Obesity Challenges for Patients and Health Care Workers

Henderson, Carla

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Carla Henderson, DNP, MSN, RN, CNE
Nursing, University of Cincinnati/Blue Ash College, Cincinnati, OH

Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to understand why overweight and obese patients experience difficulties with changing health behavior.

Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to identify and discuss strategies for effective interventions of hospitalized overweight and obese patients.

The number of overweight and obese patients continues to increase in the United States (U.S.). The burden of health care cost associated with obesity and obesity-related complications is staggering and continues to grow (Center for Disease Control [CDC] 2011; Finkelstein & Strombotne, 2010). Obesity is seen as a modifiable disease and with proper care can reduce the societal burden imposed by overweight and obese patients (Roux & Donaldson, 2004). There is a need for clinical practice to address obese patients reluctance to change health behavior, acknowledge obese patients individual needs, and address health care professionals’ weight stigma and bias toward obese patients.

This presentation will share the results of a needs assessment conducted on a medical-surgical unit at a midwestern hospital in spring 2012. The purpose was to obtain an understanding of obese patients experiences with health care providers in relation to obesity care and barriers to obesity care. The findings indicate the majority of patients inaccurately views their own weight and denies any weight issues and are not cognizant of the actual consequences of weight on health..

Nurse leaders need to emphasize the importance of recording and discussion height and weight consistently with patients. For health behavior to change patients need to acknowledge their weight and be able to admit its affect on health. Health care professionals need to collectively work together in obesity education of hospitalized patients, create interventions geared to the individual patient, and get patients to actively participate. Effective interventions not only reduce the financial burden associated with obesity but also have the potential of increasing healthy lifestyles and decrease morbidity and mortality.

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