Obesity in the general population is mirrored and magnified in the correctional setting. Significant morbidity and associated costs make it imperative that correctional professionals recognize the causes and focus on solutions for this weighty problem. Strategies include smoking cessation, improved diet, increased exercise and attention to co-morbid diseases such as impaired glucose tolerance, hypertension and dyslipidemia.
Objectives: The barriers to implementation of a plan of care and strategies to overcome them will be discussed.
Moderator: Melanie Wahl, Director, Medical Resource Services, Correctional Medical Services, Creve Coueur, Missouri
Speakers: Renee Fall Howe, Vice President, Medical Affairs, Correctional Medical Services, Creve Coeur, Missouri; Holly Mathis MSN, ANP-BC, Disease Manager, Correctional Medical Services, Medical Resources, Corporate, St. Louis, Missouri
The purpose of this workshop was to promote the health of men and women in the correctional setting. The cost of caring for unhealthy inmates is significantly higher than caring for healthy inmates.
Having a weight more than 20% of your ideal weight is considered obese.
Body Mass Index is an accepted method for determining vulnerability for disease such as heart disease.
Some of the consequences associated with obesity are:
- Cancer
- Lower back pain
- Infertility
- Heart disease
- Osteoarthritis (knees)
- Gout
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- Sleep apnea
- Liver diseases
Economic impact of obesity
- State-level $87 million (Wyoming) per year
Contributors to obesity
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Genetic influences
- Diseases and drugs
- Demographic shift
- Social acceptability
- Cultural influences
Cardio metabolic risk can be affected by:
- Age
- Race
- Gender
- Family History
- Smoking
- Physical inactivity
Waist measurement is a good indicator of obesity. For men, a waist of >40 is considered obese. For women, a waist of >35 is considered obese.
A modest weight loss of 10 pounds will result in significant drops in blood pressure and other negative health factors.
Inmates are subjected to an enforced sedentary lifestyle that leads to less healthy population, which translates to higher costs for medical care.
Nurse should constantly encourage inmates to exercise and eat better on a regular basis.
Healthy commissary choices should be made available to inmates.
- Arkansas DOC removed the saltshakers from tables and changed doughnuts to granola bars.
- Arkansas DOC created dedicated walking times in the yard.
Making changes to improve the health of the inmate population can only be achieved when medical and corrections officials work as a team. Medical cannot do it alone.
Blogged by Sgt. Adam Wright, Orange County (FL) Corrections Department
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