Program description
Weight loss programs are mostly not designed with children in mind. Due to increasing numbers of children who are becoming obese and other problems related with an increase in weight, there is, therefore, need to develop a program that addresses this problem. The program seeks to bring down the number of children who are developing weight related problems by putting in place a good health care delivery program that encompasses educational aspects to all the stakeholders involved. The program shall seek input from all stakeholders who include health professionals as pediatricians and family physicians and also the parents or guardians of the children (Issel, 2014).
Importance of the program
Healthy living and Behavioral changes on the part of the guardian or parents are needed to produce results that are needed for evaluation purposes to determine the effects of the program. The program shall educate on how to select foods that are healthy for the child as well as the giving the child the right portions. Also, ways of exercising or limiting sedentary lifestyles shall be incorporated in the program. Focus is also given to the whole family not only the child with different roles and responsibility accorded to all family members including the overweight child. For example, the parent should ensure that the overweight child exercises regularly and takes the required amount of food.
On the other hand, the siblings should be supportive to the child and also encourage them for it to be comfortable on the child. For the program to be all rounded it shall include a maintenance program to ensure that the gains from this program are not eroded. Selection of the program was because of the rise in the number of overweight children. However, a program for children is structured in a different way because the program for 13-18 years old program is not suitable for children who are 8-12 years old. A program for 13-18 years children is more physical oriented compared to the 8-12 years old program.
Goals and objectives
All programs should have their goals and objectives that they seek to achieve, hence the core purpose of this children weight loss program is to ensure that children and young adults attain and maintain healthy lives. Healthy lives include mental health, social health and physical health of the child. A healthy life enables a person to live a more fulfilling and longer life. There are many stakeholders that make this program a success, therefore, it should also put emphasis on the responsibility of a parent or guardian to the health of the child. For this reason, there is an immediate goal to ensure that parents do follow the guidelines and recommendations that make it possible for a child to reduce the weight needed. At the same time, the program shall seek to ensure that parents and children appreciate the significance of maintaining the required body weight in children.
For the attainment and success of this program, all the necessary activities need to be implemented So that it can have an impact on the targeted population. The goal's set is significant in assessing the total impact of the program. Overall the design of the program guarantees that children and young adults who are overweight reduce and manage their weight to live a good life. Therefore, goals set by this program lead to behavioral change by both the overweight child and the parents or guardians. As a parent, it is important to limit the time taken by a child when watching T.V and also ensure that the child is involved in physical activities that may help the child to reduce the excess weight. On the other hand, the goal of this program is to ensure that the child is responsible for his or her own bodily well-being by giving them skills on how to reduce weight and take the appropriate portions of food (Kirschenbaum & Cra, 2007).
Program planning and evaluation
It is critical for any program planning activity to include an evaluation process that is important when measuring success and identifying the areas that need quality improvement. In developing the weight loss program for overweight children, the following steps were necessary for it to be to be successful.
Step 1: identification of stakeholders (parents, health workers and the overweight child)
There were six steps and phases involved in developing the program; the first one was to define the stakeholders for the program to be successful. Parents, teachers, family physicians and the children were among the stakeholders who had a major role to play in the overweight Childs life. They are also important because this is where data on the children’s performance is obtained.
Step 2: describing the program to stakeholders (aims, objectives and the activities involved in the program)
The second step was describing the program to the stakeholders and articulating the goal that the program aims to achieve. In this step, parents, children and health workers were educated on the activities that would enable us to attain our goals, activities like exercise and taking the correct portions of food. On the part of the health workers, they were important in recording the Child's data on weight loss.
Step 3: design and evaluation (Roles of stakeholders in evaluation)
The third step was focusing on the design of evaluating the program, it involved answering the question on how the activities may aid in the overall attainment of the goals. Methods on how data should be gathered and the how that information should be used. For this program information, required concerns the Child's weight and the activities leading to a reduction in weight. Parents and pediatricians are key to the program success and accessing the value that the program brings.
Step 4: acquiring data used for observing development of the children
Step four involved acquiring quantitative and qualitative data that is critical and necessary for evaluating the performance of the program. Descriptive information captures behavior change, experience, feeling and any other observable phenomena on the child. It is important for providing us with quantitative data that is vital for the program. On the other hand, qualitative data is recorded by the parents, health workers such as physicians regarding the weight change of the child.
Step 5: conclusion and findings
Step five involved making conclusion and the purpose of this step is to note whether the program is bringing better results as intended or not. It compared the weight loss program results with what was set for the program hence enabling weaknesses, strengths or gaps of the program to be known.
Step 6: quality improvement of the program
The last step entailed using the information collected on child weight loss program for quality improvement. It is also essential to know how the program has impacted the group and how they feel about it. Where the program is deemed inefficient the information acquired is used to improve how it works. For example if the parents are not dedicating enough effort on ensuring the child reduces weight. Stakeholders have a role in the evaluation process of the program that means they have a role in assessing the value of the program. The parents should attest to the importance of the program and the value it has on their children.
Most importantly parents are the ones who are in the most excellent position to make a judgment on the program because they can notice the change on the child. The children too can value the program basing on the impact it has brought to their bodies. Another stakeholder that can be involved in the assessment is the pediatrician or family physician who is involved in checking the health of the overweight child. Health workers are also important in keeping the Childs records and determining how the program has changed the health of the child. In the initial stages of the program, data is collected on the child by the pediatrician and parents who keep track on the development of the child and it is critical when making findings on the program.
References
Issel, L. M. (2014). Health Program Planning and Evaluation: A Practical, Systematic Approach for Community Health. New York: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Kirschenbaum, D., & Cra, R. (2007). The Sierras Weight-Loss Solution for Teens and Kids. Chicago: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated.
