NURS 6512 CASE STUDY ASSIGNMENT: ASSESSMENT OF NUTRITION IN CHILDREN
NURS 6512 CASE STUDY ASSIGNMENT: ASSESSMENT OF NUTRITION IN CHILDREN
Given the negative long-term health effects of childhood obesity and the direct and indirect links it has to lifelong economic burdens, it is a substantial public health concern1 (Notara et al., 2019). The onset of obesity is influenced by both inherited and obesogenic environmental variables. Over 20 genetic variants are connected to the emergence of juvenile obesity through genetic investigations. In meanwhile, environmental obesogenic variables including a high-energy diet, little sleep, and little exercise also cause juvenile obesity. When addressing the incidence of pediatric obesity, parental overweight/obesity is thought of as a proxy for genetic susceptibility and/or obesogenic environment. This paper will look at possible health issues and challenges for a 2-year-old female who is a normal weight and lives with an obese mother and a normal body weight father, in addition to potential preventative strategies.
Health Issues and Risks
Families often have similar dietary habits, sedentary habits, and amounts of physical activity. If one parent is overweight or obese, the likelihood of their child being overweight rises (Fields et al., 2021). High-BMI individuals are more prone to experience weight-related health issues. They include diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol. Furthermore, bone and joint issues as well as breathlessness that makes playing sports or engaging in any physical activity difficult may affect overweight children and teenagers. Also, it can exacerbate asthma symptoms or cause children to develop asthma, snoring, or breathing issues at night, like sleep apnea, which is obstructive as well as a propensity to grow sooner. In addition to having irregular menstrual cycles, adult reproductive issues, and liver and gallbladder illness, overweight children may be taller and more physically mature than their classmates, setting unrealistic expectations for them to behave accordingly.
Childhood-onset cardiovascular risks factors, such as hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes, can result in adult-onset heart disease and stroke (Ball et al., 2019). Children who are overweight or obese might potentially benefit from treatment or prevention to avoid developing these issues as they age older. Along with dealing with emotional problems (including poor self-esteem), bullying, and rejection from peers, children may also have emotional difficulties. Children who are overweight or obese run the risk of harmful eating habits, eating disorders, depression, and substance misuse.
Additional Information
Parents may ensure their kid is obtaining or keeping an appropriate weight by monitoring growth patterns throughout time. Given the scenario presented, it will be required to take into account the toddler’s BMI in addition to other variables including family history, pulse rate, blood sugar levels, eating habits, and degree of physical activity. Moreover, a pregnancy history disclosing the presence of gestational diabetes or other pregnancy problems is required (Liberali et al., 2021). Also, the doctor must evaluate and plot earlier anthropometric data on suitable growth charts, with a focus on smaller kids’ “catch-up growth,” extremely early weight increase, and weight accumulation before pubertal maturation. Review of systems will entail keeping track of the kids’ sleeping habits and assessing their mood or eating habits.
Risk Assessment
Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference are two measurements that are useful to know to analyze a person’s weight-related health more. The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measurement of body fat centered on weight and height. If someone is underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese, it indicates that. A person’s waist circumference can provide information on how much abdominal fat they have, which is linked to several chronic diseases, such as metabolic disorders (Fields et al., 2021). Except for assessing a patient’s fasting sugar levels and lipid profile on each patient, the decision about additional diagnostic laboratory testing is based on the toddler’s risk factor status. To create a personalized and targeted treatment strategy, it is crucial to understand the reasons for the variables perpetuating the toddler’s overweight and obesity.
Questions
It’s critical to validate the experiences of people who are at high risk for obesity and diabetes, assist them in developing explanations for changing their health-related behaviors, and accept their freedom to make that decision while assessing these kids (Rosello et al., 2020). I’ll ask the toddler’s parents a range of questions, including:
1. What do you think of your child’s growth trajectory right now?
2. How much food should you give your toddler at each meal?
3. Should your family alter its eating routine to support the decisions of your younger children?
Mitigating Strategies
Parents must make decisions regarding their family’s diet, exercise routine, and time spent together to prevent their children from getting overweight. Parents who provide a good example for their children might encourage them to choose a healthy lifestyle. Parents are urged to adopt a whole-family strategy to keep children of all ages at a healthy weight. Making exercise and a healthy diet a family affair is crucial. As the children become older, the parent should additionally include them by allowing them to assist in meal planning and preparation. WHO advises providing suggestions on diet and physical activity to caregivers and parents in cases when newborns and children are recognized as being overweight (Dains et al., 2020). If children are obese, they should be evaluated further and a treatment strategy should be created.
