An overview of obesity: its significance to nursing: definition, prevalence, etiologic concerns, and treatment strategies.

This article has presented an overview of obesity. It has explored the significance of obesity to nursing today. The definition of obesity vis-à-vis overweight has been delineated. The psychological, physiologic and socioenvironmental causes of obesity were discussed. Finally, some of the important treatment strategies, past and current, were discussed, concluding that a combination of strategies are needed to treat this complex health problem caused by the interaction of several factors--environmental, physiologic in the form of predisposition, and psychological. The following articles provide the reader with an understanding of obese people and the specific nursing interventions associated with caring for these individuals. Whether the obese patient has a postoperative bypass or is a child in a school system within the community, the nurse's role must be based on an understanding of obesity, its causes, and current treatments.