countries that are considered to be high-income. The high prevalence of childhood obesity has caused serious health risks that have increased early mortality levels and long-term morbidity. In the US alone, more than one-third of adolescents and children have been recorded to be overweight or are obese (NCSL, 2014). Therefore, childhood obesity is becoming a public health challenge and concern for many healthcare stakeholders.
Legislation and School Environments
Legislation in place is focused on the creation of environments that support physical activity and healthy diets to address the prevalence of childhood obesity. Maher (2016) states that there is need to come up with policies and make appropriate policies changes that impact the lifestyle habits of the community to ensure there is a supportive environment. Healthy lifestyle habits are important as they help reduce and prevent obesity and the associated health risks. Policy makers have stepped up to ensure there is the creation of healthy living and eating living choices in communities, schools, and other child care facilities. In high-income countries, children spend most of their daytime in school environments. Therefore, schools play a crucial role in promoting healthy behaviors among children by offering opportunities to actively participate in physical activities and access to healthy food choices (King et al., 2011). Legislators have presented and enacted effective school-based policies to support reduction and prevention of childhood obesity.
The Role of Schools in Obesity Prevention
In the United States, there are an estimated 55.3 million children who are registered in both secondary and elementary schools and more are enrolling into schools (NCSL, 2014). Therefore, schools have become a focus for many legislators who are interested in childhood obesity reduction and prevention programs. School-focused policies emphasize on school nutrition, nutrition education, physical activity, and physical education (Goran, 2017). NCSL (2014) states that during the period 2012-2013, thirty-one states enacted legislation that is focused on school nutrition including some bills that support nutrition education. In addition, ten states implemented several policies that are focused on physical activity and education (Maher, 2016). The legislation that promotes physical activities have become a point of interest for legislators as they have been related improves academic performance.
Improving School Nutrition
Children enrolled in both elementary and secondary schools can learn healthy eating. Legislations in place set nutritional standards for all beverages and foods that are offered on school canteens (WHO, 2012). These standards can either be created by state officials for all schools in that state or by a task force that is formed by school representatives and parents. According to Strasburger (2011), these standards are important as they help increase the quality of school food that promotes the nutrition gain for children and improves their academic achievements. State agencies and departments such as the department of agriculture and department of education come up with legislation that ensures children from low-income families or minority groups have easy access to nutritious meals at schools. All these legislations have contributed to the control of childhood obesity as they have helped ensure that school going children have access to healthier foods and beverages.
Current Policy
Over the past decade, systems have continuously evolved as the legislators enact and adopt resolutions in the area of school nutrition. In 2010, the Hunger-Free Kids Act was passed nationally to ensure nutritious foods and beverages are available to school children throughout their stay in schools. Twenty-two states adopted some form of school nutrition resolutions to match the federal Act (NCSL, 2014). The enacted legislation in the states helps students to have access to healthy foods at school. The current school-focused policy requires that the department of agriculture to put in place nutrition standards that all beverages and foods that are offered on school grounds must meet. A number of states have adopted legislation that requires students to have their BMI measurement taken to ensure help is provided to those diagnosed with overweight-related health problems (King et al., 2011).
Potential Policy Changes
The leading causes of childhood obesity are complex and vary, and it is important that legislation and policies in place must be altered from time to time to ensure reduction and prevention of childhood obesity. Several strategies have been proposed to ensure a broad range of stakeholders are involved at the various intervention levels in both community and school settings. According to Swinburn (2008), to help reduce and prevent childhood obesity, legislators have proposed policies to control other risk factors such as alcohol intake and tobacco use in school environments. About ensuring healthy school meals, proposals have been made to farms that provide products to schools through the farm to school programs. School caregivers have also become a point of interest to lawmakers. Policies proposed to require that caregivers in institutions must ensure they possess the best professional standards to provide the best services to obesity cases in educational settings.
