"Makes a distinct contribution to the field with the timeliness of the subject matter, the severity and demands of the issue addressed, and the need for more resources addressing this subject." —Stephanie Slowik, School Counselor, West Lake Elementary School, Apex, NC "Demonstrates the challenges that principals face today." —James Gostomski, Physical Education Teacher, Verde Elementary School, Boca Raton, FL Create and implement school policies that support wellness and fitness for our children′s health and success! This clear, authoritative overview by an educator and a physician helps principals navigate their way through the many contradictory recommendations confronting them. The authors provide a targeted discussion of the "do′s," "don′ts," and "can′ts" that school leaders need to know when creating and implementing new school policies for wellness, nutrition, fitness, and health. Student surveys and annotated guides to the best research accompany core chapters on: Dealing with childhood obesity in schools and society Facilitating the principal′s role as an agent of change Understanding the barriers that interfere with change Developing school action plans for wellness, fitness, and stress reduction Principals will find Overcoming Obesity in Childhood and Adolescence a timely resource for understanding and evaluating the challenges inherent in dealing with this growing health issue in schools and society.

The prevalence of childhood obesity is so high in the United States that it may reduce the life expectancy of today's generation of children. While parents and other adult caregivers play a fundamental role in teaching children about healthy behaviors, even the most positive efforts can be undermined by local environments that are poorly suited to supporting healthy behaviors. For example, many communities lack ready sources of healthy food choices, such as supermarkets and grocery stores. Or they may not provide safe places for children to walk or play. In such communities, even the most motivated child or adolescent may find it difficult to act in healthy ways. Local governments-with jurisdiction over many aspects of land use, food marketing, community planning, transportation, health and nutrition programs, and other community issues-are ideally positioned to promote behaviors that will help children and adolescents reach and maintain healthy weights. Local Government Actions to Prevent Childhood Obesity presents a number of recommendations that touch on the vital role of government actions on all levels-federal, state, and local-in childhood obesity prevention. The book offers healthy eating and physical activity strategies for local governments to consider, making it an excellent resource for mayors, managers, commissioners, council members, county board members, and administrators.

This volume discusses adolescent mental health concerns in non-Western contexts and situations, ranging from common mental disorders to building life skills. It combines previous literature and empirical work on various disorders to provide a comprehensive account of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for adolescents. The volume covers a wide spectrum of conditions, ranging from anxiety to affective disorders and other associated disorders. It gives a practical guide to the management of disorders with specific focus on case vignettes, outlining session details and specific techniques to be used throughout the intervention plan. A detailed appendix elaborating various CBT techniques is included in the volume. It presumes a basic understanding and training in mental health care and psychotherapy and is useful for professionals: psychologists, counsellors, paediatricians and other practitioners in the field of mental health. It is also useful as a text for courses in health psychology, clinical psychology, adolescent medicine and adolescent psychology.

Children's health has made tremendous strides over the past century. In general, life expectancy has increased by more than thirty years since 1900 and much of this improvement is due to the reduction of infant and early childhood mortality. Given this trajectory toward a healthier childhood, we begin the 21st-century with a shocking developmentâ€"an epidemic of obesity in children and youth. The increased number of obese children throughout the U.S. during the past 25 years has led policymakers to rank it as one of the most critical public health threats of the 21st-century. Preventing Childhood Obesity provides a broad-based examination of the nature, extent, and consequences of obesity in U.S. children and youth, including the social, environmental, medical, and dietary factors responsible for its increased prevalence. The book also offers a prevention-oriented action plan that identifies the most promising array of short-term and longer-term interventions, as well as recommendations for the roles and responsibilities of numerous stakeholders in various sectors of society to reduce its future occurrence. Preventing Childhood Obesity explores the underlying causes of this serious health problem and the actions needed to initiate, support, and sustain the societal and lifestyle changes that can reverse the trend among our children and youth.

Clear, up-to-date guidance for professionals working with children with obesity. One in every six children, and more in some ethnic groups, are obese, which can lead to serious health problems in adulthood. Successful treatment of young patients is complex, requiring time-intensive, evidence- based care delivered by a multidisciplinary team. Help is at hand with this well written, compact book by leading experts, which gives health professionals a clear overview of the current scientific knowledge on childhood obesity, from causality models and diagnosis to prevention and treatment. In particular, the authors outline a family-based treatment method which is best supported by the evidence and meets the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and other organizations. The appendix provides the clinician with hands-on tools: a session plan, a pretreatment assessment form, self-monitoring forms, and a meal planning and physical activity worksheet. This book is essential reading for anyone who works with children and their families, equipping them to guide patients to appropriate and effective treatment.

More children born today will survive to adulthood than at any time in history. It is now time to emphasize health and development in middle childhood and adolescence--developmental phases that are critical to health in adulthood and the next generation. Child and Adolescent Health and Development explores the benefits that accrue from sustained and targeted interventions across the first two decades of life. The volume outlines the investment case for effective, costed, and scalable interventions for low-resource settings, emphasizing the cross-sectoral role of education. This evidence base can guide policy makers in prioritizing actions to promote survival, health, cognition, and physical growth throughout childhood and adolescence.

This book addresses the ever increasing problem of obesity in children and adolescents, the long-term health and social problems that arise from this, and approaches to prevention and management. Aimed at doctors, and all health-care professionals, it will be of interest to all those concerned with the increasing prevalence of obesity in both the developed and developing world. It covers all aspects of obesity from epidemiology and prevention to recent developments in biochemistry and genetics, and to the varied approaches to management which are influenced by social and clinical need. A foreword by William Dietz and a forward-looking 'future perspectives' conclusion by Philip James embrace an international team of authors, all with first-hand experience of the issues posed by obesity in the young. This comprehensive survey of an important and growing medical problem will help inform, influence and educate those charged with tackling this crisis.