Assignment 2: Childhood Obesity Assessment
Student name
Course Number and Name
Professor’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Assignment 2: Childhood Obesity Assessment
Objectives
Process objectives
Childhood obesity is a condition that is not easy to manage. Anyone who plans to manage and reduce obesity among children at lower grades should have clear process objectives (American Health Physician (2017). Since obesity is a condition that results from the accumulation of excess body fats, the process objectives used to reduce obesity should be physical. In Lincoln Elementary School, the students will be participating in three physical activities to achieve the three process objectives. First, they will be supposed to jog for ten kilometres within the school compound every day. Undertaking this physical activity will enable the students to burn extra fats that have accumulated in their body. Secondly, all the students will be banned from using the elevator within the school, and they will be encouraged to take the stairs instead. Taking the stairs can be a very effective physical activity if done frequently. The last process objective will help the students to go to the gym within the school and do some form of strength training using the gym equipment. Those unwilling to use the gym equipment can also be encouraged to use their body weight to exercise. The students should be told that every activity is for their good and should do it willingly wherever they are. The three process objectives will help the students to burn excessive fats accumulated, which would help them to reduce the excess weight they may have gained.
Learning objectives
The three educational procedures that would be used to educate the students in the school about obesity include definition and effects of obesity, beneficial effects of screening and access to healthcare.
The first learning objective is the definition of obesity and its effects. Students need to be informed that obesity is a medical condition, just like any other disease (American Health Physician (2017). They need to be educated on how they determine whether they are obese or not. During this activity, the study will be introduced to body mass index (BMI), which is used by doctors to determine if a person has the ideal weight for their sex, age and height (American Health Physician (2017). Students will be required to measure their BMI in the school’s clinic to determine whether they are obese or not. For the students to take part in the planned physical activities, they need to be informed about the effects of obesity on one’s health. The effects of obesity that will be covered during this learning activity are osteoarthritis, stroke, gallbladder disease, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, cardiovascular, and even death. The students should also be informed about the symptoms and signs of the above diseases.
Many people ignore the idea of obesity screening. However, the students at Lincoln Elementary School should be encouraged to take screening by educating them on the benefits of screening. First, students need to know that screening and intensive behavioral interventions for obesity at a tender age can help improve their weight status. The magnitude of this benefit is massive, and therefore, it should see the students take to make their mind about being screened.
After the children have been screened on obesity, those found to be obese should be sensitized on how they should access healthcare to manage and fight the health condition. Students should be advised on how to seek healthcare interventions and where they should seek it. Healthcare centres, clinics, and community-based programs are some of the places the student can get help (Center for Disease Control and Prevention (n.d). Through accessing healthcare, the student will be introduced to behavioral management interventions like children’s diet, physical activity, well-being, sleep and stress. These interventions, together with process objectives already introduced in the school, should health the students to deal and manage the condition successfully.
Behavioral and Environmental
The behavioral impact after evaluation should see the students participate more in exercises and always to follow a healthy diet. Students should know eating junky foods is detrimental to their health, and therefore, after the evaluation, the students’ behavior and perception on an unhealthy diet should change. The students can also be introduced to health behavior change theory interventions to assist them in remembering what they should do ((Center for Disease Control and Prevention (n.d).
Environmental influence affects behavior change (Center for Disease Control and Prevention (n.d). For the students in the school to change their unhealthy eating habits, the school administration should ensure that the school canteens do not sell junky foods. The school should also increase the gym equipment to enable as many students to participate in exercises. An environment like this will see the school successfully deal with obesity situation among its students.
Program objectives
The program objectives of this assessment for weight loss and management among the students at Lincoln Elementary School include reducing the body if a student is prescribed to have the condition. The interventions to be used to lose weight include exercising a lot and following a healthy diet (Center for Disease Control and Prevention (n.d). The students will also achieve the program objectives by preventing any further weight gain by avoiding junkies (American Health Physician (2017). Finally, the student should aim at maintaining average body weight over a long time by always participating in physical exercises as well as rigorous games like football and baseball.
At the end of this assessment, students will be recommended to focus on maximum nutrition by taking in a lot of fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, lean meat, and low sugar cereals. However, any fruit juice that may contain calories should be avoided.
References
American Health Physician (2017). Screening for Obesity in Children and Adolescents: Recommendation Statement. https://www.aafp.org/afp/2017/1015/od4.html
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (n.d). Childhood Obesity Healthcare. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/strategies/healthcare/index.html