Benefits and Support for School-focused Policies
School-focused policies have significantly helped children from both lower and higher socioeconomic groups. Most children from the lower group have no access to healthy meals, but the school-focused policies have provided nutritious foods, and beverages in school offered meals. The efforts to reduce and prevent obesity have also benefited more children from the high socioeconomic group. Children from this group have less parental engagement, and they access foods and beverages with less nutritional value. Interventions through school policies have helped the children maintain a healthy weight, eat a healthy diet, and remain physically active. The school policies have been supported by local, regional, and national governments who have created a supportive environment by providing necessary resources and adapting more interventions that focus on more efficient targeted intervention. National and local governments have helped control the consumption of unhealthy foods such as tobacco and alcohol.
Impact on Nursing and Healthcare
Lazarou and Kouta (2010) argue that nurses play a very crucial role in promoting a healthy lifestyle pattern in schools and community. Therefore, a policy change impacts nursing and healthcare as the care providers need to consider the present policies to prevent childhood obesity. Lazarou and Kouta (2010) state that nurses need to use evidence-based practices to research on community health problems and they need to have access to tools. One of the essential tools is an appropriate school focused program that will help in promoting healthy eating among children. Nurses need to encourage children to take part in these intervention programs to help prevent obesity and being overweight. Most of the policies adopted in school settings are tailored in reference to the community culture and ethnic preferences. Therefore, a change in the policy more centered on these choices will help the nursing and healthcare become more successful.
Analysis of Policy and Influence on My Practice
The school-focused policy is effective in the elimination and reduction of childhood obesity. All these policies have helped ensure that learners get access to a healthier diet option at school and has helped reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity which has for long been a major health problem. These policies have influenced my training as an advanced practice nurse. As a healthcare provider, I have to be actively engaged in health education and health promotion strategies with school going children. I need to focus on interventions that support good health within the school environment by preventing and reducing childhood obesity. As an advanced practice nurse, I interact with individuals across diverse community settings. Therefore, I have to engage in prevention and management of children with obese and overweight issues and address their needs in schools environment.
References
Goran, M. I. (2017). Childhood obesity: Causes, consequences, and intervention approaches. Boca Raton CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group.
King, L., Gill, T., Allender, S., & Swinburn, B. (May 06, 2011). Best practice principles for community-based obesity prevention: development, content, and application. Obesity Reviews, 12, 5, 329-338.
Langford, Rebecca, et al. "Obesity Prevention and the Health Promoting Schools Framework: Essential Components and Barriers to Success." PubMed Central (PMC), 15 Dec. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4330926/. Accessed 18 Sept. 2017.
Lazarou, C., & Kouta, C. (May 27, 2010). The role of nurses in the prevention and management of obesity. British Journal of Nursing, 19, 10, 641-647.
Maher, L. L. M. (2016). Care of the obese in advanced practice nursing: Communication, assessment, and treatment. New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company.
NCSL. "State Actions To Reduce And Prevent Childhood Obesity In Schools And Communities | Summary And Analysis Of Trends In Legislation." Legislative News, Studies, and Analysis | National Conference of State Legislatures, 16 Sept. 2014, www.ncsl.org/documents/health/ChildhoodObesity52014.pdf. Accessed 18 Sept. 2017.
Rabbitt, A., & Coyne, I. (January 01, 2012). Childhood obesity: nurses' role in addressing the epidemic. British Journal of Nursing (Mark Allen Publishing), 21, 12, 28.
Strasburger, V. C., & Council on Communications and Media. (January 01, 2011). Children, adolescents, obesity, and the media. Pediatrics, 128, 1, 201-8.
Swinburn, B. A. (June 05, 2008). Obesity prevention: The role of policies, laws, and regulations. Australia and New Zealand Health Policy, 5, 12, 1-7
World Health Organization. "WHO IRIS: Population-based Approaches to Childhood Obesity Prevention." WHO | World Health Organization, Nov. 2012, www.who.int/iris/handle/10665/80149. Accessed 18 Sept. 2017.
