Fluent Essays

You have been implementing your change project for a few weeks now. What adjustments from your original plan have you made or do you foresee needing to make in order for your change project to be successful? Explain in detail why these changes are needed.Running head: PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION 1 PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION 6 Problem Identification and Description Yanet Galan West Coast University 01/31/2021 Problem Identification and Description Obesity is one of the leading healthcare challenges in the United States. The Centres for Disease Control (CDC) defines an obese person as one aged 20 years and above and has a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above. Those with a BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 are considered overweight (White et al., 2017). Obesity is a leading health issue in the United States because it is a health condition that leads to several diseases. Obesity leads to an increased risk of stroke, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, among others (White et al., 2017). Although obesity rates in the United States are relatively higher than in other developed countries, African Americans are the most affected by the phenomenon. The subsequent parts of this paper present a PICOT evaluation of obesity among African Americans. Population African Americans form one of the leading ethnic groups in the United States. Most African Americans are of African ancestry, while some of them have non-black ancestors. A majority of African Americans are descendants of slaves brought to America from Africa by force to work in the continents agricultural sector. Enslaved Africans were mistreated, and their rights were severely limited. They were also excluded from the social, economic, and political progress of the United States until later years after the country became more free and democratic. The effects of slavery and the deliberate exclusion of African Americans from the main spheres of American society are demonstrated in many ways. For example, most African Americans live in poor conditions compared to their white counterparts. Additionally, African Americans are among the people who are heavily affected by diseases because of the disparities that exist in the countrys healthcare system (Assari, Wisseh, & Bazargan, 2019). Since obesity is currently one of the leading health issues in the United States, African Americans have become the most affected ethnic group in the country. Knox-Kazimierczuk and Shockly-Smith (2017) state that African Americans have the highest obesity rates in the United States than other groups. It is estimated that almost four out of five African American women are overweight or obese. A study released in 2018 revealed that African Americans were 1.3 times more likely to be obese than other groups like non-Hispanic whites (Knox-Kazimierczuk & Shockly-Smith, 2017). A general audit of the African American population by the CDC in 2012 established that approximately 70\% of African American adults are overweight or obese (Knox-Kazimierczuk & Shockly-Smith, 2017). The high rates of obesity among African Americans make it necessary for healthcare professionals like nurses to come up with effective interventions. Intervention Increased obesity rates aRunning head: OBESITY AMONG AFRICAN AMERICANS 1 OBESITY AMONG AFRICAN AMERICANS 8 Obesity among African Americans Yanet Galan West Coast University 2/1/2021 Obesity among African Americans The emergence of obesity as a major healthcare problem in the United States has earned it the label of a national epidemic. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that more than one third of the people in the United States are overweight or obese. This number translates to about 35\% of the population. Although the number of the affected is high across all ethnic groups in the country, African Americans are the most affected by chronic disease and obesity. White et al. (2017) state that African American women are disproportionately affected by obesity. Data from NHANES indicate an increase in the prevalence of obesity among African American women in the last two decades. Currently, almost 47.8\% of all African American women are considered obese (White et al., 2017). Although obesity is a serious problem among the African American community, there are limited studies that seek to explore the issue and find possible solutions. It is, therefore, important to analyze some of the factors that have led to the emergence of obesity as a national epidemic and the strategies that can be used to address it. Assari, Wisseh, and Bazargan (2019) state that increasing rates of obesity among African American communities and the rest of the country has ignited a national conversation on how to best deal with the crisis. The amount of money and other resources that are being directed towards addressing obesity has forced policy makers and citizens to look for solutions to the health crisis. For example, increasing obesity rates in the United States forced the National Health Institute to spend approximately $857 million in 2014 in obesity research (Assari et al., 2019). The amount of money and resources that have been pumped into obesity research has been o na steady increase over the years. Despite the huge investments in obesity research, the rates of obesity research remain high among African Americans. The analysis of data from CDC shows that the rate of obesity among African Americans is staggering. Therefore, the country, through the relevant agencies should give substantial attention to obesity in African American communities and the rest of the country. Obesity Prevalence among African Americans In their investigation of obesity prevalence in 2015, Knox-Kazimierczuk and Shockly-Smith (2017) established that the prevalence of obesity and overweight has dramatically increased since the 70s. The CDC estimates that the rate of obesity among adults in the United States has more than doubled to 33.9\% from 1980 to 2008. