Obesity in Preadolescent Children - Essay Example

Childhood Obesity – Summary of Sources Childhood Obesity – Summary of Sources Quantitative Journal Article: Mushi-Brunt, C., Haire-Joshu, D. & Elliot, M., 2007. Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Obesity in Preadolescent Children: The Role of Neighborhood Poverty and Grocery Store Access. American Journal of Health Education, 38(5), pp. 258-265. This article reports the findings of a study on the role of fruit and vegetable intake in obesity in preadolescent children. The article was chosen as it meets the requirements of the paper: it is a quantitative journal article on childhood obesity. Christina Mushi-Brunt et al. take off by identifying a knowledge gap(Mushi-Brunt, et al., 2007). Even though the phenomenon of obesity in children is on the rise, health education initiatives that focus on the individual have been marginally successful in reversing the trend. As a result, the researchers set out to investigate the relationships between neighbourhood characteristics, the availability and accessibility of grocery stores and the intake of fruits and vegetables as reported by parents on and weight status. The study involved 797 preadolescent children aged between six and eleven years. 78% of the children failed to meet the recommended fruit and vegetable intake and 37% of them were obese. Children from poorer neighbourhoods consumed less fruit and vegetables than their counterparts in the wealthier neighbourhoods. Christina Mushi-Brunt et al. concluded that there is a relationship between neighbourhood characteristics, the availability of a grocery store and the intake of fruit and vegetable. Consequently, health educators need to consider the influence of the physical and social environment on positive health behaviours. Journal Article: Jackson, D. et al., 2005. mothers perceptions of overweight and obesity in their children. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 23(2), pp. 7-13. This article reports the findings of a qualitative study of how mothers perceive overweight and obesity in their children. The article was picked because it satisfies the requirements of the paper: it is a qualitative article in the sense that it describes mothers perceptions of obesity and overweight in their children. Perceptions cannot be quantified, they can only be described. The study involved eleven English-speaking mothers from a metropolitan community in Australia. Each mother had at least one obese or overweight child. The choice of mothers as the subjects of the study was informed by the fact that much of the existing literature on childhood obesity implicates parents, especially mothers (Jackson, et al., 2005).The participants attributed their children’s obesity to such factors as sedentary lifestyle, poor eating habits such as the failure to chew food adequately or drink adequate water, and familial factors such as genetics. While the concerns of the mothers over their children’s obesity were many, their immediate concern was the stigma that society associates with obese children. Despite the small number of participants, the researchers concluded that an understanding of parents views on obesity in their children was a beginning point for the collaboration between parents and health professionals to curb the problem. Opinion-based: Mitchell, F., 2011. Obesity in children is a ticking time bomb. [Online] Available at: http://www.nursingtimes.net/obesity-in-children-is-a-ticking-time-bomb/5034608.article [Accessed 23 February 2015]. This is an opinion-based article by Florence Mitchell, a lecturer in nursing, and was published in the online magazine Nursing Timeson September 13, 2011. The article was picked as it fulfils the requirements of the paper: it is an opinion-based article on childhood obesity. The author argues that the problem of obesity must be dealt with before it gets out of hand (Mitchell, 2011). To illustrate her points, she refers to UK and world statistics on childhood obesity. The epidemic, especially in the UK, has reached the level where many parents cannot draw the line between healthy weight and being overweight. In the UK, the issue of child obesity has attracted the interest of policymakers. For instance, the government created the Cross-Government Obesity Unit in 2008 in order to reduce the number of overweight to the 2000 level by the year 2020. However, according to the author, no significant progress has been made to date. The author laments that while a lot of research has been undertaken on child obesity, none of the studies so far has recommended effective ways of dealing with the problem. The author then goes on to outline the factors that contribute to child obesity. They include lifestyle – too much junk food and snacking accompanied with little or no physical activity, and parental obesity – a child whose parents are obese is at a higher risk of obesity. Poster: Roth, G., 2014. Actively Fighting Childhood Obesity. [Online] Available at: http://circulatingnow.nlm.nih.gov/2014/09/19/actively-fighting-childhood-obesity/ [Accessed 23 February 2015]. This is a 2003 poster depicting an overweight teenage girl exercising intensively in the foreground. In the background are three other teenagers of normal weight sitting and lying on the grass. To the left of these two pictures are a few facts about being overweight and how to lose weight. The poster was posted on Circulating Now on September 19, 2014 and is accompanied by a write up on childhood obesity. Childhood obesity has been on the rise. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reports that in the last thirty years, obesity has more than doubled for children; it has quadrupled in teenagers (Roth, 2014). The author believes that good nutrition is a habit which when developed can help prevent obesity in childhood, but also in adulthood. Childhood obesity is most prevalent among Alaska Native and American Indian communities. The poster portrays the message that an active lifestyle can help prevent or end obesity and the related health complications such as heart diseases. In 209, the National Indian Health Board, an NGO that concerns itself with health care between the two communities, launched a series of programs that seek to stamp out child obesity in tribal communities. Web page: BlueCross BlueShield of New Mexico, n.d. Childhood Obesity Toolkit. [Online] Available at: http://www.bcbsnm.com/provider/clinical/childhood_obesity.html [Accessed 23 February 2015]. This web page provides a toolkit, which the members of the BlueCross BlueShield of New Mexico can use in dealing with obese patients. The page starts by claiming that that obesity in children has more than tripled in the last thirty years; in New Mexico the prevalence is even more alarming. This source was picked as it meets the demands of this paper. Paediatricians and family practitioners play a leading role in efforts aimed at reducing obesity (BlueCross BlueShield of New Mexico, n.d.). Besides treating, those struggling with weight issues, the can also advise children and adults alike on the healthy lifestyles they should adopt to avoid or reduce overweight. Taking cognizance of the role these practitioners play in promoting healthier lifestyles, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies partnered with leading clinical organizations to develop a toolkit to guide the practitioners in dealing with obese children. The toolkit includes materials on how to deal with obese children when they visit them in their offices; materials that guide parents on how to help their children adopt healthier lifestyles; and materials that patients and parents can take home with them and use to monitor their progress. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Corporations have also provided a link to an educational site where people can obtain more information on dealing with the challenge of obesity. References BlueCross BlueShield of New Mexico, n.d. Childhood Obesity Toolkit. [Online] Available at: http://www.bcbsnm.com/provider/clinical/childhood_obesity.html [Accessed 23 February 2015]. Jackson , D. et al., 2005. MOTHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY IN THEIR CHILDREN. Journal of Advanced Nursing , 23(2), pp. 7-13. Mitchell, F., 2011. Obesity in children is a ticking time bomb. [Online] Available at: http://www.nursingtimes.net/obesity-in-children-is-a-ticking-time-bomb/5034608.article [Accessed 23 February 2015]. Mushi-Brunt, C., Haire-Joshu, D. & Elliot, M., 2007. Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Obesity in Preadolescent Children: The Role of Neighborhood Poverty and Grocery Store Access. American Journal of Health Education, 38(5), pp. 258-265. Roth, G., 2014. Actively Fighting Childhood Obesity. [Online] Available at: http://circulatingnow.nlm.nih.gov/2014/09/19/actively-fighting-childhood-obesity/ [Accessed 23 February 2015]. Read More