For more than a decade, researchers, and increasingly the public, have focused on childhood overweight as a personal and public health problem. As the number of children who are overweight has continued to grow, consensus has emerged that schools, as the places where children spend much of their time, have a critical role to play in reversing this…

Current research is revealing that physical activity can protect against a range of lifestyle diseases and illnesses. Consequently, early childhood practitioners and parents need to adopt guidelines and practices which encourage children of all ages to be physically active. In "Active children: Healthy Now and Later," authors Linley…

Followed-up 60 participants in a behavioral weight-loss program 4.5 years posttreatment. An inexpensive follow-up class was associated with the recruitment of the majority of participants. The most successful weight-loss maintainers reported adhering to behavioral procedures and being more physically active. (Author/JAC)

Identification and treatment of obesity in children is believed to be an important factor in its control during the adult years. Laboratory and field methods for body composition measurement are described along with estimates of body fat content from anthropometric dimensions. (CJ)

Investigated behavioral programs for obesity. Exercise and self-managed contingency components were compared using obese subjects who were evaluated after treatment and follow-up. Significant weight loss was observed at termination. The influence of exercise at follow-up was noticeable. Subjects engaged in behaviors, yet behaviors were not related…

Evaluated the effectiveness of spouse training for long-term weight loss. Overweight women (N=68) were assigned to one of five groups. The cooperative spouse group lost significantly more weight. That group and the nonparticipating spouse conditions maintained their weight losses at the final follow-up. The wives-alone group regained some weight.…

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…

A study of 254 Mexican American eighth-grade girls in south Texas found that girls' self-esteem was positively related to body image and exercise involvement and negatively related to body fatness. This population displayed somewhat distorted body image, which was the strongest predictor of self-esteem. Contains 43 references. (SV)

Employees of four manufacturing plants who were at risk because of high blood pressure, obesity, or smoking were periodically contacted by wellness counselors. Over a three-year period, seven strategies for behavior change were used. High blood pressure clients were most likely to begin risk reduction actions. Frequency of followup showed positive…

An overview of Prader-Willi syndrome, the most common form of dysmorphic genetic obesity associated with mental retardation, is presented, with an emphasis on associated causes, characteristics, diagnosis and counseling, intervention, and long-term consequences. (Author/DB)

A total of 254 children in kindergarten through grade 6 participated in a study of the development, consistency, and degree of bias against gender, ethnicity (French- versus English-speaking Canadian), and body type (overweight versus normal weight). Children demonstrated clear biases against groups to which they did not belong, although attitudes…

Study investigated whether high-fat food consumption and low physical activity were risk factors for obesity in third graders. Tests revealed a greater prevalence of childhood obesity in 1985 than in 1976-80. Neither intake nor activity level were independent risk factors, but there may be synergistic effects with both present. (SM)

Provides a session-by-session description of "Free to Be Me," a 12-week psychoeducational group for overweight clients combining education, nutritional counseling, and moderate exercise. Goals include improved fitness, enhanced self-concept, and weight stabilization. Group exercises, guided visualizations, and case examples are included.…