Introduction
One of the principal challenges for present-day healthcare requiring interventions is obesity, and it is especially critical when young people face it. The severity of their situation compared to other population groups is conditional upon the detrimental effects of adopted health behaviors on the future lives of individuals and their wellbeing (Martin et al., 2018). Moreover, the process of personality formation attributed to these years is complicated by the influence of society since people tend to stigmatize patients with these issues and cause social isolation (Pont et al., 2017). Therefore, this paper aims to examine obesity among children and adolescents, compare the corresponding national and state goals and their efficiency, consider available resources regarding the condition, and provide implications for clinical practice.
Obesity in Children and Adolescents
The problem of excessive weight in new generations is critical and well-studied by numerous scholars. They approach the subject from the perspectives of individuals’ physical activity and their eating patterns and strive to elaborate behavioral interventions for improving their functioning in society (Martin et al., 2018). The presence of overweight or obesity is determined by calculating one’s body mass index. It confirms the former state when at or above the 85th percentile and below the 95th percentile and the latter when at or above the 95th percentile for children and adolescents (“Defining childhood obesity,” 2018). As a result, this tool allows specialists to conclude on the need to provide care for some patients based on their assessment to promote the population’s health.
The significance of the problem to the patient and healthcare community can be explained by the critical nature of the situation concerning the increasing numbers of people with obesity and the consequences of this condition. According to the statistics, it is prevalent in 19.3% of children and adolescents in the United States, which means that 14.4 million citizens are affected (“Childhood obesity facts,” 2021). This issue is generally becoming more common among low-income families, with a few exceptions (“Childhood obesity facts,” 2021). In turn, the factors adversely triggering the emergence of the problem include unhealthy eating patterns and behavior, and they lead to other health risks. The latter is high blood pressure, breathing issues, and social barriers, among others (“Childhood obesity causes and consequences,” 2021). From this perspective, the importance of addressing this challenge correlates with public health as a whole and, therefore, is a matter of interest for the field.
The selection of the target group, which is children and adolescents, is conditional upon their particular characteristics distinguishing them from adults with obesity. They are connected to the ongoing process of socialization, which determines the future success of individuals as members of society. The neglect of this aspect of their health status leads to anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem alongside bullying and stigma (“Childhood obesity causes and consequences,” 2021). In this way, mental problems complement the physical ones in the long run and prevent young people from active participation in community life. Thus, the patient population considered within the scope of this paper includes solely obese children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years.
National and State Goals
The first consideration for analysis is the National Healthy People 2030 goal for the selected objective, reflecting the current situation and prospects in treating problems with weight. According to the official data, the baseline is 17.8% of children and adolescents had obesity in 2013-16, whereas the target is 15.5% (“Reduce the proportion of children and adolescents with obesity — NWS‑04,” n.d.). Moreover, the improvements were apparent since 2010, as can be seen from the Healthy People 2020 objective NWS-10.4 reflecting 16.1% baseline and the target of 14.5% (“Nutrition, physical activity, and obesity,” 2017). In both cases, the improvements are over 10%, which means that the trend continues. Meanwhile, the national results differ from the state ones, and the latter requires particular consideration.
Thus, in the case of Missouri, the indicators demonstrate a less favorable situation. As per the available information, 13% of children aged 2-4 years and 34.3% of students aged 14-17 years are obese (Hasnie et al., 2019). As follows from the Missouri Foundation for Health reports, the general indicator for the target group is 31%, which is still higher than the national objective (“Addressing childhood obesity,” n.d.). The expected shift is only 5%, and it will not contribute to meeting the global standards (“Addressing childhood obesity,” n.d.). Hence, the Healthy Schools Healthy Communities (HSHC) initiative advocating for a change and targeting elementary schools is insufficient for improving children’s conditions (“Addressing childhood obesity,” n.d.). Even though their focus is similar to the national programs and they strive to promote healthy habits, individuals aged 2 to 7 are not covered by the project.
Assessment of Resources
The currently available resources regarding obesity in the identified area helping patients address this problem are provided by the Missouri Foundation for Health and the Community Preventive Services Task Force. The former’s guides target school children and reflect on the need to develop healthy habits to avoid complications in the future. Thus, the message guide “Connecting with Decision Makers to Promote Healthy Eating and Active Living in Missouri” is intended to inspire a call to action represented by enhancing the cooperation between the community and families (The Missouri Foundation for Health, 2018). The proposed method for achieving the goals is forming healthy eating habits and promoting an active lifestyle (The Missouri Foundation for Health, 2018). In turn, the latter suggests similar interventions, such as fruit and vegetable snacks and beverages in schools to reduce the rate of obesity among students (The Community Guide, 2016). In this way, the national and state objectives are supposed to be addressed through shifts in nutrition and physical activity.
