Introduction: Obesity is an epidemic of today`s time, which is becoming increasingly widespread among women. It develops as a result of a number of factors, which have a profound effect in psychological, physical and economic fields. Obesity in nursing needs to be addressed as it is a key problem affecting women`s health. Purpose: We want to determine the prevalence of obesity among women in Europe and Slovenia, the factors that influence its development and its consequences. We also want to find out how nursing professionals can be involved in dealing with the problem. Methods: In the paper, we used the descriptive research method, with an overview of scientific and academic literature. We focused on publications published between the year 2010 and October 2020 and written in English and Slovenian. The literature was searched in the following databases: Medline/ PubMed, CINAHL, ScienceDirect, COBIB.SI and Google Scholar, using the following keywords: obesity AND women AND nursing, obesity around the world AND women, obesity AND the role of a nurse, obesity in Europe AND women, obesity among women in Europe, obesity among women in Slovenia. The analysis comprised 24 articles. The articles were evaluated on a four-point scale according to the strength of the evidence. Results: Obesity is a health problem in Europe as well as in our country. The findings show an increase in overweight and obesity among European women, which has fluctuated over the years and is still increasing drastically. It is escalating in women of all ages, and it is most prevalent in the female population aged above 50 years. The most common factors influencing the development of obesity include daily stress, lack of time, improper diet, reduced physical activity, and the level of education. Obesity has a number of consequences for women`s health, including type 2 diabetes, musculoskeletal diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and socioeconomic consequences. Moreover, it has an impact on mortality. Nurses play an important role in managing obesity among women, offering support and providing motivation. Discussion and conclusion: Obesity can cause frightening complications for women`s health. It is still not adequately discussed, but it is presenting a challenge to healthcare staff. Nurses are key to health education, prevention and raising women`s awareness regarding the impact of obesity on their health. New developments about the spread of obesity among women must be monitored and more new research into nursing interventions is required to help reduce such a problem as obesity.
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