This title includes a number of Open Access chapters. Childhood obesity is a major public health crisis nationally and internationally. This insightful compendium provides valuable information and assesses the research foundations behind several school initiatives to help combat the epidemic of obesity in children and adolescents, particularly using interventions to increase physical activity. The book looks at the issue from three levels: first, the effects of unhealthy eating and lack of exercise on a number of health outcomes in children and adolescents; second, successful small- and large-scale school-based interventions; and finally, synthesis of current literature and translation into specific guidelines and recommendations. Specific topics addressed in the book include: * The appeal and benefits of outdoor versus indoor activity * Cultural differences in physical activity * Successful interventions and their continued success, or lack of, after several years * The roles of family and community interventions * Staff involvement in children's physical activities * Specific programs, such as Plant Health, an antismoking intervention with unintended obesity intervention * Establishing healthy habits in youth This research provides schools with a strong foundation for implementing policies and practices that support healthy eating and regular physical activity. In the process, educators will be ensuring the best possible chance for increasing students' academic success, improving both physical and mental health, and decreasing the risk for myriad chronic diseases.

This title includes a number of Open Access chapters. Mental illnesses are often difficult to treat. They do not just affect individuals, they are rooted within communities and affect many other aspects of individuals' social and physical lives as well. This book examines mental health specifically in adolescents, exploring how mental illnesses interface with communities, schools, families, and peers. It also explores the connotations for educators, social workers, medical professionals, and public policymakers. The various sections cover the following topics: * The interactions of adolescent mental health with the broader cultural and socioeconomic communities * The interactions of the educational community on adolescent mental health * The impact of peer and family relationships on adolescent mental health * Case studies of successful community interventions This accessible reference volume offers a comprehensive guide to the multifaceted field of adolescent mental health. Edited by a physician at Boston Children's Hospital, this book is an important resource for educators, parents, social workers, researchers, clinicians, public policy makers, and all who wish to understand the complex interactions involved in comprehending and treating mental health disease in young people.

This title includes a number of Open Access chapters. This collection of timely chapters presents a nuanced study of environmental toxins and the risks they pose to children's development. The book details the impact of a number of commonplace environmental toxins, focusing on everyday exposure to tobacco smoke, lead, pesticides, and flame retardants. There is growing recognition that the impact of the environment on children's health is of critical importance for both current and future generations. In the last half-century, thousands of chemicals have been introduced into the environment with limited-although growing-research on the consequences of exposure. It has been proven that children and adolescents are far more vulnerable than adults to these environmental toxins by virtue of children's behaviors, higher metabolic rate, greater skin area relative to their volume, and still developing organ systems. Increased number of ear infections, poor asthma control, and learning disabilities are just some of the adverse outcomes that have been noted. This well-researched book: * Presents detailed information on why children are more vulnerable to everyday toxins * Discusses why new approaches to medical care are necessary that take into account children's unique physiology and development * Offers well-defined research on tobacco smoking on prenatal development as well as children's exposure to tobacco smoke during their early years, particularly the evidence of asthma and asthma-like symptoms * Examines the possible health effects of children born to mothers living in areas of natural gas development * Looks at the health effects of childhood exposure to environmental lead, using GIS technology to study areas of potentially high lead concentrations * Discusses the possible effects of agricultural pesticides on children's health during gestation * Presents studies on prenatal and adolescent exposure to PBDEs used as flame retardants in many household and commercial products to prevent fire This valuable book, edited by a pediatric clinician at Boston's Children's Hospital, provides a wealth of information on this important issue. The book concludes with an article by the World Health Organization, which offers a practical and comprehensive summary of a series of action steps. The book aims to create greater awareness to spur additional research, provide vital information to clinicians, and send a powerful message to government officials, putting pressure on them to develop policies that improve the quality of the environment and spare children the detrimental effects of such exposures.

In Pediatric Behavioral Nutrition Factors: Environment, Education, and Self-Regulation, the editor carefully selected each chapter individually to provide a nuanced look at how environment, education, and self-regulation impact pediatric nutrition. All the various factors that intertwine with and influence nutrition are not yet known, and we often assume that poor nutrition is a socioeconomic issue. This is a massive, multifaceted topic. The articles in this compendium make clear that this simplistic assumption is not accurate; they were chosen to present as accurate a total image as possible, based on recent research. The final chapters offer innovative interventions that should become the foundation for ongoing investigation.

Food security and child malnutrition are at the forefront of our attention, both nationally and internationally. The chapters contained in this compendium include a range of methodologies-literature review, cross-sectional study, longitudinal study, case-control, and even a focus group!-all of which examine this urgent issue, revealing new perspectives and facets of information. The international roster of contributors present a nuanced look at food security and child malnutrition with research into food security measures in many nations around the world. The book is broken into several parts, covering defining food security food security, nutrition, and growth and development food security and mental and physical health food security and child obesity conclusion, with an information study from The Children's Healthwatch on household hardships, public programs, and their associations with the health and development of very young children The range of topics and information presented here will be valuable for those involved with food security advocacy, policymakers, researchers, social service professionals working children and families, and others.

