Powerpoint

NR506PP-1.pptx

Visit Description

School health and nutrition and reducing childhood obesity call for crucial attention for the health, wellbeing, growth, and development for school aged children.

Changes must be made to assist schools to implement and improve on educating children on the importance of eating healthy and increasing daily physical activity.

Facts

There has been an increasing focus on improving children’s diet and lifestyle habits for the prevention of obesity and other chronic diseases.

Childhood obesity is a serious problem in the United States putting children at risk for poor health and serious health conditions (Weicheselbaum, Buttriss, 2014).

According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (2017), about 1 in 6 (17%) of children in the United States are considered overweight or are considered obese. Childhood obesity is a serious issue that can cause health problems associated with this condition, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, breathing problems such as asthma or sleep apnea, and musculoskeletal problems (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017).

Policymaker Response

What is success? The accomplishment or achievement of ones aim or purpose.

Strong feedback and many suggestions were obtained from State House Representative, Shevrin D. “Shev” Jones.

I do believe meeting with Shevrin was a success. It was a start to making a policy change and it definitely was a successful accomplishment. Shevrin is affiliated with the School Board of Broward County Diversity Council since 2009 to current day. He appeared interested and enthusiastic about the issue presented and stated that something should be done to help our children as they are our future generations. He expressed his concern for school aged children and their nutrition and suggested that a meeting should be set up involving some of his policymaker partners and the Director of Food Services to see if something can be implemented and a change could be made.

Reflections on Process

Emailed Policymaker

Emailed Principal

Emailed Director of Dining Services

Placed telephone calls

Schedule meetings

The first step in planning the visit was conducting research and gathering contact information on local schools in the community, a dietitian, and a local policy maker or legislator who seems to express the same concerns to implement healthier nutrition in schools. Prior to placing emails and telephone calls and prior to the meeting, this writer prepared the night before for the conversations and possible questions that may arise.

Reflections on Follow Up

Another effective communication strategy or technique to support an effective visit or follow up visit with a policy maker or legislator is by teleconferencing.

Researching additional questions, information

Policymakers or legislators are known to have busy schedules. With is policy issue involving many members and it is a collaborative effort to make a change, this would be a great option. Teleconferencing is an effective way to communicate as a group in different locations who are technologically linked. Other telecommunication such as conference calls, videoconferencing, and wed conferencing extend the range of verbal communication (Chou, Promes, Souza, Topp, & O’Sullivan, 2012).

Reflections on Process

What to do differently?

More engagement

Handouts

PowerPoint presentation

Brief fact sheet

Take notes

There are things that should have been done differently. A short PowerPoint presentation would have been a great visual on the issue, giving the policymaker an insight on why school nutrition is an important concern. I should have brought a “leave behind” fact sheet so that the policymaker can review. Notes should have also been taken during the meeting instead of just having a verbal conversation. The meeting should have included more engagement with the policymaker.

Reflections on Process

What worked?

Contacting and arranging with policymaker in timely manner

Knowing the policymaker

Having messages and examples ready to share

Patience

Things that worked with delivering the message was contacting and arranging with a chosen policymaker in a timely manner. Luckily I did not have an issue with contacting my policymaker during the hard recovery of Hurricane Irma. A good relationship with a policymaker takes investment and time but it can be all worth it.

Reflections on Process

Next step:

Contact and involve other supporters

Further immediate action:

Getting back to questions

Keeping in touch with supportive individuals

Involving other supporters such as principals, dietitians, and Director of Dining Services would help in the process of implementing a change in school nutrition. After meeting with the policymaker, immediate actions would be to get back to questions as soon as possible and to keep in close contact with supportive individuals.

Reflections on Process

Formal thank you email to Policymaker, Principal, and Director of Dining Services for taking the time to respond to initial email

Formal thank you email and letter for meeting

A formal thank you email was sent to the policymaker, principal, and director of dining services for taking the time to respond to my intial email. With the respect of time, the importance of healthy school nutrition was emphasized, questions were asked and answered, and Shevrin D. “Shev” Jones was thanked for his time. I expressed my appreciation for scheduling a meeting to discuss this issue under tight circumstances recovering from Hurricane Irma in South Florida. A formal thank you email and letter was sent to the policymaker for scheduling a meeting with me.

