Annotated+Bibliography

= __ Annotated Bibliography __ = Jimerson, M N. //Childhood Obesity//. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Cengage Learning, 2009. Print. Lucent's Diseases and Disorders

The author of this book, M.N Jimerson, is a published author of two books, one on literature, and this book, on childhood obesity. In this book, Jimerson aims to inform a more adult audience on all aspects of childhood obesity. He touches on the basics of what childhood obesity is, what causes it, and how it affects those kids who are, in fact, obese. The umbrella that covers the information provided in the text says that childhood obesity is very preventable, but the environment that children's guardians and parents bring them up in do not breed a healthy and active lifestyle. Jimerson believes that if adults put more effort into paving a better road for the younger generation in terms of healthy nutrition and higher levels of physical activity, the risk of children becoming obese will decrease dramatically. The major topics that the author covers to support his main ideas are the attached health risks of childhood obesity, the causes, treatments, what it is like to live with obesity as a child, and what can be done to prevent this in the future. He talks a lot about what parents can do with their children to maintain healthy weights, like creating better access to healthy food, increasing physical activity, lowering the number of ads seen promoting unhealthy food, and consulting to doctors for both physical and emotional responses to being overweight as a child. To support these preventative measures being suggested, Jimerson provides awealth of information about the medical issues that can occur from obesity in children. These range from physical conditions,like diabetes, to serious emotional problems, such as anxiety or depression. This evidence gives a clear image of what the true results of childhood obesity looks like, and certainly creates awareness of how serious this issue is. Jimerson's research and scope are right on point with what should be discussed about childhood obesity. For the most part he states the cold, hard facts, but his only bias comes in when he discusses how serious the issue is and how it should be handled. Many solutions are out there, but Jimerson certainly sticks to the effects of the environments most kids are being set in. This source has been very helpful to my research, especially as a starting point to jump off of. Since Jimerson discusses childhood obesity from start to finish and beyond, a much clearer image has been formed for me. From this source I can definitely take major points and find more in depth information to create a very broad and wealthy spectrum of information.

Improving Child Nutrition Programs To Reduce Childhood Obesity. Washington, D.C: U.S Governernment Printing Office, 2009. Access Pennsylvania Library. Web. 30 Sept. 2010. .

Although this court hearing does not have one specified author, there were numerous statement members and witnesses that brought their intellect to the subject. These statements were made by Carolyn McCarthy, who is the chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities, as well as a member of the US House of Representatives. She has also been a nurse for over 30 years, seeing the effects of obesity first-hand. Other statements were made by Laurie A. Westley, the National Director of Girl Scouts of the USA, and Todd Platts, a Republican Congressman who is also involved in the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities. Witnesses of this hearing included Susan P. Byrnes of the Susan P. Burnes Health Education Center, Reginald M. Felton of the National School Boards Association, and Virginia Stallings, the director of the nutrition center at the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania. These experts each give their insights into what can be done to change nutrition and lifestyles for kids from a young age, through the Child Nutrition Reauthorization, to reduce the number of children being affected by obesity due to poor eating at home and in schools, as well as unhealthy living habits. All of the spokespeople for this argument believe that the only way to reverse the effects unhealthy options have presented youth in the United States is to face it fully and create a higher quality lifestyle in terms of what children are eating, and how they can become more active on a daily basis. One of the major points McCarthy makes is that we may teach the younger generation from the start what healthy habits should stay in order to avoid unhealthy habits later in life. A major piece of supportive evidence used in this hearing focuses on the impact of schools on children’s diets. Although schools may offer healthy meals, they continue to provide unhealthy snacks in vending machines which can be purchased by any student if they choose. Statistics, like the fact that 23 million children and adolescents are obese or overweight, are used to show just how serious the effects of providing unhealthy food to students are. In terms of prevention, statement members and witness go deep into current nutritional information to show what we can do differently to create a healthier youth. Chairwoman McCarthy provided letters from students regarding the Activity Works program, which gets kids moving and exercising without them even noticing. This evidence provided a solid first-hand point of view that told the court that kids really do enjoy being active rather than being lazy. The research and evidence provided is clearly logical and legitimate considering that majority of the information was directly from researchers and experts in the field. The topic was accurately addressed and stated. The entire argument was focused on the nutritional aspects of keeping a healthy lifestyle, but no clear bias was shown aside from wanting to prevent childhood obesity through serving better foods in schools and being more active. In terms of the information being relevant to my research, I would say it certainly is. It provided me with a lot of information about what good nutrition can do to prevent children from becoming overweight, as well as some statistics about obese youth and what they are eating that has caused their poor weight. Overall, the source supplied me with a large amount of evidence to explain what differences nutritional habits can make in a child’s life.

