Empirical data from the Florida Department of Health in Duval shows that approximately 60% of the adults in Duval County are obese (Conti, 2018). Today, obesity is one of the leading health problems facing the people of Jacksonville, Florida. Reputable research from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that 6 out of 10 adult people in Duval County are overweight. Due to the alarming rate of obesity in Duval County, several health plans, such as the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), have been initiated to combat the progressive obesity disease. Reports from the initiated health plans show several causes of obesity among adults (Kelly, 2018). Some of the primary causes of obesity are lack of physical exercise, genetics and unhealthy eating habits. Most Americans have been associated with poor eating habits as most consume many fast foods and avoid healthy vegetables. After consuming fast food rich in fats, the body gains many fats converted into body sugars. The excess body sugars are unhealthy, which makes one gain excess weight, which can lead to chronic heart disease or even cancer.
Moreover, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that there has been an increase in patient outcomes in most hospitals due to a high rate of obesity in the county. Approximately 11% of obesity patients have increased annually (Bhuyan & Ahmmed, 2020). This is evident in health records that show the quality of life in Duval County. Most of the patients who have visited health organizations have been diagnosed with overweight issues. This is a clear indication that many adults are suffering from obesity since most of the patients are over 40 years old. In this case, quality of life is a clear indicator showing that Duval County’s people are facing a health problem. Besides, people in Duval County have lacked access to quality healthcare services due to health disparity in Duval County (Kelly, 2018). Lack of access to healthcare services has increased the rate of obesity since people are not educated on primary interventions for combating obesity. People need to be educated on the importance of consuming healthy food such as green vegetables and being involved in physical activities. Community members can be educated at a community level as it is the most appropriate primary intervention for any health problem.
Comparing the national rate of obesity (42%) to that of the county date (60%) respectively (Conti, 2018). Duval is one of the leading counties with a high rate of obese adults. Duval County has many obese adults because of their unhealthy lifestyles, such as consuming fast food and lack of physical exercise. This is why the county has several health organizations, such as CHIP, to help reduce adult obesity cases. At the national level, the CDC has collaborated with the National Association of City and County Health Officials (NACCHO) to help the people of Jacksonville, especially the youths, avoid the risks of obesity. Youths are educated on healthy lifestyles, such as a healthy diet to avoid obesity.
As a nurse, I can improve this health condition by providing community-based education on obesity. The education will focus on children and youths as they are at risk of becoming obese. Social and mass media can be the best platforms for these education campaigns as most children and youth access them (Borowy, 2023). Education, in this case, is termed as a primary plan as it targets the population at risk of becoming obese.
Bhuyan, K. C., & Ahmmed, Md. M. (2020). Socioeconomic factors associated with overweight and obesity: A case study among adult people of Bangladesh. AIUB Journal of Science and Engineering (AJSE), 16(2). https://doi.org/10.53799/ajse.v16i2.78
Borowy, M. (2023). Social media is an innovative tool for trust-building by Healthcare Companies. Privacy, Trust and Social Media, 253–260. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003368700-23
Conti, C. R. (2018). Obesity and weight loss. European Cardiology Review, 13(2), 93. https://doi.org/10.15420/ecr.2018.13.2.eo1
Kelly, E. B. (2018). In Obesity. essay, ABC-CLIO, LLC.