A pilot project examined the effectiveness of computer assisted instruction (CAI) in teaching selected concepts of health and fitness: coronary risk, lifestyle, and nutrition as related to weight control. A convenience sample of 58 students from two Concepts of Health and Fitness classes were randomly assigned to two groups, both of which used…

Although case studies and anecdotal information have suggested that differences exist between the early family environments of obese and non-obese individuals, no experimental research exists. Undergraduates completed the Family Environment Scale (FES) and a questionnaire concerning past and present weight information. Subjects were classified as…

This description of a weight reduction program, based on generalizations derived from eight years of work with overweight persons, discusses the clients' rationalization of overeating behaviors. In this behavior modification program, the client is required to permanently give up one high calorie food and to write down all foods eaten before actual…

This instructional handbook is one of a series of ten packets designed to form a comprehensive course in nutrition for secondary students. The focus of this booklet is on the psychological aspects of obesity. A discussion is also presented of the emotional and psychological causes of anorexia nervosa. It contains a page of teaching suggestions, a…

This document is an English-language abstract (approximately 1,500 words) of a report on an investigation started in 1957 by Martti Takala and Penti Pitkanen at the University of Jyvaskyla, Finland, to examine the connections between physical fitness and other measures of individual difference. The report deals with the structure and development…

Body size, composition, and conformation in a teen-age population, and associated factors were studied to obtain useful data for planning programs in public health nutrition. This book describes the purpose, methods, and findings of this four-year longitudinal and cross-sectional study conducted in Berkeley, California, during the years 1961 to…

Currently, high school students account for 60% of food sold in cafeterias. School lunches should provide 33% of the students' energy intake, however, according to some research, it was found that it tends to only provide 19% because of the sale of "competitive" foods. Research by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that girls ages…

Tests the role of blame and ideology in antifat prejudice by comparing attitudes among college students (N=406) in the United States and Mexico. Mexican students were significantly less concerned about their own weight and more accepting of fat people than United States students. Prejudice toward fat people in the United States appears to have a…

Investigated incidence of eating disorders in Pueblo Indian and Hispanic high school students (N=95). Found no ethnic differences. Majority of girls reported wanting to lose weight, being worried about weight, and indulging in binge eating. Nine girls reported eating habits consistent with bulimia. Few boys indicated concerns about weight or…

Data from the 1990 North Carolina Youth Risk Behavior Survey were used to examine adolescents' perceptions of relative weight and the relationship of these perceptions to physical activity levels, weight loss efforts, and television viewing time. About 25 percent (860) considered themselves too fat and reported little physical activity. (SM)

Reviews "La Educacion Preescolar: Desafio y Aventura" (Lavanchy Bobsien); "Working towards Better Childcare" (Peeters and Vandenbroeck, editors); "Children's Savings: A Study in the Development of Economic Behavior" (Sonuga-Barke and Webley); "Curvas de Crecimiento Estaturo-ponderal en Escolares" (Saez Crespo and others); and "Helping Bereaved…

This study was designed to examine the relationship between preservice teachers' perceived body sizes and confidence in their ability to teach. One hundred two participants completed a questionnaire that included 1) providing height and weight information, 2) completing The Teaching Anxiety Scale (TCHAS), 3) selecting body images best representing…

Nutritional needs for peak athletic performance include sufficient calorie intake, adequate hydration, and attention to timing of meals. Student athletes and their advisors often are misinformed or have misconceptions about sports nutrition. This paper identifies nutritional needs of young athletes, reviews common misconceptions, and examines the…

Prevalence of underweight and obesity were investigated in 282 mentally retarded persons living on the West Coast of Norway. Data collected in this survey suggest that people with severe mental retardation were more likely to be underweight and people with mild mental retardation were more likely to be obese. Compared to persons of average…

Using a new method to measure identity, we attempt to capture salient identities of young children developing into "good students." Using a nationally representative sample of American kindergarteners who advance to the first grade, derived from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, we examine identities based on socio-economic status,…