Poskitt, Elizabeth, and Laurel Edmunds. "Management: what do we mean by lifestyle changes?" Management of Childhood Obesity. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2008. 96-107. Print.

Both authors of this source have been soley involved in the issue of Childhood Obesity for over 20 years. Elizabeth Poskitt has been running clinics for overweight children and founded the European Childhood Obesity Group. Her partner in writing this book, Laurel Edmunds, has been researching this issue for over 16 years as one of five Specialist Advisors to the House of Commons Health Committee. In this specific work, both authors have written it with the intention of informing readers on how to manage obesity and guiding them to make changes where they may apply. The audience that they were aiming to connect with was actual health care practitioners in the field, but the ideas and facts written about could very easily resonate with parents dealing with obese children. In the management chapter of this work, Poskitt and Edmunds look deeply into what it means and takes to truly make a change to the lifestyle of youth battling with their weight. They want families to strive to encourage kids to be more active, reduce the urge to snack, find time to spend as a whole family, and regulate a bed time all in an effort to reduce obesity in their child. The authors put heavy emphasis on changing behavioral habits before anything else. The mention changing seemingly harmless activities, like watching television, into more active ones, like helping out the family with cooking or taking a bike ride. A good amount of time is spent on the idea of regulating sleep due to the fact that “some studies suggest that children who sleep less are at above average risk of obesity” (Poskitt and Edmunds 99). Many factors can lead to children not getting accurate amounts of sleep, like parents working later or televisions in the rooms, but having a standard bedtime each night will help the body balance, and in turn, maintain weight better. The major issue with television and computers for children struggling with weight is that it is time spent that could be used doing something more active. Poskitt and Edmunds explain that if television wants to be watched or computers want to be used, parents should only alott a specific amount of time for children to do so, and in the meantime, find activities for the family or indiviudal hobbies to take away from time wanting to be spent in front of the television. Although the authors do make these numerous suggestions, it is ultimately up to the parents and children to put them into action and make them beneficial. Poskitt and Edmunds are simply handing off the tools families need to conquer their weights. I do believe that this information and evidence is well researched by the authors. Their extended explanations of all suggestions they made, along with their credentials, speak volumes on how many years of experience these women have had in the field. The entire, not just this specific section, is right on target and easy to digest. In terms of bias, the only “bias” you could say exists is when the authors get into creating a “standard” healthier lifestyle. Many suggestions for this “standard” have been made by other experts, but these two experts focus on the regulating of an active schedule to make changes for obese children. However, I do not know how much you can call this “biased” because of the amount of research and practice that has been put into it by Poskitt and Edmunds. After reading this source, I learned a lot more about how difficult managing a child battling with weight can be. Many factors contribute to unhealthy weights in kids and handling them is no walk in the park. The suggestions Poskitt and Edmunds offer to families and health care professionals in this work have given me strong examples to use within my argument, with the science to defend it.

//Outrun Obesity//. N.p.: Independence Blue Cross, n.d. N. pag. Print.

