NUR601- REPLY TO DISCUSSION SASCHA

Case 2

School-aged patients should be educated on what types of foods are good for them to eat and which foods are not good for them to eat all the time.  Open dialogue should be encouraged with school-aged patients so that the provider can assess and take note of what they know and what they are not sure about, so that these topics can be further addressed.  Providers should use proper terms when addressing the subject matters of obesity and being overweight and negative comments should not be permitted in the discussions so as not to shame anyone within the group.  Being overweight and/or obese should not subject anyone to bullying – blaming the child for their weight issues is a form of bullying.  Bullying can lead to self-esteem issues and self-esteem issues can often times be the culprit with regards to over-eating (Baranowski & Taveras, 2018).When talking with adolescents suspected of having an eating disorder, it is imperative to avoid shame and blame towards the youth for either being overweight or underweight, as this more than likely will actually worsen the issue and actually have them close off and withdraw.  Conversations involving behaviors and choices that praise the youth should be encouraged.  The conversation should focus on who the youth is as a person in a positive light and not about what they eat and/or what their body looks like.  The essential goal is to embrace the youth for their positive attributes, and build higher self-esteem and emotional stability as these two factors, if they are affected, can unfortunately lead to many eating disorders (Phillips, 2017).Adolescents go through many changes.  In this stage of a growing child’s life, they have growth spurts and puberty changes.  Puberty refers to the transitional period between childhood and adulthood.  Every growing child is different and may go through puberty at different ages as opposed to their peers.  During this time, both sexes undergo a series of biological changes that include a rapid increase in height, bone growth, weight increase, the growth of pubic hair, breast development and the onset of menstruation in girls, and testicle, penis, and muscle enlargement in boys (Gough, 2017).Violence among adolescents is a global health problem.  Violence includes a wide array of acts such as bullying and physical fighting and also includes more severe acts such as sexual and physical assault and homicides.  Health care professionals can play a major role in preventing instances of adolescence violence.  Health care professionals can serve as educators and provide counseling to youths on subjects such as bullying, teen dating violence, rape, and mental health issues.  Adolescents from all backgrounds can be subject to any role with regards to violence – whether it be the attacker or the victim.  Sometimes adolescents may not want to talk with their parents regarding a lot of subjects because they fear being judged, punished and scrutinized.  Sometimes adolescents might be more open to either one-on-one counseling with someone closer in age to them and/or also peer group meetings.  Most adolescents love to socialize among other young people like themselves and especially when they have similar situations/experiences, and thoughts and feelings on various subject matters.  Health care professionals within the community can organize peer group meetings on varying subject matters over time at local community centers and/or schools and students can come casually on their own terms which will more than likely foster an atmosphere of continued retention with regards to attendance (Chilton, 2017).

ReferencesBaranowski, T., & Taveras, E. M. (2018).  Childhood Obesity Prevention: Changing the Focus.  Childhood Obesity, 14(1), 1-3. doi:10.1089/chi.2017.0303Chilton, S. (2017).  Nursing in a community environment.  A Textbook of Community Nursing, 1-24. doi:10.1201/9781315157207-1Gough, H. (2017).  Community nursing assessment.  A Textbook of Community Nursing, 132-146. doi:10.1201/9781315157207-7Phillips, K. E. (2017).  Eating Disorders.  A Guide to Mastery in Clinical Nursing. doi:10.1891/9780826150325.0278