These measures’ feasibility is underpinned by studies on possible interventions. Thus, the first method, which is the replacement of fast foods with healthy snacks as well as the general change in eating patterns, is supported by scholars claiming that it helps lose weight (Seo et al., 2019). They proved that one-to-one nutritional counseling is a suitable approach for addressing this need, which applies to moderate and severe obesity (Seo et al., 2019). The second article, contributing to the necessity to reassess nutrition, expanded on the subject by narrating about the importance of school-based dietary shifts for improving cognition as a whole (Martin et al., 2018). In addition, the literature review confirmed the requirement of combining this measure with physical activity (Martin et al., 2018). The third source adds to the above conclusions by focusing on this aspect. According to it, the already existing problem in this regard is complicated by the stigmatization of obese people, which leads to their resistance to participating in sports (Pont et al., 2017). Considering these findings, the interventions in eating habits and physical activity are desirable for meeting the objective.
The data in resources used by practitioners working with obese children and adolescents in Missouri comply with available research on this subject and, therefore, seem to be adequate to address the problem. The guide developed by the Missouri Foundation for Health includes the essential components as per the goal. More specifically, they are the importance of community-driven change and the vital information for educators, healthcare providers, and business and community leaders (The Missouri Foundation for Health, 2018). In turn, the Community Preventive Services Task Force’s report is beneficial for reassessing nutrition in schools (The Community Guide, 2016). Meanwhile, there is an issue regarding eliminating the threat to the health of children and adolescents, which remains unaddressed. It is impossible to distinguish the proposed measures by age, which can adversely affect the outcomes for some categories of patients, such as those who do not attend school yet.
Considering the above conclusions, it is reasonable to suggest modifying the mentioned resources for targeting the unique needs of representatives of the group examined within the scope of this paper. First, they should be connected to the varying nutritional needs of patients depending on their age as they cannot be the same for preschoolers and middle school students. Second, physical activity ascribed to them should also be adjusted accordingly. Third, the resources aimed at informing educators and healthcare practitioners should include specific criteria for identifying the needs of individuals regarding these two aspects. The last condition is especially critical if they have other health issues, which might prevent them from drastically changing their eating habits or participation in sports over a short period of time. The failure to take into account the described conditions might indicate the impossibility of matching the national goals with state targets concerning people with obesity. Consequently, it will be detrimental for the health of new generations unable to cope with increased levels of stress and other social circumstances stemming from problems with weight.
Summary
This information analysis concerning obese children and adolescents in Missouri will be advantageous for their families, educators, and healthcare practitioners. It will guide the suggested formation of an individualized approach to care for people with this condition. Moreover, it will demonstrate the correlation between measures adopted in this direction and the wellbeing of the young patients in the future. More importantly, the revealed neglect of preschoolers in contrast to the emphasis on developing policies addressing students will highlight the need to pay attention to them in the first place. As a result, they will avoid the mentioned psychological complications and maintain their mental health.
Conclusion
To summarize, the new-found knowledge regarding the situation of children and adolescents with obesity in Missouri will influence my future work as I will pay particular attention to this condition. More specifically, in the practice, I will focus on the needs of preschoolers and do my best to prevent the adverse effects of this problem during their future study. In the end, it will be possible to decrease the risks of high blood pressure, asthma, and other consequences of untreated issues linked to excessive weight. Hence, my desire is to promote parents’ awareness concerning early diagnostics and measures of obese children for their wellbeing as adults. Even though the national objective targets their needs and is supported by evidence-based literature, it seems insufficient, as per the state’s results. Thus, I will incorporate the task of educating families regarding obesity in preschoolers to reduce the rate of school children with this problem.
References
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Childhood obesity causes and consequences.(2021). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web.
Childhood obesity facts.(2021). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web.
Defining childhood obesity.(2018). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web.
Hasnie, U., Lindquist, M., Sweeney, B., Hampl, S., & Drees, B. M. (2019). Childhood obesity in the state of Missouri: A review for providers to counsel and treat patients.Missouri Medicine, 116(5), 409-413. Web.
Martin, A., Booth, J. N., Laird, Y., Sproule, J., Reilly, J. J., & Saunders, D. H. (2018). Physical activity, diet, and other behavioral interventions for improving cognition and school achievement in children and adolescents with obesity or overweight. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 1. Web.
Nutrition, physical activity, and obesity. (2017). Healthy People. Web.
Pont, S. J., Puhl, R., Cook, S. R., & Slusser, W. (2017). Stigma experienced by children and adolescents with obesity.Pediatrics, 140(6), e20173034. Web.
Reduce the proportion of children and adolescents with obesity — NWS‑04. (n.d.). Healthy People 2030. Web.
Seo, Y. G., Lim, H., Kim, Y., Ju, Y. S., Lee, H. J., Jang, H. B., Park, S. I., & Park, K. H. (2019). The effect of a multidisciplinary lifestyle intervention on obesity status, body composition, physical fitness, and cardiometabolic risk markers in children and adolescents with obesity.Nutrients, 11(1), 137. Web.
The Missouri Foundation for Health. (2018). Connecting with decision-makers to promote healthy eating and active living in Missouri. Web.
The Community Guide. (2016). Obesity: Meal or fruit and vegetable snack interventions to Increase healthier foods and beverages provided by schools. Web.