There is no specific author for this pamphlet, but the information has come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the Independence Blue Cross. Both of these organizations focus specifically on issues affecting the global population daily. They strive to find causes, medications, treatments, and preventative methods for diseases like obesity, therefore, they certainly have accurate credentials to publish a source like this. This pamphlet was published for parents and adults who are aiming to help kids live a healthier lifestyle. In this pamphlet, the author focuses on the belief that being overweight as a child will lead to numerous physical, mental, emotional, and even social problems as an adult. Therefore, adults need to take action today to prevent the younger generation from developing unhealthy habits in terms of nutrition and being active on a daily basis. One major point the pamphlet puts emphasis on is the fact that “some experts believe if obesity among children continues to increase, your children’s generation will become to first in American history to have a shorter life than their parents” (Outrun Obesity). This fact leads into why children are at this risk and how we can prevent it. Major problems that can arise from being overweight as a child, according to this information, are asthma, liver problems, sleep issues, like sleep apnea, and depression. To explain prevention methods, the pamphlet includes a questionnaire about current habits of ones child. The questions asked include questions about dietary habits, television habits, and levels or interest in sports and physical activities. Also, they provide information about body mass index in order to explain how a healthy or unhealthy weight is determined. The authors use many statistics to emphasize how serious the issue of childhood obesity is becoming, and hopefully make their readers take the actions they suggest, like eating fruits and vegetables, limit television and computer usage, increase physical activities, and drink a lot of water every day. Although the source is not lengthy or highly detailed, it is filled with statistics and basic information that is easy to comprehend and digest. It clearly focuses on the issue of childhood obesity and creating a healthy lifestyle, without any unnecessary information. The authors have no bias aside from recognizing childhood obesity as a serious issue that needs action in order to reduce it. The information it provided definitely helped me with my research in terms of gathering powerful statistics and good suggestions for how to prevent an unhealthy younger generation.

"Childhood Overweight and Obesity Prevention Initiative." //Office of the Surgeon// //General//. U.S Department of Health & Human Services, n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2010. .

Although the section specifically focused on childhood obesity prevention does not have a designated author, the Office of the Surgeon General works directly with the surgeon general, Regina Benjamin, to put out information to help Americans create healthier lifestyles overall. It is their job to research and find solutions to the problem of childhood obesity, as well as many others. The page I am concerned with, “Childhood Overweight and Obesity Prevention Initiative,” is mostly an overview of why children are becoming more overweight this generation and how we can stop it, as well as an informational report for parents or adults wishing to make a difference in the lives of the younger generation. The information provided on this website specifically accents “the importance of healthy eating and physical activity at a young age to help prevent overweight and obesity in this country” (OSG. “Childhood Overweight and Obesity Prevention Initiative”). They target making changes to everyday habits, and sticking to those changes, in order to truly make a long-lasting difference. Their powerful statistics, like the fact that 12.5 million young people are overweight and at risk of becoming obese, form their major argument that they present on their website. Aside from their basic information which forms the backbone of their argument, they provide links to related websites, as well as public service announcements that have been made to address the issue. The highlighted “PSA” is entitled “My Kitchen” and emphasizes all the major points made by the Office of the Surgeon General regarding healthy diets and physical activities. This research is certainly well researched and logical because it comes straight from a Health research department that aims daily to prevent diseases infecting our nation. The information was well organized and stayed on topic clearly. No bias is taken regarding the preventative techniques for overweight children. In terms of my research, it provides a solid ground work that I could build a lot off of. Aside from the accurate facts provide, the Office of the Surgeon General website shows many jumping off points to more specific and varied sources.

Weintraub, Daniel. "Taking Away Toys to Help Fight Obesity." //nytimes.com//. The New York Times, 10 May 2010. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. .

Graduating from San Diego State University, Daniel Weintraub used his expertise in economics and politics to right the public affairs column in the Sacramento Bee. His posts focus on many political issues, including a few on health care and education. He has been in this industry for almost 20 years, so he clearly has a well developed background in issues, like childhood obesity. In this specific article Weintraub wrote for the New York Times, his information was strictly informative and intended for adults and guardians who want to help children prevent large weight gain. In this article, Weintraub speaks of a few California politicians who voted to rid of the selling of toys with unhealthy fast food meals. These politicians believe that these toys are a big attraction for younger kids to eat their food. The Supervisor, Ken Yeager, is one of the leaders battling to help parents better their children’s lifestyles. The vote passed on the terms that a small number of restaurants in the county will ban toys that come along with meals with more than 485 calories, or 480 milligrams of sodium. The opposing leader, Jot Condie, who is president of the California Restaurant Association, is arguing that there is no evidence showing that childhood obesity is a direct outcome of eating fast food. However, Yeager is specifically quoted saying, “’There’s too much television, not enough physical activity, the horrible lunches they serve in schools…but [banning toys in fast food restaurants] is one area where the county can take a position’” (Yeager in “Taking Away toys to Help Fight Obesity”). This one step could be an important one that sets an example for parents and families trying to live a healthy lifestyle. Although some believe that county governments should not be the ones to manage children’s weights, the idea is that these governments are helping parents to take steps in the right direction. The evidence used in this article is very clear and logical, showing both sides of the argument. Weintraub uses many direct quotes from Yeager and Condie to show just how this decision to ban toys in fast food restaurants was made. Since the author shows both sides, there was potential for bias and a slight was shown in favor of the ban, but that was the decision that was made in the end. In general, this article was very helpful to my research. It focuses on the effect of fast food, and how little things like taking toys away could be a lead preventative method for stopping obesity in children. The fast food industry is a big contributor to childhood obesity, according to many people, so this article really highlighted things any county, state, or nation could do in order to make a difference.

