Mary Story, Karen Kaphingst, and Simone French argue that researchers and policymakers focused on childhood obesity have paid insufficient attention to child care. Although child care settings can be a major force in shaping children's dietary intake, physical activity, and energy balance--and thus in combating the childhood obesity…

This booklet offers advice for adults who want to lower their blood cholesterol level. The first section, "What You Need To Know about High Blood Cholesterol," discusses blood cholesterol and why it matters, what cholesterol numbers mean, and what affects blood cholesterol levels. Section 2, "What You Need To Do To Lower Blood…

American Indians are three times more likely than Whites to have type 2 diabetes. Research shows that lifestyle treatments improving diet and increasing exercise are more effective than medications at preventing and treating the disease. A program featuring talking circles and emotional and spiritual counseling by Native elders promotes a…

Describes an elective high school weight-loss course. Students do fat-burning exercises in an atmosphere that does not stigmatize them because they are heavy or unathletic. They study nutrition, proper eating habits, and self-esteem. Most students continue to lose weight or sustain their weight after the course is completed. (SM)

Presents summary of a panel discussion at the Conference of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity (1992) on the health risks of treating obesity. The panel focused on selectivity in accepting patients, obesity and mortality, genetic individuality, weight loss mode and outcome, weight loss and longevity, and weight maintenance.…

Introductory exercise courses for sedentary, moderately overweight adults were developed. The underlying principles of the courses, their structure and contents, guidelines of instruction, and use of evaluation are described. Implementation of five weight-reduction courses and six exercise courses involving 209 participants is described;…

Childhood obesity is on the rise and there is no indication that the trend is reversing. To reverse this trend, it is critical that children develop and foster healthy eating behaviors and physical activity patterns to help reduce the risk of developing long-term chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and others. One…

Studies show that childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. Today, more than 23 million American children--or nearly one in every three--are overweight or obese. If childhood obesity is left unaddressed, a generation of individuals could face health, social, and economic challenges that promise to stress government…

This chapter reviews the research on promoting healthy dietary behaviors in all youth, not just those who exhibit problems such as obesity or eating disorders. The first section of this chapter presents a rationale for addressing healthy dietary behavior with children and adolescents, on the basis of the impact of these behaviors on short- and…

Examines the influence of media use on youth adiposity, dietary habits, and physical activity levels, noting that children and adolescents are increasingly turning to sedentary leisure time activities, which is leading to decreased physical activity levels, increased body mass index, and increased high- energy food intake. Current and future…

American children are gaining weight at an alarming rate. Since the 1960s, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the percentage of American six- to eleven-year-olds who fall into the CDC's highest weight classification for children has almost quadrupled. Requiring more physical education (PE) seems like a logical…

This paper examines the history and future of health education. Data from an American Cancer Society study exemplify how well-designed, carefully conducted research can impact current understanding and future decisions in health education. Health educators' roles in making health education a national priority are discussed. (SM)

Measurement of obesity among 364 adults with mental retardation indicated that rates of obesity were significantly higher among females than males; subjects with severe mental retardation had the lowest overall rates of obesity; and residents of a state-operated institution had lower obesity rates than group home, family, and Intermediate Care…

Suggests that exercise should be the first-line therapy for preventing and treating many common diseases; however, physicians need more training in how best to use exercise therapy. The paper explains the power of exercise and discusses how to motivate individuals to start safe, enjoyable, and life-saving exercise routines. (SM)

University faculty and community agencies collaborated to design and implement Healthy Weigh/El camino saludable, a family-focused obesity prevention and intervention program in a low-income, urban community at high risk for obesity and related chronic disease. Hispanic and African American families participated in 12 weekly sessions. Offered in…