Insight Gained

Insight:

The goal of improving meals that children eat in schools is an important step to achieve. By implementing the necessary changes to provide healthier meals in schools and educate children how to make healthier food choices, childhood obesity will decrease.

I am very passionate about nutrition and living a healthy life so this topic is very important to me. Knowing myself as not much of a talker, I was nervous contacting a policymaker to discuss this issue and my concerns. Preparing myself helped become more confident and knowledgeable about the topic and the meeting went well.

Future Opportunities

Suggested solutions:

Hiring staff dietitians

Recommending providing assisting meal programs

School gardening

A recommended solution for this issue is an assisted meal program. The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted meal program established under the National School Lunch Act in 1946. NSLP provides a nutritionally balanced, low cost or free lunches to children at school. Schools receive 100% American grown USDA foods including fruits and vegetables (United States Department of Agriculture, 2016). Also, school gardening can make a difference. . By introducing gardening to younger age children, it gives them hands on learning to care for and watch their fruits and vegetables grow. It is not only a fun way to learn but children will have fun eating what they grow. By planting a school or home garden, it will guide children on a healthier path.

Future Opportunities

Influencing the policymaker process may require quick action to take advantage of predictable windows of opportunity

Contacting a policymaker and voicing your concern is the first step

Although this is just the beginning of making a change with school nutrition to decrease childhood obesity, there is always a possibility for future opportunities regarding this issue. There are always going to be challenges that need to be overcome, such as regulations and cost management, yet, anything is possible. Contacting a policy maker and presenting an issue is the first step. If one is determined to make a change, a change will be made. It is crucial though that something is done today to eliminate this epidemic.

Impact on Nursing

Childhood obesity is responsible for $14 billion in direct medical costs (Global health institute, 2016).

As a nurse, nutrition is an important topic to advocate not only to patients, but also to family members, and anyone who lacks the knowledge of nutrition and living a healthy lifestyle.

As a nurse, the desire of encouraging healthy nutrition habits and physical activity for children is essential. Many patients are overweight or obese and suffer from chronic illness such as diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Even though education on diet and exercise is provided to these patients in the hospital, it is sometimes difficult for these patients to make lifestyle changes on their own. Therefore, diet and physical activity should be taught at a very young age.

Conclusion

Healthy school nutrition can assist in the health, wellbeing, growth, and development for school aged children and avoid preventable illness.

Childhood obesity will decrease by implementing the necessary changes to provide healthier meals in schools and educating children how to make healthier food choices. Also, providing a dietitian at schools will assist in delivering healthier options. Other options are providing assisting meal programs and allowing school to begin gardening and reproduce produce for children to eat. Maintaining a well nutritional diet and incorporating daily physical activity are important in sustaining a healthy body weight. The goal of improving meals that children eat in schools is an important step to achieve.

Reference

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Childhood obesity facts. Retrieved from http ://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/ childhood.html

Chou, C. L., Promes, S. B., Souza, K. H., Topp, K. S., & O’Sullivan, P. S. (2012). Twelve tips for facilitating successful teleconferences. Medical Teacher, 34(6), 445-449. doi:10.3109/0142159X.2012.668241

Global Health Institute. (2016). Over a lifetime, childhood obesity costs $19,000 per child. Retrieved from globalhealth.duke.edu/media/news/ over-lifetime-childhood-obesity-costs-19000-child

United States Department of Agriculture. (2016). National school lunch program (NSLP). Retrieved from http://www.fns.usda.gov/nslp/national- school-lunch-program-nslp

Weicheselbaum, E., & Buttriss, J. L. (2014). Diet, nutrition, and schoolchildren: An update. Nutrition Bulletin, 39(1), 9-73.