Childhood overweight and obesity are amongst the global grievous health problems in contemporary society. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the number of children who are overweight was more than 60 million in 2018 (as cited in Wadden & Bray, 2019). The health risks associated with diabetes are dire and wide-ranging (Wadden & Bray, 2019). Some of the problems children in this condition suffer from are neurological, endocrine, pulmonary, gastroenterological, and orthopedic ones. The factors that put children at risk of obesity include gender, parental weight, lifestyle, and the socio-economic status of the family. School-age children who are obese have high chances of risk factors of cardiovascular ailments and other health conditions related to weight such as sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes. They also experience psychological stress and some of them perform poorly in school. Various health specialists have been trying to address the problem using different strategies. For instance, medical professionals examine the consequences on the mental and social health of the affected children (Wadden & Bray, 2019).
The type of intervention depends on the gravity of the condition. Obesity is a global problem amongst school-age children but there is no consensus on the most effective ways of treating it. This study will therefore try to investigate the most successful way of treating obesity amongst adolescents and children. The treatment options for adolescents and children comprise non-medical strategies which include dietary changes, physical activity, and medical methods such as pharmacotherapy and bariatric surgery. Recent studies indicate that a combination of medical and surgical methods is effective in the reduction of the severity of the problem in children and adolescents (Wadden & Bray, 2019). There is more evidence showing that children who are in severe obese conditions do not effectively respond to non-surgical interventions (Wadden & Bray, 2019). The research concludes that the medical methods in the treatment of diabetes are the most effective. The medical professionals have opted for surgical ways of treatment because of their high level of efficacy. The term bariatric surgery refers to different invasive procedures conducted on children to restrict the intake of food which eventually reduces the absorption of nutrients. The reduction of the nutrients in the body helps in mitigating the effects of obesity (Wadden & Bray, 2019).
The method is the most effective if the condition of the patient is severe.
Aims and Objectives
This investigation purposes to answer the question: What are the advantages of treating diabetes in children using medical techniques? What are some of adverse effects of diabetes on school-age children? This study will take a quantitative approach to explore the medical methods of treating adolescents and children and demonstrate why it is the most effective technique in treatment of school-going children. The following are the objectives of this research: 1. What different medical and non-medical interventions are used to manage diabetic school-age children? 2. What are the health effects of childhood obesity? 3. What are the relationships between obesity in children and their health? (Skinner et al., 2016). This study is important because after finding the most effective methods in the treatment of school-age children, the medical experts can use them to design intervention strategies. The nurses in schools will be equipped with the necessary knowledge so that they can successfully mitigate the effects of the condition in children. The policy-makers can also use the findings to formulate the most efficient laws that will guide the process of ensuring that the adverse effects of the disease are reduced (Skinner et al., 2016). To effectively manage diabetes in school-age children resolute effort is required from all stakeholders.
References
Skinner, A. C., Perrin, E. M., & Skelton, J. A. (2016). Prevalence of obesity and severe obesity in US children. Journal of Pediatric Science, 1999-2014, 24(3), 1116-1123. Web.
Wadden, T. A., & Bray, G. A. (2019). Handbook of obesity treatment (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press.