The Role of Nursing in Tackling Obesity in Society
The availability and cheapness of high-calorie foods and increasing sedentary lifestyles of people in the West have substantially increased the rate of obesity in various communities. In the US, the government considers obesity a national epidemic, with almost 35% of the population being obese. Although genes may play a role in the development of obesity, genetics in a population change very slowly to be responsible for the obesity epidemic in the region (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2017). Consequently, diet and exercise habits are likely to be the primary cause of obesity for an individual. The CDC (2017) also notes that the community environment has a significant influence on an individual’s choices.
Additionally, it is more prevalent in some ethnic and demographic groups; for example, Hispanics (30.7%) and non-Hispanic black women (41.9%) are at the highest risk of obesity. By building environments that encourage individuals to engage in physical activity and eat healthy diets, communities can manage the epidemic more effectively. It is essential to address obesity since it has emerged as the greatest cause of reduced life expectancy for individuals in the modern world. Public health nursing initiatives can enhance the fight against obesity in communities by educating populations, monitoring prevalence, and inspiring individuals to change their habits.
The obligation to invest in heath by engaging healthy behaviors as a critical health care Issue
Healthy behavior and living is a dream of every individual in the community. However, certain life conditions can culminate without getting noticed in real-time such as obesity. Therefore, such conditions manifest themselves in the body incognito and result in various long-term health effects. Certain factors contribute to critical health care issues in the community. These factors make some populations more vulnerable to specific health problems than others. In the United States, factors such as the right to health care, the obligation to invest in heath by engaging healthy behaviors, inequalities in health care, and the failure to eliminate harmful and wasteful care all contribute to critical health issues in virtually all communities in the US (Gonzalez, 2019). Nevertheless, each specific state in the US experiences different critical health care issues. In Texas, there is a leading charge of abandoning Obamacare because it has become unconstitutional after Congress ended the individual mandate. Texas also has some of the highest numbers of uninsured adults and many children without health insurance. Factors such as the obligation to invest in health by engaging healthy behaviors, and failure to eliminate wasteful care contribute to the high number of obesity cases in Texas (Collins, 2018). The greater the number of risk factors a group has for developing obesity, the more likely the condition is to be present.
According to Maurer and Smith (2013), nurses are problem solvers who are accustomed to identifying health risks and devising interventions to improve the health of an individual or group. (Maurer & Smith, 2013) Identifies that communities “have their patterned interaction… that varies from community to community depending on needs and values” (p. 396). Frameworks that nurses can utilize to enhance the health of a community include the community competence approach and general systems theory. The systems approach views communities as dynamic systems that respond to internal and external stimuli (Maurer & Smith, 2013). By introducing stimuli such as education on obesity and programs for changing lifestyle habits, public health nurses can change the way communities approach the issues, thereby improving their responses to obesity.
Behavioral Lifestyle Interventions in Texas
The behavioral lifestyle intervention in Texas State provides the framework for the citizens to invest in their health by engaging in healthy lifestyles. These interventions are amicable for adults with type 2 diabetes and comorbid overweight or obesity. One of such interventions is using enhanced Multiple-Behavior Self-Monitoring that applies the use of mobile and connected tools (Çakmur, 2016). The other intervention is the after-school based obesity prevention intervention that targets children. The use of Multiple-Behavior Self-Monitoring intervention was rolled out in Texas in November 2018 by enrolling 26 patients; 11 in the mobile group, 9 in the paper group, and 6 in the control group (Collins, 2018). The after-school based obesity intervention program sought to target the modifiable risk factors such as exercise and diet that are deemed to have positive contributions to preventing adult-onset and child obesity. Nurses targeted the venues that service the large accessible segments of the target populations.
Nurses’ interventions in communities have proven to be relatively successful in some cases. According to Sargent, Forrest, and Parker (2012), nurses in primary health care facilities play an essential role in the management of chronic diseases such as obesity as well as in providing useful preventative lifestyle advice. Their interventions are relatively effective; they have been shown to produce positive changes in the management of obesity-related issues by encouraging patients to change their diet and increasing physical activity behaviors (Sargent, Forrest, & Parker, 2012). Among healthcare professionals, nurses have the greatest interaction and reach with communities; as a result, their involvement in helping communities change their habits is likely to have a positive impact (Collins, 2018). Consequently, designing programs that increase nurses’ roles in educating and inspiring communities to tackle obesity might enhance efforts to reduce their negative impact on public health.
Targeted approaches to the most vulnerable communities are important in the fight against obesity. In the US, the Racial, and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) programs – which the CDC funds – offer services utilizing community health workers such as nurses that aim to reduce health issues that disproportionately affect some ethnic communities, for example, obesity. The program targets African Americans, Alaskan Natives, and Hispanics, among others. Cosgrove et al. (2014) note that community health workers, such as nurses have reduced emergency room visits among some populations by as much as 40%. They contribute to improving patients’ knowledge, behavior, and outcomes. For every $1 that a government invests in community health workers, society can obtain a return of $2.28 or more (Cosgrove et al., 2014). The REACH programs have reported positive outcomes for issues related to obesity. For example, in REACH communities, between 2009 and 2012, the percentage of adults who reported that they ate five or more fruits or vegetables increased by 3.9% among non-Hispanic blacks and 9.3% among Hispanics (CDC, 2016). Therefore, by training nurses to identify and help individuals and communities to address obesity and its related issues, they can improve society’s responsiveness to the epidemic.
Since nurses make up the largest group of healthcare professionals, they are optimally placed to have the greatest impact on community health. By approaching communities as clients, nurses can change habits by proving education and inspiration to bring about behavioral changes. Their interventions are especially important when dealing with health issues such as obesity, which disproportionately affect some communities. The REACH programs utilize community health workers, such as nurses to target health issues that affect some ethnic groups. The programs are relatively effective at bringing about change. Consequently, authorities should introduce or expand such programs to enhance the public’s response to the obesity epidemic.
References
Çakmur, H. (2016, September 12). Obesity as a growing public health problem. IntechOpen. doi: 10.5772/65718
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]. (2016). Racial and ethnic approaches to community health (REACH). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/aag/reach.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]. (2017, August 29). Adult obesity causes & consequences. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/causes.html
Collins, E. (2018). Sustainable nursing practice–how nursing can assist with the obesity epidemic. Contemporary Research Topics, 40-43.
Cosgrove, S., et al. (2014). Community Health Workers as an Integral Strategy in the REACH U.S. Program to Eliminate Health Inequities. Health Promotion Practice, 15(6):795-802. doi: 10.1177/1524839914541442.
Gonzalez, J. M. (2019, February 14). Obesity in America: A growing concern. Endocrine Web. Retrieved from https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/obesity/obesity-america-growing-concern
Maurer, F. A., & Smith, C. M. (2013). Community/public health nursing practice: Health for families and populations (5th ed.). St. Louis, MO: W. B. Saunders.
Sargent, G., Forrest, L., & Parker, R. (2012). Nurse delivered lifestyle interventions in primary health care to treat chronic disease risk factors associated with obesity: A systematic review. Obesity Reviews, 13(12), 1148–1171.