Introduction
Obesity is rising, not just in the United States but throughout the world. This is because of the rising prevalence of sedentary lifestyles and the widespread availability of fast food with questionable nutritional value. Researchers have shown that as Asians in the United States become more accustomed to American culture and are more likely to gain weight (Gong et al., 2019). This paper will also describe the health issues and risks associated with the child in the given case study. In addition, it will offer suggestions for additional questions for the child’s parents. Lastly, it will offer suggestions for two strategies to encourage the parents to be proactive in maintaining the child’s healthy weight.
Explanation of the Health Issues and Risks
The state of a child’s health is determined by several factors that interact with one another. Parents have a significant impact on their children’s development and wellbeing. An analysis of a family where the five-year-old child and both parents are overweight. One in six children in the United States is obese, according to the most recent data from the National Center for Health Statistics (Ogden et al., 2017). Obesity poses a serious public health concern, especially for young people of African descent. Obesity has been linked to a host of other health problems that can negatively affect a child’s wellbeing down the road. The child also has classic asthmatic symptoms. This child, age 5, is significantly overweight and may develop serious health problems in the future; a nurse must evaluate him to prevent these issues in advance.
The Additional Information needed to further Assess and Understand their Weight-related Health
Many factors of a child’s environment contribute significantly to their risk of developing obesity. Diet and lifestyle are the two most important aspects that should be prioritized when caring for a preschooler, such as a child that is being focused on here who is five years old and attends a preschool. Within the African American population, studies have shown a significant connection between the influence of the parents and the prevalence of childhood obesity in children (Chi et al., 2017). The lifestyle that is led in a family, as well as the diet consumed, have a significant impact on a child’s development. Both of the child’s parents are obese, and they are both employed. Therefore, the child will spend time after school with their grandparents.
Moreover, since this child spends half of his time with his grandparent, this factor may affect the child’s way of life. According to research conducted by Horodynski et al. (2017), one of the primary contributors to childhood obesity is eating unhealthy food while watching television. Therefore, gathering as much information as possible regarding the activities the child participates in while visiting their grandparents is essential. There is some evidence that obesity may have a hereditary component.
Questions to ask about the child to gather more information
When questions are asked about the children, they must be mindful of their emotions. Any inquiry about the children can become an emotionally charged matter for the parents and caretakers because it is about the child. As a result of the fact that the 5-year-old African American child in this case study is overweight, it is essential to have the following information:
- Is the child eating well-balanced meals on a regular schedule?
- Is the child taking calorie-rich food?
- Is the child provided with junk food from fast food restaurants?
Two Strategies to Encourage the Parents or Caregivers
To get parents and caregivers involved in their children’s health and weight, the following strategies are suggested:
- Reforming their lifestyle and timely delivery of healthy meals.
- Keeping the child exercising regularly to improve their health and lower their weight.
Reforming their Lifestyle and Timely delivery of Healthy Meals
Since poor eating habits are the primary cause of childhood obesity, the best way to stop your child from gaining weight is to teach them to stick to a schedule that includes eating healthy foods at regular intervals. Overeating in children is typically observed when there is too much time between meals. The eating scenario is one of the leading causes of excess weight. To prevent overeating, it’s important to provide nutritious food at regular intervals (Ogden et al., 2017). Also, a kid might not know how important it is to eat right. Parents and other caretakers have a moral obligation to teach their children the dangers of developing a regular habit of snacking on junk food.
Keeping the Child Exercising Daily
Parents and caregivers should also emphasize the need to encourage the child to participate in various physical exercises. A sedentary lifestyle is the root cause of several co-morbidities, all of which can be avoided with regular exercise. Everything a kid knows, they picked up from home. Physical exercise is a habit that can be passed down from parent to child, but only if it is established in the first place by the parents (Chi et al., 2017). A kid must be motivated daily to play outside and be active. They will be both physically and mentally healthy as a result of this. If the school uses this method consistently, it will likely have a greater impact.
Conclusion
Variables work together to establish a child’s health status. The parents play a crucial role in shaping their children’s personalities and ensuring their happiness and success. Several external factors strongly influence childhood obesity. Preschoolers, such as the child in question here, require special attention in the areas of diet and lifestyle. To encourage parents and caregivers to take an active role in their children’s health and weight, it is recommended that they adopt a healthier lifestyle, ensure that their children have access to good food at all times, and encourage them to engage in regular physical activity.
References
Chi, D. L., Luu, M., & Chu, F. (2017). A scoping review of epidemiologic risk factors for pediatric obesity: implications for future childhood obesity and dental caries prevention research. Journal of Public Health Dentistry, 77, S8-S31. Web.
Gong, S., Wang, K., Li, Y., & Alamian, A. (2019). The influence of immigrant generation on obesity among Asian Americans in California from 2013 to 2014. PloS one, 14(2), e0212740.
Horodynski, M., Stommel, M., Brophy-Herb, H., & Weatherspoon, L. (2017). Mealtime television viewing and dietary quality in low-income African American and Caucasian mother-toddler dyads. Maternal and child health journal, 14(4), 548-556.
Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Curtin, LR, Lamb, MM, and Flegal, KM. (2017). Prevalence of high Body Mass Index in US children and adolescents, 2007-2008. Journal of the American Medical Association, 303(3), 242-249