Hill, David, host. Child Obesity : How to Prevent Obesity in Children. YouTube. eHow Health, 25 Mar. 2010. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. < [] >.

The expert in this video, David Hill, is board certified in both the areas of pediatrics and internal medicine. He works and studies at UNC at Chapel Hill, as well as working with Cape Fear Pediatrics. Hill has written many columns and articles for numerous newspapers and has a clear knowledge of how to keep children healthy. In this video, Hill is speaking specifically to parents who want their kids to avoid obesity and have healthlier habits as a family. As an expert in the field, he is aiming to help parents know effective methods for keeping their children healthy. Throughout the entire video, Hill focuses on using “simple” changes to make a big difference in children’s lifestyles. One of his major tips was for children to eat breakfast, which means they will likely eat less later on in the day. Also, in terms of eating, Hill suggests eliminating sugared drinks completely, avoiding fast food, and eating home-cooked meals together as often as possible. Meals cooked at home have a lot less fat and are overall better in their nutrition. Hill also mentions moving the kids away from the television more. He explains that watching TV sparks kids hunger for “snack foods” that contribute to weight gain along with the lack of physical activity. These simple tips, Hill says, can make a huge difference in the weight of younger children. If parents commit to these tips, the healthier their families will be. Hill’s video was very clear and appropriate for the audience. He certainly stayed on his topic of childhood obesity prevention and presented his facts in a way that was easy to understand and digest. Although he kept it fairly simply, he covered the topic well. His position was clearly on the side of attempting to see the childhood obesity epidemic decrease significantly, starting with children’s habits at home. This video was very helpful to my research in providing me with basic ways any parent could try to help their kids live healthier lifestyles. Having more specific examples will certainly develop my argument that childhood obesity is 100 percent preventable.

Klein, Sarah. "How to Fight Childhood Obesity in 3 Steps." //Health.com//. CNN, 2010. Web. 22 Oct. 2010. .

The author of this article, Sarah Klein, just recently graduated in 2008 from NYU and quickly started writing in magazines specifically targeted at children and teens. Now writing for Health.com, Klein has already built up a solid portfolio of articles related to keeping children and teens healthy. In this specific article, Klein targets parents who may be worried about their child’s weight. Klein writes this article to help parents help their children through only three simple suggestions of eating dinner together, regulation their sleep, and lowering the use of television. These three habits have been proven to lower the risk of becoming overweight as a child in a new study done on almost 9,000 4 year olds. One of the study’s lead authors, Sarah Anderson, who is a professor of epidemiology at Ohio State University, stated that even families who enforce one of these habits will lower their children’s risks. The big surprise that came out of this study was the fact that “roughly one in seven children who practiced all three of the behaviors was obese, compared with one in four youngsters who practice none of them” (Klein, “How to Fight Childhood Obesity in 3 Steps). Another question of this study was the impact of family income or detrimental circumstances. However, that question was proven wrong and study leaders can confidently say that no matter what the family’s issues may be, these practices will have a positive effect on their children’s health. Another leader in the study, William Dalton, who teaches psychology at East Tennessee State University, says that “children who eat dinner at the table with their family aren’t eating in front of the TV, a bad habit that often leads to less mindful eating and doesn’t teach children how to regulate their food intake” (Klein, “How to Fight Childhood Obesity in 3 Steps). Clearly, these habits are interconnected and feed off of each other. If parents can find a way to implement each one into their daily lives, not only will children’s health improve, but also their development should see increased sharpness. The work behind this article was certainly well researched and clear. It focuses solely on the “3 steps” suggested to help families better their health and referred to the recent study done on the 4 year olds often. Klein did a good job of presenting the information in a way that will be easy for parents, as well as any other readers, to understand and hopefully apply to their own lives. Since this article focused around this study, there really was no bias, especially considering Klein mentions that other factors may contribute to a child’s weight. Overall, however, this source really did add to my research by giving me more specific examples, more psychological ones, of how families can prevent obesity and keep a healthy lifestyle. The study linked with this article is also a good piece of evidence to back up my arguments.