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) also show that the rates of obesity have remained high with more than 36\% of the population in the country considered to be obese or overwe2 Project Aims, Values and Desired Outcomes Yanet Galan West Coast University 2/17/2021 Project Aims, Values and Desired Outcomes Describe the Project Aim The primary aim of the project is to spread awareness regarding obesity among the African-American group. It has accumulated data and statistics that explains some of the reasons why the group is the most affected by obesity as compared to other minority cultures in the state. Another aim of the project is to explains some of the fundamental causes of the atrocities and why African-Americans are placed under the significant risks of contraction (Assari, 2018). For instance, the central factor that prevails obesity among the culture is their minimal access to healthcare facilities. They are discriminated by race and color thus few people have chances to seek professional help regarding obesity and how to maintain it. Furthermore, the project aims to highlight some of the basic strategies taken by the government and medical facilities to intervene and prevent the massive spread of obesity among Black Americans. Describe the Project Value The main stakeholders are the African-Americans suffering from obesity. Creating awareness will help the cultural group attract medical institutions ready to offer their help and teach them regarding various strategies used to curb the disease (Assari, 2018). De to their increased poverty levels, multiple organizations will be formed to sponsor obesity awareness projects. Moreover, they will massively benefit since solutions will be created on how to prevent obesity and decrease the rising rates not only in Black Americans but also other minority races present within America. The government is also a stakeholder that should be involved in obesity prevention among the African-Americans. They can contribute to the change project by providing the necessary resources that would help eradicate the premises. For instance, creating health policies that favor minority races within the state to facilitate acquisition of quality treatment. The nursing professional will be in demand since obese people require increased professional care. They require nurses to educate them on various ways to curb obesity and ensure that an individual experiences normal life. Desired Outcomes The initial purpose of the change project was to invent permanent solutions for rampantly spreading obesity. The central desired outcome for the project is to analyze the possible solutions to obesity among African-American communities. Finding the right solutions ensure that the percentage rate of obesity drops to a lower level. For instance, the central strategy to curb obesity spread is to introduce a routine health diet to the victims (Assari, 2018). The primary benefit is that continuous adherence to that project will ensure that most people observe massive drops in their weight. Furthermore, general people in the community will learn how to create healthy eatingRunning head: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 1 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 6 Theoretical framework Yanet Galan West Coast University 3/1/2021 Theoretical framework Awareness regarding obesity among African-American group Obesity is usually regarded as a complex disease that involves having an excessive amount of body fat. Therefore, obesity is regarded as a medical problem that increases an individual’s risk of getting other diseases or health problems like diabetes and high blood pressure. Obesity can be as a result of inherent factors, lack of exercise, and personal diet. African-Americans are at the highest risk of being overweight and being obese, mostly African-American women (Stepanikova, 2017). Economic disadvantage, as well as the lifestyle of the African-American group, is one reason to why there are at a high risk of being obese. Identifies two independent theories or conceptual models that relate to the change project topic Since there are various causes of obesity, there are also several theories on obesity. According to William Bennett, there are three theories that explain the cause of obesity, including; the three-bears theory, the pica theory, and the fat-stat theory. In this paper, I will discuss two theories only. The three-bears theory According to the three-bears theory, there are various emotional as well as cognitive influences that cause an individual to eat a lot, little, or the right amount of food. Therefore, the theories state that individuals eat too much since they like food and dont realize when they are overeating. On the other hand, some people eat a lot in order to compensate for emotional conflict, loneliness, anxiety, and present as well as past deprivation. Additionally, the theory suggests that obesity can be regarded as an accidental result. Therefore, African Americans can be experiencing problems that makes them be anxious or experience loneliness; thus, they eat a lot to fill those gaps. The theory also suggests that obesity can be treated through eating the right amount of food. The pica theory According to pica theory, individuals usually become obese since they eat inappropriate nutrients mixture. Therefore, an individual can eat a lot while attempting to accumulate a scarce micronutrient. Therefore, this theory suggests that an individual can treat obesity composition instead of food quality as key to weight control. Since a large population of African-Americans are disadvantaged economically, they can end up eating food with poor nutrient mixture. Describe how they will be applied to the change project The two theories can be very important in helping African-Americans individuals to avoid being obese and treating those who are obese. The theories will help African-Americans to learn how to maintain a balanced diet with an appropr