Childhood Obesity
Number of unique resources found: 39
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Fitness for Kids: Getting your Children off the Couch
Description: This Mayo Clinic health article focuses on children's health and fitness. It includes information on what parents can do to support their children in good health, physically fitness, and how to promote physical activity.
Description: VERB™ It’s what you do.
VERB is a Web site from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The goal of the site is to encourage children and families to be active. It has suggestions of activities, "how-to" guides, polls and quizzes, and a section for recording activity.
– General Information –
A Comprehensive Approach to Addressing Childhood Obesity in Early Childhood Programs
Author: Anderson, Joyce
Description: This aricle describes the need for early childhood professionals to take action in the battle against childhood obesity. It lists reasons why it is important to address childhood obesity in early childhood programs. Strategies for improving menus and physical activities are included.
Author: Byington, Teresa (9 more by this author); Madeleine Sigman-Grant, Anne Lindsay, Tara Spann
Description: This brochure is intended for use with parents and caregivers. It provides general information on healthy snacks; how to choose them, how to get kids to eat them, etc.
Body Mass Index Calculator (Children)
Description: This Web page describes how the Body Mass Index (BMI) is used to measure children. The BMI provides a guideline based on weight and height to determine if children are underweight and overweight. For children, BMI is interpreted differently based on age and sex.
Center for Science in the Public Interest Publisher of Nutrition Action Healthletter
Description: The Center for Science in the Public Interest provides information related to nutrition and health, and food safety.
Choose My Plate (New Nutrition Guidelines)
Description: This Department of Agriculture website provides information on the new nutrition guidelines. There are links and resources for preschoolers, kids, weight loss, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and the general population.
Comprehensive Obesity Prevention in Early Childhood: Promising Federal and State Initiatives
Author: Banghart , Patti
Description: This report presents a range of early childhood obesity prevention initiatives to inform states of ways they can build strong cross-system efforts to reduce childhood obesity rates. The report includes information on: the scope of the childhood obesity challenge in the U.S.; early care and education initiatives to prevent obesity; innovative state efforts; obesity prevention strategies in other early childhood systems; and state policy recommendations.
Does My Child Have a Weight Problem?
Description: This newsletter provides information for parents who are concerned about their children's weight.
Forming Good Habits in Children to Avoid Obesity 
Author: Evers, William
Description: This news brief from Purdue provides information on how to help children develop good habits when it comes to eating. Suggestions, helpful hints, and snack ideas are provided.
Right now your children are forming habits that will last a lifetime. You need to do what you can to encourage good habits and discourage bad ones. Habits are difficult to change. Good habits
need to be formed at a young age. Poor eating habits may result in impaired health or lead to obesity in later life.
Healthy Eating for Children 2 Through 5 Years Old: A Guide for Parents and Childcare Providers
Author: Serrano, Elena (4 more by this author); Danielle Parra, Shelly Nickols-Richardson
Description: This publication covers different topics that are of interest to parents and caregivers of young children and gives an overview of healthy eating and feeding practices. Proper nutrition and opportunities to play and be physically active are critical to ensure that your child grows properly and adopts healthy behaviors for lifelong health.
Healthy Habits for Healthy Kids: A Nutrition and Activity Guide for Parents
Description: As part of a healthy weight program, parents can help their children reach wellness goals by making healthy changes at home. Weight can be affected by many factors, but environment is often a major component.
Healthy eating and physical activity don’t become habits overnight. It takes time and effort to make them part of a daily routine. This guide tells you where to start and what you can do at home to help your child. It talks about the important role of family, realistic goals, nutrition and physical activity. The recommendations in this guide are targeted toward
healthy weight for children ages 4-12.
Healthy Weights for Healthy Kids: What Should I Do if My Child Is Overweight?
Author: Serrano, Elena (4 more by this author); Kathryn Branstad
Description: This publication provides information to parents on children who are overweight. It explains how to know if a child is overweight, concerns for overweight children, and what parents can do to help. It includes suggestions on how often to eat, what types of food to eat, and how to includes physical activities into their day.
Healthy Weights for Healthy Kids: What is a Healthy Weight?
Author: Serrano, Elena (4 more by this author); Kathryn Branstad
Description: This publication provides information to parents on weight and children. It provides information on guidelines for a healthy weight, how to know if a child is overweight, and what parents can do to help. It includes brief information on what foods to eat and how to include physical activities in their day.
