Planning My Policymaking Visit - Battling Childhood Obesity - Essay Example

Behavior change has the greatest effect but is very difficult to achieve. However, with implementation of policies that encourage healthy dietary choices and increased physical activity in schools, it is easier to attain the goal. There have been efforts to help curb childhood obesity in schools, implemented by various levels of administration. For instance, the government implemented the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program; which were objected at improving the nutrition of children in school.

However, studies show that the programs have had very little effect on children’s health especially with regards to childhood obesity. In fact, children in public schools where the lunch and breakfast were offered were at a higher risk of getting obesity than their counterparts in private schools (Li, Ji, & Hooker, 2010). This is important to nursing because academic performance of children is linked to their health which is our responsibility as nurses. There are several policymakers who can make a difference in the current situation of childhood obesity.

This includes persons responsible in the Department of Education, the state and the local administration in schools. The target policymakers in this case are the local administration especially the school board. This is because they participate in the lives of the children as compared to the other policymakers, and they are in a position to make the changes more effectively and rapidly. Since most of the interventions recommended are mostly school-based, it is best if the school administration is approached first to seek their opinion before implementing them.

The main vision of this visit is to relay the message to the policymakers on childhood obesity and discuss proposed ways of preventing or reducing it. Obesity comes with many challenges to the students, ranging from academic to social. Studies show that most obese students