Teen Obesity
- Introduction
Obesity is defined as the tendency to accumulate excessive or abnormal fat in the body mass index (BMI) that poses a high risk to one’s health (Perry, 2020). Being obese is very uncomfortable for many people in the community and some find ways to reduce it. Before, obese was burden to the adults only but currently this is not the case since teens have been affected in large numbers and is alarming. Since obesity is associated with other diseases it is good for the teens to do physical exercises and observe what to eat to avoid being obese.
- Relating Topic to Target Population
In the recent past, teen obesity has increased rapidly around the nation, with approximately 17 percent of the overall population ranging 18 years and below being regarded obese (Arroyo and Micney, 2016). These epic proportions have alarmed health care specialists because there is an urgency to understand the issue better and device ways to treat it. The paper is meant to address the issue of overweight adolescents, in regard to nursing health workers working in the care system.
- Summary of the Articles
Adolescent obesity and related behaviors
There has been an increase of obesity among the teens as per the research done by Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) in 2017 in collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO). The research explains that, there is a large population of obese teenagers in developing countries than in developed countries and this is associated with uncontrolled dietary practices and increasingly sedentary lifestyles (WHO, 2017).
Obesity in Teens
Obese in teens is a puzzling disease, and professionals have not yet understood the mechanisms that control body fat. However, the basic concept is that if the body takes in more calories than its use for energy, there is a high probability it will store the energy in the form of fats. Obesity in teenagers can be caused by various reasons that include inherited genes, socio-economic issues, metabolism, and the rate at which food is converted to energy and lifestyle choices of the individual (Horodynski et al, 2015).
Physical activity and sedentary lifestyle towards Teens
This article focuses on gender when it comes to obesity to the teenagers. The research shows that female teens tend to be more obese than the male teenagers. This is associated with an argument that girls take more snacks than boys making it hard for them to control their eating behaviors hence end up being obese than boys of their age. Because obesity cannot be related to gender alone, the researcher goes ahead to mention parents and family history when it comes to teens obesity. Physical activity is very key when it comes to fight against obese among the teenagers and should be encouraged because the research shows that teens who do not participate in physical activity have a risk of 1.7 times of being obese than those who involve in physical activities (Kurdaningsih et al., 2016).
- Health Promotion Discussion
Nurses’ Role and Considerations
Nurses are in a better place to aid in eliminating this growing pandemic. However, to be effective, there needs to be an understanding of factors to consider while offering services to obese teenagers. Healthcare workers must explore genetic variations specific to teens and device techniques that will prevent excessive body mass. Nurses can advise adolescents to maintain a healthy lifestyle to help reduce risks associated with obesity. Research shows that teenagers who get pregnant have lower chances of completing their studies. Additionally, 50 percent of young mothers tend to get a high school diploma at the age of twenty-two (Perry, 2020). Nurses should enlighten that population on the importance of breast-feeding; failure to breastfeed accordingly poses a significant risk towards obesity (Horodynski et al, 2015).
The socio-economic class of families to which overweight adolescents belong is a crucial factor, and nurses should put into consideration while offering related services. Healthier foods, lifestyle, and other requirements that tend to eliminate obesity are expensive to afford. This aspect has posed to be an obstacle for many affected families (Petit et al, 2017).
Conclusion
Concussively, factors that relate to obesity in teens are not fully understood. However, the increased rate of obese cases in adolescents is alarming. It is vital that nurses are well equipped with skills and equipment to help manage the epidemic. The act will prove effective because nurses cover the most extensive scope of the healthcare system. Individuals should also aid by ensuring self-care as the majority of factors like diet, exercise, breastfeeding, among others, need personal input.
References
Arroyo-Johnson, C., & Mincey, K. D. (2016). Obesity epidemiology worldwide. Gastroenterology Clinics, 45(4), 571-579.
Horodynski, M. A., Silk, K., Hsieh, G., Hoffman, A., & Robson, M. (2015). Tools for teen moms to reduce infant obesity: a randomized clinical trial. BMC Public Health, 15(1), 1-9.
Perry A. G., S. (2020). Reproductive and Sexual Health | Healthy People 2020. Www.Healthypeople.Gov. Retrieved July 27, 2020, from https://www.healthypeople.gov/node/6075/determinants#4
Petit Francis, L., Spaulding, E., Turkson-Ocran, R. A., & Allen, J. (2017). Randomized trials of nurse-delivered interventions in weight management research: a systematic review. Western journal of nursing research, 39(8), 1120-1150.
WHO. (2017). Retrieved 6 August 2020, from https://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/339211/WHO_ObesityReport_2017_v3.pdf
Kurdaningsih SV, Sudargo T, Lusmilasari L. Physical activity and sedentary lifestyle towards teenagers’ overweight/obesity status. Int J Community Med Public Health 2016;3:630-5. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Lely_Lusmilasari/publication/297605553_Physical_activity_and_sedentary_lifestyle_towards_teenagers’_overweightobesity_status/links/56ec1da308aed740cbb6125c/Physical-activity-and-sedentary-lifestyle-towards-teenagers-overweight-obesity-status.pdf.