This thesis will explore what are the main recommendations of nursing intervention, provided by major biomedical databases , to prevent the onset of obesity in children.
Epidemiological data on the prevalence of obesity in the world's population, are now alarming for several years, so as to undermine malnutrition as the first cause of morbidity and mortality related to nutritional issues .
Children with an excessive accumulation of adipose tissue are threatened by a multitude of clinical problems, for example metabolic, cardiovascular, pulmonary, musculoskeletal and psychological problems, which can escalate into adulthood.
Since there are multiple factors involved in the onset of obesity, current scientific evidence emphasize the importance of preventive strategies starting in childhood, because it is the period in which they assimilate the better and most relevant habits for a healthy lifestyle.
The first intervention is to encourage mothers to breast-feed their children until they perform six months , since studies have shown that breastfeeding reduces the risk of developing obesity in the following years .
We must then provide all the basics to ensure proper nutrition to the child, which includes the consumption of fruits and vegetables and the reduction of sweet drinks and foods rich in fat and sugar.
The nurse also must be taken to educate the child's family and the child itself on the need to eliminate all unfair and sedentary behaviors, such as watching television for too many hours in the day, playing too much video games, misusings of snacks, fast foods, sweets and fizzy drinks, and instead promote physical activity to develop the intellectual capacity , the musculoskeletal system and socialization.
These are measures that must be implemented by a multidisciplinary team.
