Examines personal, psychological, physical, and social characteristics of persons seeking group treatment for obesity and correlates these variables with their subsequent attendance. The best candidates for continuing in treatment have completed more schooling, have been obese longer, and are less depressed, more self-sufficient, and less…

An after-school program run by teacher aides and utilizing a combination of nutrition instruction and exercise aided in the control of obesity in primary and elementary school-age children. (LH)

Compared relative effectiveness of exercise and eating habit change individually and in combination for weight loss and physical conditioning. Results indicated significant improvement for all treatment groups. Groups who exercised showed most improvement in physical fitness. Combining exercise and eating habit change yielded best results in…

The three articles in this collection discuss secular trends and changes in (1) human stature, weight, and maturation, (2) body proportions and composition, and (3) size and maturity. (CM)

Explored the relationship between the 1998 National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) weight guidelines and concurrent medical costs among 177,971 employees, retirees, and adult dependents from a nationwide manufacturing corporation. Results indicated that the six weight groups defined by the NHLBI guidelines were consistent with concurrent…

When 2,142 students in Grades 3, 7, and 11 were tested on 6 motor tasks, performance decrements resulting from fatness were found for boys and girls equally and constantly across the grades. Boys exhibited progressively greater performance superiority across grades. However, for specific tasks, an age-related decrease was found in degree to which…

A phone survey of 1,007 male and female college students revealed that 1.1 percent of the women and 0.2 percent of the men were bulimic according to the revised (DSM IIIR) diagnostic criteria. At 2.2. percent, bulimia was most prevalent among undergraduate women living in group housing on campus. (Author/BJV)

This study investigated the effect of regular physical activity on body mass index (BMI) and percent body fat of Chinese girls grouped by age and physical activity patterns. Measurements of skinfold, height, and weight, and BMI calculations, found differences in BMI and percent body fat between active and inactive girls. (SM)

Used data from a longitudinal study of 16-year-old girls to test predictions about psychosocial factors in the onset of menarche. Found that family conflict and father's absence in childhood predicted an earlier age of menarche, and these factors in combination with weight showed some evidence of an additive influence on menarche. (Author/GLR)

Reports on a study of 1,915 male and female adolescents that assessed weight-related practices and concerns of smokers and nonsmokers. Smokers were less satisfied with their weight and more likely to perceive themselves as overweight than nonsmoking peers (even though the groups did not differ in body mass index). (SM)

Suggests integrating eating disorders and weight management (ED/WM) guidance units in existing junior and senior high school programs. Outlines rationale for ED/WM units, identifies goals of interventions, discusses general information regarding practical implementation of model, and presents three potential program components (cognitive,…

Explored the role of body mass index (BMI) in eating disorders among Hispanic, Asian American, and non-Hispanic white female college students. Data from student surveys indicated that after controlling for BMI, ethnic differences in eating disorder symptoms of concern about weight and shape disappeared, but differences in restrained eating…

Reports a study that examined the leisure orientations of 222 low-income women. Subjects were predominantly black, predominantly overweight, and not employed outside the home. Survey data indicated positive correlations between self-esteem and active participation in recreation activities and negative correlations between self-esteem and leisure…

Reviews literature concerning effects of gastrostomy as alternative nutritional intake on children with developmental delays and their families. Finds that although gastrostomy has been shown to be effective in maintaining adequate weight and nutritional intake, the support given to the family prior to and after the operation is inadequate.…

Examines eating- and weight-related cognitions of 55 adolescents attending a camp for children with a variety of chronic diseases. Cognitions of youngsters with special dietary recommendations showed greater flexibility, less eating pathology, and less weight concern than campers without recommended diets. Contrary to previous reports, dietary…