Healthy Weights for Healthy Kids: What Should I Do if My Child Has a Poor Body Image?
Author: Serrano, Elena (4 more by this author); Kathryn Branstad
Description: This publication provides information to parents on children who may have a poor body image. Body image is how a person views him- or herself in the mirror and in his or her mind. It can change over time. A body image-positive or negative—can affect a person’s sense of worth or self-esteem.
It discusses the importance of body image, symptoms of eating disorders, and what parents can do to help.
Local Government Actions to Prevent Childhood Obesity
Description: Childhood obesity is a serious nationwide health problem. Preventing obesity involves promotion of healthy eating behaviors and regular physical activity. The 2009 report Local Government Actions to Prevent Childhood Obesity presents a menu of recommended action steps for local government officials to consider in their efforts to prevent childhood obesity in their community. You can view online or purchase a hard copy.
In the United States, 16.3 percent of children and adolescents between the ages of two and 19 are obese. The prevalence of obesity is so high that it may reduce the life expectancy of today’s generation of children and diminish the overall quality of their lives. Local governments can play a crucial role in creating environments that make it easier for children to eat healthy diets and move more.
Description: Congress passed a law that requires every local education agency participating in USDA's school meals program to establish a local wellness policy. This Web site shares information on the new goals for nutrition education, physical activity, and other school-based activities that promote student wellness.
Nutrition for Infants and Toddlers
Description: This website provides information about healthy nutrition for infant and toddlers. Topics include getting started on eathing right, breast feeding basics, formula basics, introducing solid foods, reducing the risk of food allergies, size wize nutrition for toddlers, coping with picky eaters, and feeding vegetarian and vegan infants and toddlers.
Description: This website provides information about healthy nutrition for children and teens. Topics include raising healthy eaters, promoting positive body images, physical activity and kids, eating right to play hard, no more food fights, nutrition for growing bodies, and meal suggestions.
Obesity and Overuse of Electronic Media -- Science of Parenting
Author: Greder, Kimberly (7 more by this author)
Description: A child's health and wellbeing can be affected in many ways by spending too much time using electronic media. Find tips for setting limits, encouraging physical activity, and talking with your child about use of time.
Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance
Description: This report brief discusses the epidemic of childhood obesity, the costs, understanding the causes, and developing an action plan for prevention. "The prevelence of obesity has more than doubled for preschool children aged 2-5 years and adolescents aged 12-19 years, and it has more than tripled for children aged 6-11 years over the past 30 years.
This page has links to Fact Sheets on Childhood Obesity as well as a link to the pdf full report.
Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance (Institute of Medicine Report)
Description: This report brief describes a national strategy that recommends specific actions for families, schools, industry, communities, and government on preventing childhood obesity.
Description: This website provides information about healthy nutrition for reducing childhood obesity. Topics include getting started on eathing right, eating right at school, being active, and meal planning.
Role of Media in Childhood Obesity
Description: This news release highlights the relationship between childhood obesity and the role of the media. Majority of the research reports linkages between the amount of time children spend watching television and their body weight. Today about 10% of 2- to 5-year-olds and 15% of 6- to 19-year-olds are overweight.
Description: This Web site is a searchable collection of government resources about a wide variety of health and nutrition topics.
The Effects of Electronic Media on Children Ages Zero to Six: A History of Research
Author: Evans Schmidt, Marie; David Bickham; Brandy King; Ronald Slaby; Amy Branner; Michael Rich
Description: The purpose of this issue brief is to review the history of research about the effects of electronic media on children zero to six years old, summarize the findings of the seminal studies in this area, and note gaps in the research base.
The Role of Media in Childhood Obesity
Description: The purpose of this issue brief is to explore children’s use of media as a potential contributor to the rising rates of childhood obesity. The report reviews prior research for relationships between obesity and media use and provides recommendations for public policy to address childhood obesity.
The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity
Description: This website provides information on obesity that communities can use to help address problems associated with overweight and obesity. Resources are included.
Tips for Parents: A parent’s guide to children’s weight
Author: Bower, Don (15 more by this author)
Description: The University of Georgia's Cooperative Extension Service has provided this revised peice by Don Bower for parents with tips on how help children manage their weight effectively. Whether you concern is that your child is underweight or overweight, this publication provides guidance for families.
Description: This brochure provides information on typical growth patterns of children.
Weight-control Information Network (WIN)
Description: This website is managed by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and includes up-to-date, science-based information on weight control, obesity, physical activity, and related nutritional resources.
