response week 5

The purpose of this post is to compare Massachusetts (MA) obesity rate with the state of Arizona (AZ) and propose some obesity preventative guidelines.According to this post, AZ has an adult obesity rate of 29.5% with a population of 7.2 million and is number 34 out of 50 without the District of Columbia (D.C) while MA ranks 47th out 50 with a population of 6.9 million without D.C. Therefore, MA seems to have less obese adults. However, these numbers are far too high for comfort. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2019), the rising rates of obesity in the United States have had devastating direct and indirect on healthcare costs. The most concerning are the indirect costs such as increased rates of preventable morbidity and mortality, increased premature disability, and overall decreased productivity.Obesity prevention should be aimed at the entire population, however, healthy behavior is more likely to be successful if taught as early as possible. Therefore, focusing on teaching children about nutrition so that they can make healthy food choices is paramount. Additionally, educating children about the benefits of physical activity and time-out from gadgets that promote extensive sitting and inactivity is important. Weihrauch-Bluher et al. (2018) reported that early childhood formative experiences shaped attitudes and behaviors in children and influenced their lifestyle choices and behaviors in adulthood.Second, modeling healthy behavior to children especially in the home is crucial. Children are more likely to repeat positive actions frequently exhibited by their parents. Nutrition education and physical activity benefits would also benefit adults and help prevent obesity. A primordial prevention strategy would be advocating for safe parks, walking paths, and bike paths among others for all communities as this would facilitate and encourage physical activity. For this to succeed, local and state governments, as well as non-governmental organizations’ involvement is required (Pender et al., 2015).In summary, obesity is a risk factor for multiple chronic conditions and should be of concern to all in healthcare. Advanced practice nurses (APRNs) have a unique opportunity to educate their patients and members of their community on obesity and related complications. Additionally, modeling healthy choices that help to further curtail the obesity problem would be beneficial.ReferencesCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019, February, 4). Adult obesity causes & consequences. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/causes.html.Pender, N., Murdaugh, C., Parsons, M., (2015). Health Promotion and Nursing Practice (7th edition). Pearson Education.Weihrauch-Blüher, S., Kromeyer-Hauschild, K., Graf, C., Widhalm, K., Korsten-Reck, U., Jödicke, B., Wiegand, S. (2018). Current guidelines for obesity prevention in childhood and adolescence. Obesity Facts, 11(3), 263–276. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6103347/