Vulnerable Population in Current Events Vulnerability comes in different shapes and forms. It applies to different settings and also populations. Vulnerability has two categories; individualize that means a person is vulnerable within a context. The other is a group, because of susceptibility to external or internal factors directly related to a population despite what is occurring with other people or groups (De Chesney, P. 3 2012). Here the focus is on a vulnerable population of obese patients. The article speaks about how health care providers can have stigmatizing attitudes toward obese patients (Malterud & Ulriksen, 2011,p. 1). Highlighted factors focus on the barriers the obese population encounters by providers who have made prejudgments on the patients, how it affects the outcome of the care of the patients and what effects it has for their road to recovery. A vulnerable population according to De Chesney (2012) is defined as a group of people at risk of poor physical, psychological or social health. Vulnerability by virtue in status. A group of people who are at risk at any given point relative to another individual or group (p. 4). The obese patients are the vulnerable population because of their genetic predispositions and life circumstances. They are not categorized by their cultural vulnerability but rather due to this similar physical nature. In the article the obese patients faced many barriers, which prevented them from obtaining the resources need. Many of them were viewed as patients who did not take responsibility for their eating habits or did not have the motivation and will power to succeed in their predisposition. Providers view them as the main cause for the obesity and non-improvement. “ A
References: De Chesney, M. (2012). Caring for the Vulnerable: Perspectives in Nursing Theory, Practice and Research, 3e. Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. Malterud, K., & Ulriksen, K. (2011). Obesity, stigma, and responsibility in health care: A synthesis of qualitative studies. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, 6(4), 1-11. Retrieved from http://www.doaj.org/doaj?func=abstract&id=880959&q1=vulnerable%20patient&f1=all&b1=or&q2=caring%20for%20vulnerable%20ptatients&f2=all&recNo=1&uiLanguage=en