Your Child's Health, Your Child's Weight
Description: This publication discusses the problem of childhood obesity and gives parents BMI charts and information to determine if their children are at risk.
– Professional Development –
Developing Healthy Eating Habits and Physical Activity Patterns in Early Childhood
Description: The preschool years are critical time for establishing healthy eating and activity behaviors as a foundation for a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, most children are not meeting dietary or physical activity recommendations. This lecture will navigate through young children's developmental stages as it relates to food, nutrition and gross motor development. Discussions on strategies to promote healthful eating and physical activity in child care and at home will be explored.
Local Government Actions to Prevent Childhood Obesity
Description: Childhood obesity is a serious nationwide health problem. Preventing obesity involves promotion of healthy eating behaviors and regular physical activity. The 2009 report Local Government Actions to Prevent Childhood Obesity presents a menu of recommended action steps for local government officials to consider in their efforts to prevent childhood obesity in their community. You can view online or purchase a hard copy.
In the United States, 16.3 percent of children and adolescents between the ages of two and 19 are obese. The prevalence of obesity is so high that it may reduce the life expectancy of today’s generation of children and diminish the overall quality of their lives. Local governments can play a crucial role in creating environments that make it easier for children to eat healthy diets and move more.
Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance
Description: This report brief discusses the epidemic of childhood obesity, the costs, understanding the causes, and developing an action plan for prevention. "The prevelence of obesity has more than doubled for preschool children aged 2-5 years and adolescents aged 12-19 years, and it has more than tripled for children aged 6-11 years over the past 30 years.
This page has links to Fact Sheets on Childhood Obesity as well as a link to the pdf full report.
Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance (Institute of Medicine Report)
Description: This report brief describes a national strategy that recommends specific actions for families, schools, industry, communities, and government on preventing childhood obesity.
– Programming Resource –
Childhood Obesity: A Resource List for Educators and Researchers
Description: This resource list includes resources related to childhood obesity. The list primarily includes articles from professional journals as well as some information available on the Internet, and small number of consumer educational materials. Some materials can be borrowed from the National Agricultural Library.
Creating Contexts for Healthy Eating and Activity Among Young Children: Child Care Focus
Author: Lanigan, Jane (1 more by this author); Betz, Drew
Description: This CYFAR conference workshop shares research-based obesity prevention strategies that target child care, an important early learning context for many children today. Participants will learn about programs, curriculum and strategies that promote healthy eating and activity in a variety of child-care settings. Preliminary results from ENHANCE (Encouraging Healthy Activity and Nutrition in Childcare Environments) will be shared. A PDF of the presentation is provided. Includes the incidence of obesity in the U.S. from 1985 to 2006.
Description: A series of fact sheets for families providing information on issues that affect children, teenagers, and their families
Description: This is the Web site for the Centers for Disease Control Kids Walk-to School program. Kids Walk-to-School is intended to increase children's physical activity by encouraging them to walk or ride their bikes to school accompanied by adults. It also encourages community safety partnerships. The site has information on a variety of health topics such as obesity and nutrition and also contains materials to start the program in a community.
– Research –
Local Government Actions to Prevent Childhood Obesity
Description: Childhood obesity is a serious nationwide health problem. Preventing obesity involves promotion of healthy eating behaviors and regular physical activity. The 2009 report Local Government Actions to Prevent Childhood Obesity presents a menu of recommended action steps for local government officials to consider in their efforts to prevent childhood obesity in their community. You can view online or purchase a hard copy.
In the United States, 16.3 percent of children and adolescents between the ages of two and 19 are obese. The prevalence of obesity is so high that it may reduce the life expectancy of today’s generation of children and diminish the overall quality of their lives. Local governments can play a crucial role in creating environments that make it easier for children to eat healthy diets and move more.
Pediatric Overweight: A Review of the Literature
Description: This 130-page report reviews the literature in the area of childhood obesity. It includes sections on prevalence; contributing factors and implications for intervention; diet and activity interventions among children; maketing; and public policy. (Note: This is a large PDF document and may take a long time to download depending on your Internet connection speed.)
Preschool’s Role in Fighting Childhood Obesity
Description: This article from the Preschool Matters publication examines the role of preschools in fighting obesity in early childhood. Research from Children's Activity and Movement in Preschools Study (CHAMPS) is summarized and the recommendation that preschools and teachers become more involved in promoting preschoolers' physical activity is presented.