NRS451VN Nursing | The Prevalence of Adult Obesity

Identifying the problem

Adult obesity is a medical condition that presents by accumulation of fat more than the required amount and can pose serious medical problems if not dealt with early (Ogden, 2014). Adults who are obese have a basal mass index of more than 30kg/m2. Normal basal mass index ranges from 18.5-24.9kg/m2, those with a basal mass index of 25-30kg/m2 are considered overweight and those with a basal mass index of more than 30kg/m2 are considered dangerously overweight or obese (Antonelli, 2014).

Explaining the  Problem 

Obesity because is a very serious condition that predisposes someone to so many health risks such as cardiovascular disorders and depression. Most of the adult population in the United States suffers from obesity or obesity related complications. Obesity can be clinically controlled and it can be prevented through adoption of a healthy lifestyle and screening which includes taking the clients basal mass index thrice yearly for those at risk. According to the statistics obesity is a major cause of morbidity among the United State population and the incident rate goes up every year; with that said obesity is a condition that relates with health care, because it will take the effort of health care professionals to educate the public about the risk of obesity, the causes of obesity and the prevention strategies for obesity (Antonelli, 2014).

Discussion of the problem

Obesity is attributed to a more dormant lifestyle and increased uptake of processed foods. It has been on the rise with statistics showing that more than a third of the adult population has obese regardless of the gender. It is more common in females than males. Obesity has a higher prevalence in those with white collar job compared to the other forms of professions. It is more prevalent to the people of Hispanic origin and higher in the middle aged people and old adults (Wright, 2012).

Current data supporting the prevalence of the problem

People aged 40-59 have a high risk for developing obesity and the risk increases with age. Currently more than 36.5% of the United States population has obesity (Antonelli, 2014). The common causes for obesity are genetics; excessive intake of processed foods high in low density cholesterol, medical conditions that increase blood cholesterol, and lack of physical activity (Wright, 2012). Adult obesity is predisposes one to type 2 diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, cancer, obstructive sleep apnea and depression (Segula, 2014).

Proposed solutions for adult obesity

The most effective methods of eradicating obesity are; lifestyle modifications, pharmacological interventions, aggressive health education, and basal mass index screening (Hutchesson, 2015). Evaluations should be conducted twice every year to determine the effectiveness of the solutions and make modifications when needed.

Justification of the solution

Lifestyle modifications

This includes exercise and consumption of naturally unprocessed foods. People are advice to eat a healthy diet which contains healthy fats, whole grain cereals, proteins of high biologic value and complex carbohydrates. Such foods ensure that a person stays fuller for longer and they have all the nutrients required by a human body. People are also advised to incorporate an exercise routine in their lives, to burn off extra calories and keep fit (Hutchesson, 2015).

Pharmacologic intervention

It is used for clients with conditions that cause hypercholesteremia, which can predispose someone to obesity; such clients will be prescribed for agents that lower blood cholesterol levels (Brauer, 2015).

Aggressive health education

Knowledge is power; the public should be educated about obesity, its risk factors, prevention strategies and potential complications. Health education ensures that the public is aware of the condition; therefore preventing it is easier (Hutchesson, 2015).

Basal mass index screening

Continuous screening of the basal mass index ensures that those at risk especially those with a basal mass index of more than 25kg/m2 receive the appropriate health education and counseling, to prevent them from being obese. Screening helps in keep track of the condition statistically (Hutchesson, 2015).

Resources to implement the proposed solutions

For these solutions to be implemented, the government, hospitals, schools and the media must be involved. The media ensures that the information will reach the appropriate target, the government will write up legislative policies that will enable the hospital to conduct basal mass index screening, and give health education to all its clients. The Nursing schools will be involved, because these solutions should be incorporated within the nursing curriculum, to enable nurse’s act professionally when giving health education, as it is the required by the regulatory bodies (Brauer, 2015).

The government will also give the hospitals mandates to retain client’s record regarding their basal mass index for use in future and for that information to be published in journals and reports. It is also used as a source of funds, to enable these solutions to be implemented appropriately.

Timeline for the recommendations

These recommendations should take 6 months to implement. They should be evaluated twice yearly after the implementation process.

The stake holders in the implementation of this proposal are the government, the nursing schools and the media. They all interact in ensuring that the implementation process has started. The government creates policies; the media advertises these policies and the nursing schools implement these policies by adjusting the curriculum. The solutions were received positively by the management and they promised to start the implementation process (Antonelli, 2014).

Implementation of the solution

The solution will be implemented through policies written down by the ministry of health and implemented at the hospital and through curriculum revision by nursing schools to incorporate the solutions in the curriculum (Antonelli, 2014).

Roles of the nurse

The nurse plays the role of a scientist, detective and manager. The role of a detective displays when the nurse has to identify a problem, analyze the problem and come up with appropriate solutions. The role of a scientist displays itself when the nurse has to research the effectiveness of the solution and recommend it and the role of a manager displays itself when the nurse has to write proposals and evaluation strategies to their peers regarding the problem identified in our case obesity (Antonelli, 2014) 

Bibliography

Antonelli, J. A. (2014). Use of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to calculate the impact of obesity and diabetes on cost and prevalence of urolithiasis in 2030. European Urology, 4(66), 724-729.

Brauer, P. G. (2015). Recommendations for prevention of weight gain and use of behavioural and pharmacologic interventions to manage overweight and obesity in adults in primary care. Canadian Medical Association Journal,, 3(187), 184-195.

Hutchesson, M. J. (2015). eHealth interventions for the prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity in adults: a systematic review with meta?analysis. Obesity reviews,, 5(16), 376-392.

Ogden, C. L. (2014). Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the United States, 2011-2012. Jama, 8(311), 806-814.

Segula, D. (2014). Complications of obesity in adults: a short review of the literature. Malawi Medical Journal,, 1(26), 20-24.

Wright, S. M. (2012). Causes of obesity. Abdominal Radiology,, 5(37), 730-732