Emerging Areas of OT Practice: Childhood Obesity (OT 425)

There are a number of different emerging areas of practice available through AOTA and even more that are developing every single day. The emerging area that first caught my eye when scanning the list on the AOTA website was childhood obesity. Having worked in the health and wellness field since 2010, I have noticed that obesity and health problems that stem from obesity is a huge issue in our society that needs to be addressed. I find it very interesting that OT can play a role within this area and am excited about the development of this area of practice.

http://www.fundamentallychildren.com/10-common-myths-about-play/

There are many different health conditions and illnesses that can develop when an individual is obese and can affect an indivinduals quality of life or daily occupations. For children, those illnesses or health conditions could hinder the main occupations needed for proper development, growth and learning incuding education and play. The focus of an occupational therapy intervention for this area can target healthy habits and routines, establishing a healthier diet and increasing physical activity or fitness level. Teaching children about making these healthy choices at a young age can ultimately lead them to live a healthier life as grow older. 

I believe this emerging area of practice is addressed in Vision 2025 through all of the guideposts. This area involves accessibility because focusing on obesity in childhood and what other barriers it may create is directly responding to a cultural issue that is developing within our society. I believe that as OT's we must also collaborate with the childs teachers, parents and other service providers in order to treat the client with a holistic, throurough approach. This emerging area can be effective because it is focused directly on the client and what occupations that may be effected with their personal weight or other illnesses that develop because of their health conditions. Occupational therapists can be leaders in this area since we truly look at the whole picture and recognize that wellness is not just one aspect of health. We can teach other professions about this approach and find ways to better advocate and educate others on improving their lifes through healthy habits.

Additional Resources for Emerging Areas in OT: Childhood Obesity

http://www.aota.org/Practice/Children-Youth/Emerging-Niche/Childhood-Obesity.aspx