Combating Childhood Obesity: A Policy Proposal for Elementary Schools, Lecture notes of Management Accounting

Download Combating Childhood Obesity: A Policy Proposal for Elementary Schools and more Lecture notes Management Accounting in PDF only on Docsity! Running head:Childhood Obesity-Preparing to present 1 Childhood Obesity-Preparing to present NR506: Health Care Policy Chamberlain College of Nursing CHILDHOOD OBESITY 2 Childhood Obesity-Preparing to Present Childhood obesity is a national problem that needs to have further healthcare policies created to combat it. The GAO (US Government Accountability Office) recently released information that nearly 14 million children between the ages of 2 and 19 are obese or overweight (Dicken, 2019).It is important to try and combat and reduce childhood obesitybecause health problems caused by obesity in childhood are like to persist into adulthood (Ahmad, Schubert & Bush, 2018).Children who are obese are more likely to have psychologic problems as well as medical problems (Hong, Bales &Wallinga, 2017). Elementary students are taught an alphabet letter or two each week and they need to be taught a fruit and vegetable each week as well to increase exposure to these healthy foods. Overview of Healthcare Policy Concern and Solution Childhood obesity is a huge problem in not only the United States, but around the world as well. Approximately 1 in 5 children in low-income families are obese, partially due to lack of education and partially because healthier foods are more expensive to purchase (Dicken, 2019).Roche, Kolodinsky, Johnson, Pharis and Banning (2017), reported that restrictive diets are likely not the answer because necessary nutrients that are needed for growth and development are also reduced. Eating fruits and vegetables on a regular basis has demonstrated a reduction of childhood obesity, but most children do not consume the recommended daily amounts (Roche et al, 2017; Schultz &Thorlton, 2019; Hong et al, 2017).The current healthcare policies revolving around childhood obesity focus on improving access to healthier foods but children also need more education about how to make healthy food choices and what different fruits and vegetable look and taste like.Education about healthy foods needs to start at duringchildhood because this is the time of habit formation. If they are introduced to vegetables and fruits along with healthy CHILDHOOD OBESITY 5 Conclusion Childhood Obesity is a national concern, children who are obese tend to develop more medical and psychological issues both as children and ultimately as adults. Nurses should advocate for changes to be made at the school and national levels as well as with their individual patients. Most kids do not have the ability to make changes to the foods they eat on their own, this is where the school board, teachers and parents can step in.Exposing children to healthier food choices, and providing education on how to eat more fruits and vegetables can improve their overall health and mental well-being. It is important to start with the youngest children and continue to provide education and exposure throughout the school years for the greatest impact. Allowing these students to formulate good habits of healthy eating as children will ultimately lead to good habits of healthy eating as adults. It is important as nurses to reach out to elected officials and help guide healthcare policies. CHILDHOOD OBESITY 6 References Ahmad, S. R., Schubert, L. & Bush, R. (2018). Government and school community member perception on childhood obesity prevention in the primary school settings of Bruei Darussalam. Journal of Health Sciences, 8(3), 181-188. Doi: 10.17532/jhsci.2018.191 Dicken, J. E. (2019). Childhood obesity research demonstration: Efforts to identify effective strategies for low-income children. GAO Reports 20-30, pi-42. Kim, J., Kim, G., Park, J., Wang, Y. & Lim, H. (2019). Effectiveness of teacher-led nutritional lessons in altering dietary habits and nutritional status in preschool children: Adoption of a NASA mission x-based program. Nutrients 11(7), 1590. Doi: 10.3390/nu11071590 Hong, J., Bales, D. W. &Wallinga, C. R. (2018). Using family backpacks to involve families in teaching young children about healthy eating. Early Childhood Education Journal 46(2), 209-221. Doi: 10.1007/s10643-017-0848-8 McGuire, M., Goldstein, C., Claywell, L. & Patton, R. (2017). Analysis of student reflections of experiential learning in nursing health policy courses. Nurse Educator, 42(2) 95-99. Doi: 10.1097/NNE.0000000000000336 Roche, E., Kolodinsky, J. M., Johnson, R. K. Pharis, M. & Banning, J. (2017). School gardens may combat childhood obesity. Choices: The Magazine of Food, Farm & Resource Issues, 32(1), 1-6. Schultz, C. &Thorlton, J. (2019). Access to fresh fruits and vegetables in school lunches: A policy analysis. The Journal of School Nursing, 35(4), 248-255. Doi: 10.1177/1059840518762517. Webb, J. A. K. (2016). Our role as legislative advocates. Nursing Management, 47(8), 7-8. Doi:10.1097/01.NUMA.000048868.48485.0e