Empowerment in Adolescent Obesity - Research Paper Example

Task: Empowerment in Adolescent Obesity Introduction A recent survey conducted by the U.S researchers found that obesity poses several challenges to most teenagers in the United States. Besides the health hazards associated with obesity, there is the social aspect of peer discrimination that obese adolescents face in most American settings. Moreover, the survey indicated that obesity is more prone in the rural areas than in the urban areas. The survey also seemed to link obesity with poverty. Since obesity is, a leading source of teen’s health problems in the U.S, nurses and other concerned parties need to implement the necessary measures in order to control obesity and its effects on teens. Therefore, this document analyzes obesity in adolescents and mitigation measures in controlling it. 1. The provided article critically analyzes measures, which nurses may use, in a bid to control obesity in adolescents through empowerment, and thus improve their health and their self-esteem (Cochran 63). The author has explicitly explained measures that nurses and other parties can use in order to eliminate the problems associated with obesity. The author also intends to give the dangers associated with obesity, in a bid to presage the adversities awaiting these teens in adult age if they do not take immediate action. Among them are, high blood pressure resulting to heart complications and diabetes. Through this article, nurses will be able to empower teenagers towards the elimination of obesity and its effects. 2. The nurses saw the need to use teen empowerment to aid them in eliminating obesity and its ill effects. According to the article, empowerment develops in three phases. The first phase is the personal empowerment that grows with self-understanding, personal attitude being the power. The second is the organization phase, where facilitators make, upholding work settings to help individuals in having personal action that positively contributes in the association’s operations. The third phase is the community empowerment, where individuals cooperate towards achieving a one objective (Cochrane 67). In my view, the definitions are suitable in explaining empowerment as a strategy in eliminating obesity in teens since they are systematic. As a result, these definitions emphasize my initial thought of giving someone power to solve their own problems. 3. Various phrases define empowerment, all emanating from diverse sources. One of them is acquainting a person with command over his or her own predicaments. Another phrase depicting empowerment is promoting self-esteem to a person facing challenges. The key disparity between the first and the second definition is that the latter is active. Other synonyms include; authorization, making one powerful, and giving one a go-ahead. Moreover, empowerment depicts one bestowing people with mastery of their lives. The definitions are similar, since they connote an individual having supremacy over their challenges. 4. It is clear that obesity in adolescents has been an insignificant dilemma in the past, since the percentages have only risen recently. As a result, nurses saw the need to mitigate the predicament by applying empowerment concepts to the teenagers. Moreover, obesity worst affects the disadvantaged youth. These adolescents may grow into obese adults, particularly if their parents are also obese. On the other hand, self-esteem and self-determination often results to adolescent empowerment. In this case, empowerment is antecedent to self-esteem and self-determination (Cochran 66). 5 There are different characteristics of empowerment for obese adolescents listed by author. For instance, there is an inner awareness that involves numerous behavioral traits such as self-esteem, self-actualization and self-concept. Alternatively, the author describes self-esteem as that thought mechanism inspiring how people rate themselves in terms of value. The other characteristic of empowerment for obese youth is enabled potential. This entails the inner and outer drive to change their situations. It is what sociologists call motivation, which involves initiating change to oneself without prospects of any reward (Cochrane 69). In addition, it is possible to view empowerment as a tool for encouraging obese adolescents in terms of outcome directed activities. This is when a person exhibits elements of empowerment through activities such as self-esteem, self-determination and self-efficacy. In terms of measurement, for example, the author has used self-esteem, self-report technique such as the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventories. On the other hand, it is possible to measure motivation and outcome directed activities using Self-Determination Theory to observe the actions of the child. 6. Empowerment as a tool for encouraging obese children has multiple consequences both on the individual and on his immediate environment. For instance, empowerment does not reduce the prevalence of obesity among adolescents. However, sociologists maintain that self-esteem and motivation assist in curing obesity among teenagers. Alternatively, sociologists and psychologists still insist that the factors of teen motivation are not clear. In general, empowerment as a technique is not fully the best method of treating obesity among adolescent teens, but considering other individual factors of the teenager. In addition, incorporation of cultural beliefs in empowerment as a tool for reducing obesity is still lacking. This has resulted in not finding the underlying cause of the problem. For example, in areas such as Appalachia, cultural beliefs dictate the lifestyles and individuality of people. 7. The four conceptual cases mentioned by the author illustrate how empowerment is a tool of reducing obesity among teenagers. These include individual or psychological empowerment that states that power as a mechanism of self-esteem is within the individual. This is a logical example of how an obese adolescent can take the initiative to feel self-empowered and not view his situation as curse. Other aspects of individual empowerment include skill development and self-esteem (Cochrane 65). Furthermore, there is the organizational case, which involves setting a suitable working environment that enables a worker to make right choices that lead to increased production in the company. In other words, the above case enables employees to become productive on their own by providing them with opportunities to make decisions in the organization. Additionally, there is the community empowerment that entails members of the community joining to attain a common target. This collective effort involves the energy of many individuals, which empowers people in a group. However, some model cases left out such as interpersonal empowerment, which may involve empowering youth by a group of friends or aspect of role models to encourage us. 8. The empirical referents used by the author in the analysis of the concept include weight loss among adolescents, weight reduction through healthy eating habits and obesity among teenagers from poor neighborhoods, self-esteem, and empowerment among individuals, organizations and community. Furthermore, there is culture as a significant factor among impoverished obese adolescents, which hinders them from overcoming their obesity (Cochrane 68). Additionally, there is the issue of motivation, which means the inner and outer drive of individuals especially the affected obese teenagers in attaining self-determination and self-esteem. Conclusion In conclusion, obesity as a health and societal problem can only be eradicated if the society supports the victims. For example, social stigma experienced by obese teenagers such as low self-esteem and self-hatred should reduce through ways of encouragement and motivation. Other techniques of coming to terms with issues of obesity include empowerment of the individual, the organization among workers in order to attain empowerment in the workplace and community empowerment that strengthens individuals collectively. Furthermore, members of the society should consider empowerment factors such as the inner awareness of the individual, their potential in terms of motivation and the outcome of motivation in the form of behavior. Work Cited Cochran, Jill. Empowerment in adolescent obesity: State of the science, Online Journal of Rural Nursing and Healthcare 8.1 (2008): 63-73. Web. September 24, 2011. Read More