The body mass index (BMI), or the ratio of weight in kilograms to the square of height in meters, is widely used to determine the presence or absence of overweight and obesity in adults. Although many consider BMI an acceptable clinical surrogate of body fatness, it does not differentiate between fat and fat-free tissues. Thus, children and…

"Kids Count in Colorado!" is an annual publication of the Colorado Children's Campaign, which provides the best available state- and county-level data to measure and track the education, health and general well-being of the state's children. "Kids Count in Colorado!" informs policy debates and community discussions, serving as…

In addition to identifying the causes and physical effects of various nutritional deficiencies, this discussion describes the effects of each deficiency on the learning process. The recommended daily food intake for children and teenagers is also noted. Eight types of nutritional deficiency are discussed in detail: (1) malnutrition (both…

Examines three major types of intervention strategies that have been utilized in school-based weight-reduction programs. Discusses behavior modification, dietary control/nutrition education, and physical activities which have been successfully combined in multifaceted obesity interventions to produce modest weight loss. (Author/NRB)

Describes a weight reduction and control program for obese retarded preschool children involving parent leaders and incorporating social and tangible rewards. Discusses techniques children practice daily for a total of 15 weeks. (RH)

Tested the hypothesis that physical training (PT), especially high-intensity PT, would favorably affect components of the insulin resistance syndrome (IRS) in obese adolescents. Data on teens randomized into lifestyle education (LSE) alone, LSE plus moderate -intensity PT, and LSE plus high-intensity PT indicated that PT, especially high-intensity…

This clear, authoritative overview by an educator and a physician helps principals navigate their way through the many contradictory recommendations confronting them. The authors provide a targeted discussion of the "do's," "don'ts," and "can'ts" that school leaders need to know when creating and implementing new school policies for wellness,…

Children and adolescents in the United States are increasingly overweight at younger ages. Many studies have investigated the issue from the perspective of professionals and other adults. This study assessed early adolescents' perceptions regarding the magnitude of, effects of, causes of, solutions for, and learning preferences related to…

As researchers continue to analyze the role of parenting both in the development of childhood overweight and in obesity prevention, studies of child nutrition and growth are detailing the ways in which parents affect their children's development of food- and activity-related behaviors. Ana Lindsay, Katarina Sussner, Juhee Kim, and Steven Gortmaker…

Over the past few years, media use among children and teens has become more prevalent than ever. With the launch of the iPod, the explosion in instant messaging, the birth of mobile video and YouTube, and the advent of social networking sites like MySpace, young people are rarely out of contact, or out of reach of the media. Meanwhile,…

Assigned children (N=114) from stratified blocks of percentage overweight to a comprehensive behavioral program or to a no-treatment condition. The average child in treatment declined to percentage overweight 5.71%; children in the control group gained 2.41%. Parental participation was correlated with weight change among children in the treatment…

Examines whether physical fitness levels in U.S. children and youth have changed over time. Research indicates that weight and skinfolds have increased over 50 years and distance run times have worsened over 10 years. The article includes information on relationships between cardiovascular fitness and coronary heart disease risks in children. (SM)

A study found verbal reprimands, delivered contingent upon eating prohibited foods, were sufficient to decease the food stealing of a girl (age 14) with Prader-Willi syndrome. Warning stimuli were then successfully used to help her discriminate between permitted/prohibited foods during sessions in which food stealing was not directly observed.…

Reflected self-appraisal suggests that individual functioning is related to the fit between individual characteristics and the norms of their primary contexts. To apply this social psychological concept to the study of obesity, we hypothesized that adolescents at risk of obesity would have lower academic achievement overall than other students,…

We examined the association of adolescent obesity with participation in sports among 5489 low-income, inner city public high school students. Among inner city youth 28.5% of males and 33.7% of females were overweight and 15.9% of boys and 16.4% of girls were obese. For both males and females, participation in an increasing number of athletic…