Promoting Healthy Eating Habits among Obese Adolescents - Case Study Example

Running head: PROMOTING HEALTHY EATING HABITS Promoting healthy eating habits among obese adolescents Creighton University Promoting healthy eating habits among obese adolescents Obesity is a huge problem and spreading throughout the world (Popkin and Gordon-Larsen, 2004). When defined clinically, obesity is BMI of greater or equal to 95th percentile (Pediatrics, 2007). Obesity is often the term used to refer to anyone who is overweight with a body mass index or BMI that is equal to or greater than 95th percentile (Zidenberg & Wright, 2008). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which defines the parameters of BMI, issues the following – overweight are those with BMI of ≥95 percentile , at risk of being overweight with a BMI ≥85 percentile and ≤95 percentile (Harrington, 2008). The CDC, in its report, notes that over 60% of young people consume a lot of fat, while only 34% of boys and 33% of girls consume the suggested 5-a-day servings of fruits and vegetables. In fact, obesity has increased by one-third in the United States since 1976 (Willett, 1994), and contrastingly by 100 percent between 1980 to 1994 (Harrington, citing Ludwig, Peterson, and Gort-maker, 2001). Moreover, overweight adolescents were recorded at an alarming 21 to 30 percent (Wilson, August 2007). In a study conducted for 548 different ethnicity in Boston area public school system in a span of 19 months found tremendous link between SSB intake, weight change, and incident of obesity. Ludwig et al found a remarkable associations among these children’s consumption of SSB or sugar-sweetened beverages intake, weight change, and incident of adiposity. As a standard measure, Wilson recommended that prevention and treatment must address this imbalance. As obesity grows relentlessly as a global health epidemic and major social dilemma, numerous and devastating myriad consequences are gradually taking its toll in people’s health and the society. Zidenberg & Wright note the marked increase in the rate of bariatric surgery or operation to induce weight loss has significantly rose three times than in 2000 and 2003. Likewise, Wilson (cited by Daniels, 2006, 230) predicts that the future generation may never experience longer life expectancy since today’s obese adolescents are at high risk of living less healthy and shorter lives than their predecessors. Thus, there is an issue bigger than the increase in the waistline of Americans. There is the challenge, however, to make intervention programs such as promoting healthy eating habits and nutritional education relevant to its obese adolescent constituents. This paper aims to implement a care management process that approaches the education and promotion of healthy eating to obese adolescents, such as educating adolescents about the benefits of fruits and vegetables, and the required servings each day. Thus, any prevention intervention must address and prioritize overweight children, particularly adolescents, since these segments are key predictors of obesity in adulthood. The need for evidence-based health care management process is critical in aiding nurses design and implement a strategic care management process. For the purpose of this research, nurses will attempt to recruit adolescents who are already obese. In this case, nurses expect obese adolescents are already aware of their weight issue and may have already attempted several weight loss strategies. Nurses will prepare and deliver the required five of the targeted food combination of fruits and vegetables daily to the participants during the duration of the program. Hence, nurses expect participating obese adolescents to eat friuts and vegetables at least five times a day. Upon the completion of this program, nurses expect participants to have cut their BMI into less than 95 percent. In view of assessing how the program has impacted into the particpants during this care management process, the nurses shall assess whether the obese adolescents are able to achieve the expected outcomes. Outcomes of the health intervention program may be assessed by looking into the impact of the care management process into the following data of the participants, namely: weight, age, height, BMI, productivity, health and self-esteem. During the course of the health intervention program for obese adolescents, nurses may face the difficulty of assessing weight. At the stage of puberty, changes and differences in the patterns of growth and body composition of adolescents may be expected (Harrington). Apart from this biological factors, dietary and health assessments may also be carried out for adolescents with BMIs of ≥85th percentile, but Read More