Obesity Is a Health Problem, Essay Example

Introduction

Obesity is a health problem facing millions of people around the world. Majority of the obese people do not like their body size. It leads to the society discriminating against them based on how unhealthy they look. Many young children and adults experience untold suffering because of this condition. Several national agencies have come up to help such people in the world population. Several interventions come in an attempt to reduce the levels of obesity. There is existence of potential community based nursing interventions in the reduction of obesity (Styne, 2005). There are also approaches that are cost effective in decreasing and or reversing the present trend of rising obesity that are in the process of development to reduce the risks. This short essay seeks to look into the interventions that operate within the community health nursing programmes (Parsons, Power & Logan, 1999).

There are potential community health nursing interventions for the obese population (Parsons, Power & Logan 1999). The commonly adopted interventions include the vital behavioral change in the life of the obese. This means that the obese people have to adopt new healthier lifestyles. The community health-nursing advocates for this change to be done at an early age and ought to run into adulthood. The second intervention is physical activity. The obese person most often is inactive (Willett, 1998). It is advisable that they engage in physical activity to increase body metabolism and eliminate the excess fats that accumulate to cause obesity. The third intervention is the use of campaigns such as advertising to sensitize the obese people on the dangers of obesity. This is important because many people live in ignorance and denial.

The problem identified above is solved using the practice of community-based intervention, which has root in the public health intervention wheel. The community based public health nursing intervention focuses on changing the deeply rooted norms, practices, awareness, behaviors and attitudes of the obese people (Styne, 2005).   This is done through the application of the public health nursing intervention wheel. The intervention wheel refers to a population-focused model of practice, which envisages three common levels of practice namely, the community, the social systems and the individual or family. Each of the interventions and the health practice level goes a long way in contributing to improved public population health in any given community.

For the purpose of this essay, the community level of practice of the intervention wheel is used in accomplishing the nursing objectives (Willett, 1998). It targets the obese population within a given community. A target group in the population is also another option during the nursing practice. The nursing practitioners go to the areas where the target group is and access the situation. First, there is the need to look at those who are already affected within the population. At this stage, mobilization is important in order to get the entire community involved in the process.

The next step is to educate the target group about obesity and its health risks. This eliminates ignorance and empowers the population to look for help. The invention wheel helps because it is possible to identify the root cause of obesity (Willett, 1998). The community is sensitized on preventive measures as well as strategies to deal with those who are already obese. Community based nursing health practice is measured according to the proportion that changes within the population. One of the interventions that will address the problem of obesity is healthy eating. A famous saying goes ‘you are what you eat’. The community health nursing will use this intervention to educate the target population in the community to turn to healthy diets (Styne, 2005). The next intervention is the use of physical exercise. This helps to burn down fats that accumulate in major organs of the body causing heath risks. A third and final intervention is carrying out sensitization of the entire community through the mass media. Here the use of obesity campaigns through advertising portraying the inherent dangers of obesity. Such messages will create awareness and help reduce cases of obesity.

It is critical to identify the problem. This step is the basis of any nursing health practice. You cannot deal with what you do not know. Once the problem and its causes are identified, then it is possible to get down to ways of intervening (Parsons, Power & Logan, 1999).

The problem of obesity and interventions are priority here. Without these two important factors then the community nursing health practice cannot be a reality. The interventions ought to be the priority of a community nursing health program.  Based on the above literature, the given interventions are effective because they tested and approved.

Healthy eating is effective because it reduces intake of nutrients that are likely to cause obesity. One way to do is to impose a considerable amount of tax on fast foods (Styne, 2005). This will discourage the ease with which such food can be obtained. In addition, food labels and nutrition guidelines like logos, which indicate the foods that have set nutritional standards. The effectiveness of this evaluation is by giving a sample of obese people healthy food for a period and recording the difference in body weight and their general appearance (Parsons, Power & Logan, 1999).On physical exercise intervention the reduction of sedentary behavior and a focus on free physical play is effective in than by practicing force. Making physical exercise a lifestyle works wonders in reducing obesity. The evaluation here is through comparison of obese people who practice and those who have no physical exercise. The quantitative difference gives the effectiveness of physical exercise (Willett, 1998).

Based on the problem of obesity prevalent in the community, there is a population of young school going children that are at risk. The dire need for pupils to achieve academic excellence has left little room for play which means with their intake of fast foods they risk being obese. Preventive aspects of community health nursing are in place to avert any possibility that such children may become obese.  The practice in relation to the public health intervention wheel is a community based and focuses on a small group of people within the larger population.

In summary, obesity poses a great health risk. It is important to identify the population that has such a problem so that interventions in community health nursing are effective (Parsons, Power & Logan, 1999). In addition, it is paramount to identify the type of intervention to use in the given problem in reference to the public health intervention wheel. With the wheel, it is easy to carry out the nursing practice in the community involved. It is wise to use interventions that are likely to be effective. They should be measurable in order to gauge their effectiveness. The best thing is to identify the problems and applying the best ways to solve such community nursing problems.

References

Parsons, T.J., Power, C. & Logan, S. (1999). Childhood predictors of adult obesity: a systematic review. International Journal of Obesity, Vol.23, S1-S107.

Styne, D.M. (2005). Obesity in childhood: What’s activity got to do with it? American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol.81, 337-338.

Willett, W. (1998). Food Frequency Methods: In Nutritional Epidemiology. Volume 5, 2^nd edition. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.