Running head: PATHOPHARMACOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS
Kaye Tudorache
C155 - Pathopharmacological Foundations in Advanced Nursing Practice
Obesity
July 21, 2019
PATHOPHARMACOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS
A. Investigated Disease Process
Obesity is a disease that does not discriminate against age, ethnicity, or gender. It has
become such an enormous problem that our prior First Lady chose to tackle it, focusing on
healthy nutrition in the schools, highlighting a huge vegetable garden at the White House, and
educating people on how to overcome it starting from early in life.
According to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) in their data brief from
October 2017, “obesity is associated with serious health risks” (Hales, Carroll, Fryar, & Ogden,
2017). As a Home Health nurse, I see people every day with weight issues. Home Health,
however, is called in to help these people with other issues such as diabetes, hypertension,
congestive heart failure, cancer, and mobility issues related to arthritis. The challenge we have in
my industry is that we are asked to help our patients with the above-mentioned diseases when
often if the focus could be on the patient’s obesity, we could likely help them control the other
diseases.
With obesity running in my family and watching my mother and uncle both face health
challenges with hypertension and diabetes related to their obesity, I developed a passion to
control my own weight and help others to do the same. I eventually lost my mother to cancer and
my uncle to diabetes with chronic kidney failure related to his obesity so the importance of
maintaining a healthy lifestyle and in turn a healthy weight became even more important.
I understand well that this is easier said than done. According to NHCS, obesity has a
prevalence of 39.8% and the rate is higher amongst those aged 40-59 at 42.8% over those aged
20-39 at 35.7% (Hales, Carroll, Fryar, & Ogden, 2017). Though the rates do vary by ethnicity, all
PATHOPHARMACOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS
are affected significantly. Obesity impacts all of society, crossing socio-economic and ethnic
lines without discrimination, putting everyone in the country at risk. There are few health issues
that can affect all people and cause so many other diseases, so it is extremely important to study
and discuss this devastating disease. The main reason it is important to discuss and study obesity
is that so many do not see obesity as a disease. It is seen as a “choice”. Society looks upon the
obese as weak people who cannot control themselves rather than seeing them as people who are
suffering from a debilitating disease. If society can change their attitude about obesity and focus
on supporting and helping those with this disease, we can reduce its incidence and help create a
healthier society.
