For this week’s assignment we had to look up statistics in our county, state and the nation related to certain health related issues within the community. I live in Philadelphia County in Pennsylvania and most of the statistics in my community did not surprise me. Obesity is incredibly high, 67.5% of adults in Philadelphia are obese (Center for Disease Control and Prevention website, 2013) and it comes to no surprise that 28.9% of adults do not get enough physical activity (Center for Disease Control and Prevention website, 2013). In most major city’s obesity is an epidemic. More and more I have patients coming in that are a three person assist because of their size, who are unable to get out of bed because the Hoyer lift will not hold their weight and
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Living and working in Philadelphia I am very aware of the poverty that plagues my city, but seeing the number put it into perspective. According to the U.S. Census Bureau 25.3 % of Philadelphians are at or below the poverty line (United States Census Bureau website, n.d.) which is a quarter of the city. I really do not think it is a coincidence that the sections of the city with low income have the highest obesity rates. From my own personal experiences driving through some of these sections or talking to patients that live in low income sections there is not always access to proper nutrition at a lower price. It is much easier to feed a low income family at a McDonalds than it is feeding them at a Whole Foods Market. I believe there is a direct connection to the poverty level and obesity. Part of public health nursing could be to educate people in low income areas on the importance of balanced nutrition, programs available and places within the community to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. Within the last few years Philadelphia has started inner-city farmers markets to try to help combat the weight issues within poorer sections of the
Living and working in Philadelphia I am very aware of the poverty that plagues my city, but seeing the number put it into perspective. According to the U.S. Census Bureau 25.3 % of Philadelphians are at or below the poverty line (United States Census Bureau website, n.d.) which is a quarter of the city. I really do not think it is a coincidence that the sections of the city with low income have the highest obesity rates. From my own personal experiences driving through some of these sections or talking to patients that live in low income sections there is not always access to proper nutrition at a lower price. It is much easier to feed a low income family at a McDonalds than it is feeding them at a Whole Foods Market. I believe there is a direct connection to the poverty level and obesity. Part of public health nursing could be to educate people in low income areas on the importance of balanced nutrition, programs available and places within the community to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. Within the last few years Philadelphia has started inner-city farmers markets to try to help combat the weight issues within poorer sections of the