The childhood obesity pandemic: Promoting knowledge for undergraduate nursing students

SummaryThe rise in childhood obesity is acknowledged as a major health problem in many countries. Health issues directly related to the childhood obesity pandemic are numerous as are the risk factors in its development. No single strategy is likely to be effective in reversing this alarming trend, rather, nurses need to work with children and families by providing education, guidance, and support to promote a change in the many lifestyle factors that have helped to create this health problem. Curriculum, teaching practices and assignment topics based on contemporary health issues of relevance to nursing practice support the importance of educating nursing students on this worrying health issue. The use of a creative strategy to help students learn about the childhood obesity problem can also be utilised to encourage lateral thinking in students. Thus, an assignment can have two significant goals in the development of knowledge and understanding of childhood obesity but also personal discovery of creative ability to design a method that engages children in learning about this health problem and what they can do to avoid its development.