Prevention of Obesity Care DB 1 NURS 500
The interest topic that I chose to review for this assignment is Prevention of Obesity in
Adults and Children from the evidence-based reports of the Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality (AHRQ) U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. I chose the topic of Prevention
of Obesity in Adults and Children because it is something that has become a growing problem in
the United States and it can lead to many other health conditions.
The AHRQ information focuses on children form ages 6 to 18 and all adults over the age
of 18. The recommendations for children are to begin screening at age 6 and to offer intensive
counseling and behavioral interventions if needed (AHRQ-Children, 2014). The
recommendations for adults are that any patient with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher
should be offered intensive, multicomponent behavioral interventions. The Body Mass Index
(BMI) is calculated by using the patient’s height and weight. The patient’s waist circumference
can also be an acceptable alternative to the BMI in some circumstances (AHRQ-Adults, 2014).
Interventions for children include moderate to high intensity programs with teaching in
regard to diet and nutrition, physical activity, and behavioral counseling (AHRQ-Children,
2014). The interventions for the adults include behavioral management, setting weight-loss
goals, improving the patient's diet and nutritional habits, increasing physical activity, addressing
any possible barriers, and teaching the patient how to self-monitor progress (AHRQ-Adults,
2014). All these interventions have a main focus of starting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
As with any medical intervention, one must know the balance of benefits and harms in
order to make an informed decision on whether or not to begin the treatment. For the children the
interventions were found to result in modest weight changes with limited evidence on whether
the changes would be sustained after the treatment. Screening the children for obesity was
considered to be harmless or cause a minimal amount of harm (AHRQ-Children, 2014). For the
adults the interventions resulted in weight loss, improved glucose tolerance, and decreased risk
factors for cardiovascular disease. There is limited evidence found in regard to the long-term
outcomes. Screening the adults for obesity was considered to be harmless or produce minimal
harm. The weight-loss interventions posed for a slight risk of decrease bone density, increased
risk of fracture, injury from physical activity, and increased risk of developing an eating disorder
(AHRQ-Adults, 2014). Overall there are more instances of positive outcomes than negative in
both the children and the adults.
Being overweight or obese increases one’s risk of other serious health conditions. The
following is a list of conditions associated with overweight and obesity: high blood pressure,
high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep
apnea, some cancers, mental illness, body pain, poor quality of life, and even death (Center for
Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). Thus, striving to achieve and maintain a healthy weight
and healthy lifestyle is in the best interest of everyone. If and when possible prevention of a
problem is always better than treatment of a problem after it develops. This is one of the many
reasons why education and interventions to prevent obesity and maintain a healthy lifestyle
should being with children and continue throughout their adult lives.
References
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2014). Guide to clinical preventive services:
Recommendation for adults (continued). Retrieved from
https://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/clinicians-providers/guidelines-
recommendations/guide/section2c.html#obeseadult
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2014). Guide to clinical preventive services:
Recommendation for children and adolescents. Retrieved from
https://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/clinicians-providers/guidelines-
recommendations/guide/section3.html#Overweight
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). The health effects of overweight and obesity.
Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/effects/index.html
Gray, J. R., Grove, S. K., & Sutherland, S. (2017). The practice of nursing research: Appraisal,
synthesis, and generation of evidence. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier.
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