obesity

Discussion 1

As you discovered in this week’s lectures and readings, several populations face multiple health risks across their lifespan. Children and adolescents are a population that is at a higher health risk for obesity. A national movement is underway to reduce risk factors for developing obesity in children. Part of this movement is the “Let’s Move!” campaign, which is a comprehensive and coordinated initiative to prevent childhood obesity. The initiative emphasizes four primary components: healthy schools, access to affordable and healthy food, raising children’s physical activity levels, and empowering families to make healthy choices. Review Healthy People 2020:

• Identify risk factors for childhood obesity.
  • Do the risk factors differ and how do they differ between children and adolescents?
• Identify objectives that will combat childhood and adolescent obesity.
• Provide suggestions on how community health nurses can contribute to these national health objectives and accomplish the goal of decreasing obesity among this population.

Discussion 2

Engaging in a political process enables a nurse leader to influence others in order to achieve a set of professional goals. Conduct extensive research on the importance of political process in nursing, and answer the following questions:

• How can average nurses be involved in the political process?
• What do you do or should do in order to become more politically active?