This paper provides an overview of current trends in the mental health problems of Australia's youth and adolescents. It presents information derived from the most recent and comprehensive Australian surveys of youth mental health, and provides international comparisons and views from professional practice where relevant. An update of trends for…

Assessed the effectiveness of a combined program of very low calorie diet and behavior therapy in treating obesity. Combined treatment and behavior therapy alone subjects maintained weight losses; none of the diet alone subjects met the criterion used to define maintenance. Only those receiving behavior therapy alone and combined treatment showed…

Explores implications of interdisciplinary findings in an attempt to: (1) identify family practices and behaviors that contribute to preschool obesity; and (2) suggest effective obesity control strategies that can guide family-oriented nutrition education and counseling efforts. (JN)

The relationship between high levels of body fat and emotional motivations for eating among Mexican-American children was examined. Data were gathered through a self-report instrument dealing with emotional motivators and through anthropometric measurements. Results are discussed. (Author/DF)

Determined the extent to which light, moderate, and heavy television viewing relates to multiple measures of obesity and physical fitness among high school males (N=379). Showed that light television viewers scored significantly better than heavy viewers on a composite fitness index. Light viewers were not significantly less obese than moderate or…

Moderately obese volunteers were randomly assigned to two treatment conditions (behavior therapy or behavior therapy plus aerobic exercise) and two posttreatment conditions (no further contact or a multicomponent maintenance program). Clients in the aerobic exercise condition lost significantly more weight than those who received behavior therapy…

Explores the family dynamics of childhood obesity, and presents evidence supporting the need for a family-based treatment model. (Author/ABB)

A sample of 356 matched cases of overfat, overweight, and obese students were tracked for three years during high school to test the hypothesis that obese ninth grade students were more likely to be obese as twelfth-grade students than non-obese ninth graders were. Results are presented. (Author/MT)

Identifies and describes specific patterns of interaction in families with obese adolescent daughters. (Author/BL)

Evaluated the effectiveness of a multicomponent program designed to enhance the maintenance of weight loss in moderately obese clients (N=43). Results of 15- and 21-month follow-up assessments revealed that the multicomponent program significantly enhanced the maintenance of weight loss. (LLL)

Describes the Lose to Win Program, a weight loss program for third, fourth and fifth grade students. The program included nutrition education, exercise, and improving the self concept, and involved the use of rewards, and support of parents and school staff. (JAC)

Research on prevalence, characteristics, and treatment of obesity of mentally retarded individuals was reviewed. Obesity is prevalent in retarded Ss, with a greater incidence among females than males. Obese retarded Ss as a group can be distinguished from nonobese peers by physical condition, but not by eating style or personality characteristics.…

Six overweight female mentally retarded adolescents and adults were in a behavioral weight-reduction program which involved instructiog mothers in seven group meetings and Ss themselves in six group meetings. Results showed that treatment group members lost significantly more weight than did control group members according to all three dependent…

Results lend support to the other research findings and point to the difficulties that many overweight individuals have during a weight-reduction endeavor because they also must deal with the numerous psychological and physiological problems involved in overcoming a history of being obese. (Author)

Examined the utility of System Dynamics modeling as a vehicle for controlled experimentation to study and gain insight into the impacts of physical activity and diet on body weight and composition. Results underscored the significant interaction effects between physical activity, diet, and body composition and demonstrated the utility of…