Obesity and the school-age child.

The need for nursing involvement in the care of the obese school-age child and his family has been identified. The use of the nursing process based on the MSI Model of nursing has been discussed. The nurse plays an important role in identifying overweight children and in working with these children and their families when the need arises. the focus of nursing care may be preventing future weight gain, weight reduction, or regain after reduction. Linda, the obese child in Blubber, was ridiculed by her peers. This is a common, everyday experience for the obese child. It is hoped that the obese school-age child will have a better success rate for weight reduction and will ultimately be able to maintain the weight loss through the interventions of a professional nurse who uses this holistic approach to nursing care.