Our Overweight Children: What Parents, Schools, and Communities Can Do to Control the Fatness Epidemic (California Studies in Food and Culture, 13)

The United States is facing a health crisis of epidemic proportions: children are gaining weight younger and faster than ever before. With the prospect of becoming the most obese generation of adults in history, they are already turning up with an alarming assortment of "grown-up" maladies, from type 2 diabetes to high blood pressure. This book takes a clear-eyed look at what's behind the statistics and diagnoses, and what can be done about the major health crisis among American children. Sharron Dalton begins with the basics: what obesity is, what causes it, and why it matters. Integrating information from scientific and popular sources, she reviews past remedies and their results and compares specific strategies and programs for children. When a third of our children are overweight or likely to become so, it's everyone's problem—and this book argues for a united approach, promoting the role of parents, health professionals, and school and community leaders. For each group, Dalton outlines actions to combat the epidemic. She suggests ways for parents to respond to their children in interactions centered on food and physical activities. And she illuminates a number of issues raised by childhood obesity, from the pain of fat discrimination to the economic, social, and political ramifications of an epidemic of obesity among the young. At once authoritative and nontechnical, no-nonsense and compassionate, Our Overweight Children is a clear call to action—a prescription for treating the most dire problem threatening our children's health and our nation's future. Our Overweight Children includes * A discussion of what obesity is, what causes it, and why it matters * A review of various remedies and their results * A comparison of specific strategies and programs for children * A plan for parents, health professionals, and school and community leaders to work together to confront childhood obesity The United States is facing a health crisis of epidemic proportions: children are gaining weight more rapidly and at younger ages than ever before. Poised to become the most obese generation of adults in history, today's children are turning up at doctors' offices with an alarming assortment of "grown-up" maladies, from type 2 diabetes to high blood pressure. This book takes a clear-eyed look at what's behind the statistics and diagnoses, and considers what can be done about the major health crisis threatening American children. Sharron Dalton begins with the basics: what obesity is, what causes it, and why it matters. Integrating information from scientific and popular sources, she reviews current diet and exercise recommendations for healthy living, comparing these recommendations with everyday realities experienced by American families. When a third of our children are overweight or likely to become so, it's everyone's problem -- and this book argues for a united approach, promoting the complementary roles of parents, health professionals, and school and community leaders. For each group, Dalton outlines actions to combat the epidemic. She suggests new ways for parents and other adults to respond to children in interactions centered on food and physical activities. And she illuminates a number of issues raised by this epidemic, from the pain of fat discrimination to the economic, social, and political ramifications of widespread obesity among the young. At once authoritative and nontechnical, compassionate but no-nonsense, Our Overweight Children is a welcome prescription for treating the most dire problem threatening our children's health and our nation's future Preliminaries......Page 1 Introduction......Page 12 1 - Coming to Terms......Page 26 2 - Gauging Obesity’s Toll......Page 41 3 - Family Matters......Page 58 4 - At Home......Page 74 5 - Beyond the Home......Page 105 6 - Nurturing Healthy and Active Lifestyles......Page 130 7 - Reaching and Keeping a Healthy Weight......Page 159 8 - Slowing the Vicious Cycle of Fat Discrimination......Page 190 9 - Mobilizing to Help Our Overweight Children......Page 213 Appendices......Page 252 Notes......Page 256 Acknowledgments......Page 286 Index......Page 290 Annotation Aimed at parents with overweight children and the medical professionals who work with this population, Dalton's book provides the information necessary to help prevent the serious adult health problems related to excessive weight