Blakely, Shirley. "Nutrition Tip: Portion Control is Key." Let's Move Blog. Let's Move, 25 Oct. 2010. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. .

Shirley Blakely, the author of this blog post, is the Senior Nutrition Policy Advisor for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). She has a wealth of knowledge in her background regarding healthy diets for both children and adults. In this informational post she left on the Let’s Move Blog, Blakely was targeting parents with young children who like to “snack”. The main idea that Blakely was aiming to relay to readers was to work with your kids to help them realize how much of a snack is healthy through learning about serving sizes, calories, and nutrients. She makes the point that when children come home from school they grab whatever they see in the pantry or refrigerator without considering how much they are going to eat. By doing that, children may be eating double or triple the recommended amount for a snack. For example, Blakely explains that “just 2 tablespoons of peanut butter has a whopping 190 calories” (Blakely “Nutrition Tip: Portion Control is Key”). Knowing this, parents should really take more time to read nutriton labels and examine specifically the serving size, for one, because many snack packs contain more than one serving. Also, looking at the number of calories can help parents ration their children by only putting one serving size, or half if the snack has a high calorie count, in a bag or bowl, rather than the entire package. Lastly, Blakely suggests considering the nutrients in snacks. She says to aim for high protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals like vitamin C and calcium, and avoid saturated fats and high levels of sodium. To provide easy and appropriate snacking for a child, Blakely tells parents to keep healthy snacks in easy to obtain places, and “treats” in less obvious places where they can only be given in small quantities. The evidence and information in this blog post is logical, on point, and very easy to understand. I think that Blakely understands that nutrition labels can be difficult to decipher, but she points out the key things to look for and how to interpret them. She does not come off as biased one way or another since she is simply offering tips to any parent trying to lead their kids to better nutrition. Blakely’s post really helped develop my research in terms of the nutrition and diet aspect of preventing childhood obesity. The “healthy snacking” tips is a really good idea for any family trying to be healthier and I really think her information will add to this portion of my research presentations.

Jarvis, Jon. "Stay Active This School year with Let's Move Outside and PALA." Let's Move Blog. Let's Move, 29 Sept. 2010. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. <[|http://www.letsmove.gov/blog/2010/09/29/] [| stay-active-this-school-year-with-let’s-move-outside-and-pala/]>.

This post’s author, Jon Jarvis, is the chosen director of the National Parks Service. He works directly with President Obama to express to the nation the great importance of the outdoors and the nature that is all around us. This post was an informational piece directed for teachers of the younger generation in the hope that they will take steps to get their students’ minds and bodies working at the same time. In this post on the Let’s Move Blog, Jarvis explains many recent activities that have been offered at national parks across the country to get younger kids active and moving, even though the freedom of summer has past. He highlights two national parks that offer educational and physically engaging programs for younger students. The Colorado National Monument brings fourth graders on a five-mile hike focused on geology every year. Students from the Mississippi River region are taken out to learn about the importance of the environment and resources of the area. Also, Jarvis mentions the Junior Secret Service Fitness Test held at the Eisenhower National Historic Site. All of these examples are easy and educational ways to get kids moving during the school year without sacrificing learning time. This year’s big addition to moving outdoors while learning is the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award, where families are asked to log sixty minutes of physical activity with the family in order to receive the certificate for their family. All of the activities that Jarvis explains are easy and fun ways for families and classes of young students to get together and be active all year-round. This blog post was definitely helpful to my research. It added to the physical activity branch of my topic and gave me really good examples of what classes could easily to do to get everyone active. I am sure that most people are not even aware of all of these options for physical activity, but if I include them in my research, families and schools should embrace the ideas and participate a lot more in order to prevent obesity in their students and children.