Child obesity has been observed to be a common problem not only in the United States but also in other parts of the world. It is caused by lack of enough exercise, eating unhealthy foods and eating too much. Unhealthy foods include those high in sugar content and fats. Child obesity exposes children to diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension. Also, children who are obese at a young age are likely to be obese when they are adults (Kanazawa, 2013). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 17% of the youth in America are overweight. To reduce this prevalence, the states have come up with policies to reduce cases of child obesity.
Research shows that children who are obese are prone to chronic cardiovascular diseases, hence, policies to protect them against this risk have to be imp
...lemented. The article “The Role of United States Law to Prevent and Control Childhood Obesity,” by Jennifer Pomeranz shows us that it is the role of the State government to implement these legislative actions (Pomeranz, 2011). They include measuring student fitness in schools, ensuring proper school nutrition, and offering physical education training for creating awareness on obesity.
The government spends large amounts of money annually to treat diseases due to obesity. For instance, as recorded in 2010, America spends about $150 billion on healthcare, with half of this amount being catered for by taxpayers. The State is, therefore, left with a burden to cover the remaining costs. Another challenge faced by the government is the fact that more than half the population disqualified to join the military are those who are obese, most of whic
acquired it in childhood. Reducing the level of childhood obesity, therefore becomes a necessity, both for the individual and the government at large.
The Hunger
Free Kids Act of 2010 was passed to ensure constant availability of healthy foods in schools. It was realized that healthy foods are relatively expensive compared to junk food, which is unhealthy. The act ensured that the nutrition level of foods given to school children was the appropriate one and at the same time reducing foods rich in sugars and fats. It has been proven that foods containing a high level of sugar contain a lot of calories (Moss, 2013). These calories increase the chances of being obese, especially if one is not used to exercising and fitness routines. Minimizing the intake of calories, therefore, ensures reduction of childhood obesity.
The policy was accompanied by the creation of awareness for the youth on the risks coupled with obesity. This awareness helps kids, especially teenagers to have enough knowledge to control their eating habits and exercise adequately. The policy is a verified legislation passed by the government and should be implemented by those in charge of school programs and the resources departments.
Reducing child obesity also calls for the role of registered advanced practice nurses. The nurses assist in measuring recommended Body Mass Index (BMI) for a specific age. Monitoring of BMI ensures that young kids maintain the appropriate weight so that they are not obese (Kanazawa, 2013). The nurses also give professional pediatric advice for managing obesity for those who have already acquired it. They also instruct health activities for weight decrease and offer nutritional advice, thus preventing and dealing with obesity. They offer
platforms, not only for the children but also their parents to learn about healthy eating practices, which ensure that one will not acquire obesity.
The policy influences clinical practice by ensuring that professional medical approves the ideal nutrition for the kids. According to Wootan, on “Hunger – Free Kids: one year later,” the required nutrition for children, is that which has been approved by clinical personnel. The role of the school nurse is to recommend the daily diet of the school as per the requirement of the policy. Monitoring of BMI and giving nutritional guidelines to the school is also another way in which clinical practice is implemented. The policy ensures that random screening of obesity is done in schools. These practices ensure that there are no cases of developing obesity, and the existing ones are minimized.
Implementation of the Hunger
Free Kids Act of 2010 has been updated since then and has improved over time (Wootan, 2012). For a policy to be implemented, however, it requires the input of different professional parties, including individuals and organizations. The schools in the United States should not only follow the requirements of the act because the law says so, but obesity should be a concern of every citizen. School authorities give their professional input by the simple fact that they ensure the regulations of the Act are followed. They adequately implement the breakfast and lunch rule to ensure that the kids’ nutrition requirements are adhered to as required by nutritionists.
To monitor obesity in schools, it requires the professional input of nurses and pediatricians to ensure kids maintain the required weight at a particular age. This does not only require individual
input but also the help of Non-Governmental Organizations. Cooperation between different professional bodies has proved effective in the quest to reduce child obesity.
Сhild obesity being a global problem may not be reduced to zero. However, legislation of policies that minimize the cases has proved to be the most effective method to curb it. The challenge, however arises whereby, many countries haven’t noticed the problem and have not enacted policies to regulate it. This makes it a global concern which should be treated with seriousness.
References
- Friedman, B. D., & Merrick, J. (2015). Public health, social work and health inequalities. New York: Nova Science.
- Haerens, M. (2012). Obesity. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.
- Kanazawa, S. (2013). Childhood intelligence and adult obesity. Obesity, 21(3), 434-440. doi:10.1002/oby.20018
- Moss, M. (2013). Salt, sugar, fat: How the food giants hooked us. London: WH Allen.
- Pomeranz, J. L. (2011). The Role of United States Law to Prevent and Control Childhood Obesity. Global Perspectives on Childhood Obesity, 455-461. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-374995-6.10042-8
- Wootan, M. G. (2012). The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act: One Year Later. NASN School Nurse, 27(1), 18-19. doi:10.1177/1942602x11429827