This title includes a number of Open Access chapters. This collection of timely chapters presents a nuanced study of environmental toxins and the risks they pose to children's development. The book details the impact of a number of commonplace environmental toxins, focusing on everyday exposure to tobacco smoke, lead, pesticides, and flame retardants. There is growing recognition that the impact of the environment on children's health is of critical importance for both current and future generations. In the last half-century, thousands of chemicals have been introduced into the environment with limited-although growing-research on the consequences of exposure. It has been proven that children and adolescents are far more vulnerable than adults to these environmental toxins by virtue of children's behaviors, higher metabolic rate, greater skin area relative to their volume, and still developing organ systems. Increased number of ear infections, poor asthma control, and learning disabilities are just some of the adverse outcomes that have been noted. This well-researched book: * Presents detailed information on why children are more vulnerable to everyday toxins * Discusses why new approaches to medical care are necessary that take into account children's unique physiology and development * Offers well-defined research on tobacco smoking on prenatal development as well as children's exposure to tobacco smoke during their early years, particularly the evidence of asthma and asthma-like symptoms * Examines the possible health effects of children born to mothers living in areas of natural gas development * Looks at the health effects of childhood exposure to environmental lead, using GIS technology to study areas of potentially high lead concentrations * Discusses the possible effects of agricultural pesticides on children's health during gestation * Presents studies on prenatal and adolescent exposure to PBDEs used as flame retardants in many household and commercial products to prevent fire This valuable book, edited by a pediatric clinician at Boston's Children's Hospital, provides a wealth of information on this important issue. The book concludes with an article by the World Health Organization, which offers a practical and comprehensive summary of a series of action steps. The book aims to create greater awareness to spur additional research, provide vital information to clinicians, and send a powerful message to government officials, putting pressure on them to develop policies that improve the quality of the environment and spare children the detrimental effects of such exposures.

This title includes a number of Open Access chapters. Mental illnesses are often difficult to treat. They do not just affect individuals, they are rooted within communities and affect many other aspects of individuals' social and physical lives as well. This book examines mental health specifically in adolescents, exploring how mental illnesses interface with communities, schools, families, and peers. It also explores the connotations for educators, social workers, medical professionals, and public policymakers. The various sections cover the following topics: * The interactions of adolescent mental health with the broader cultural and socioeconomic communities * The interactions of the educational community on adolescent mental health * The impact of peer and family relationships on adolescent mental health * Case studies of successful community interventions This accessible reference volume offers a comprehensive guide to the multifaceted field of adolescent mental health. Edited by a physician at Boston Children's Hospital, this book is an important resource for educators, parents, social workers, researchers, clinicians, public policy makers, and all who wish to understand the complex interactions involved in comprehending and treating mental health disease in young people.

Food insecurity and disease are inextricably linked. The chapters in this valuable articles compendium reinforce that message by specifically linking food insecurity to various forms of chronic disease, including HIV/AIDS and obesity, as well as mental health issues. Providing a nuanced look at food insecurity and its connection to disease, the quality of the research gathered here advances our understanding of this issue; the chapter authors have provided us with a solid foundation on which to build well-informed clinical practice, further research, and effective future policy.This informative compendium will provide insight on these important issues for students and scholars in security studies, international politics, and environmental studies.

This title includes a number of Open Access chapters. Childhood obesity is a major public health crisis nationally and internationally. This insightful compendium provides valuable information and assesses the research foundations behind several school initiatives to help combat the epidemic of obesity in children and adolescents, particularly using interventions to increase physical activity. The book looks at the issue from three levels: first, the effects of unhealthy eating and lack of exercise on a number of health outcomes in children and adolescents; second, successful small- and large-scale school-based interventions; and finally, synthesis of current literature and translation into specific guidelines and recommendations. Specific topics addressed in the book include: * The appeal and benefits of outdoor versus indoor activity * Cultural differences in physical activity * Successful interventions and their continued success, or lack of, after several years * The roles of family and community interventions * Staff involvement in children's physical activities * Specific programs, such as Plant Health, an antismoking intervention with unintended obesity intervention * Establishing healthy habits in youth This research provides schools with a strong foundation for implementing policies and practices that support healthy eating and regular physical activity. In the process, educators will be ensuring the best possible chance for increasing students' academic success, improving both physical and mental health, and decreasing the risk for myriad chronic diseases.

Food insecurity and disease are inextricably linked. The chapters in this valuable articles compendium reinforce that message by specifically linking food insecurity to various forms of chronic disease, including HIV/AIDS and obesity, as well as mental health issues. Providing a nuanced look at food insecurity and its connection to disease, the quality of the research gathered here advances our understanding of this issue; the chapter authors have provided us with a solid foundation on which to build well-informed clinical practice, further research, and effective future policy.This informative compendium will provide insight on these important issues for students and scholars in security studies, international politics, and environmental studies.

Food security and child malnutrition are at the forefront of our attention, both nationally and internationally. The chapters contained in this compendium include a range of methodologies-literature review, cross-sectional study, longitudinal study, case-control, and even a focus group!-all of which examine this urgent issue, revealing new perspectives and facets of information. The international roster of contributors present a nuanced look at food security and child malnutrition with research into food security measures in many nations around the world. The book is broken into several parts, covering defining food security food security, nutrition, and growth and development food security and mental and physical health food security and child obesity conclusion, with an information study from The Children's Healthwatch on household hardships, public programs, and their associations with the health and development of very young children The range of topics and information presented here will be valuable for those involved with food security advocacy, policymakers, researchers, social service professionals working children and families, and others.

In Pediatric Behavioral Nutrition Factors: Environment, Education, and Self-Regulation, the editor carefully selected each chapter individually to provide a nuanced look at how environment, education, and self-regulation impact pediatric nutrition. All the various factors that intertwine with and influence nutrition are not yet known, and we often assume that poor nutrition is a socioeconomic issue. This is a massive, multifaceted topic. The articles in this compendium make clear that this simplistic assumption is not accurate; they were chosen to present as accurate a total image as possible, based on recent research. The final chapters offer innovative interventions that should become the foundation for ongoing investigation.