The Childhood Obesity Epidemic Why Are Our Children Obese—And What Can We Do About It?

Introduction

Part I: Prevalence

A Multilevel Approach to Estimating Small Area Childhood Obesity Prevalence at the Census Block-Group Level; Xingyou Zhang, Stephen Onufrak, James B. Holt, and Janet B. Croft

Unexpected Plateauing of Childhood Obesity Rates in Developed Countries; Martin Wabitsch, Anja Moss, and Katrin Kromeyer-Hauschild

Prevalence, Disparities, and Trends in Obesity and Severe Obesity Among Students in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, School District, 2006–2010; Jessica M. Robbins, Giridhar Mallya, Marcia Polansky, and Donald F. Schwarz

Physical Activity, Screen Time and Obesity Status in a Nationally Representative Sample of Maltese Youth with International Comparisons; Andrew Decelis, Russell Jago, and Kenneth R. Fox

Impulsivity, "Advergames," and Food Intake; Frans Folkvord, Doeschka J. Anschütz, Chantal Nederkoorn, Henk Westerik, and Moniek Buijzen

Assessing Causality in the Association between Child Adiposity and Physical Activity Levels: A Mendelian Randomization Analysis; Rebecca C. Richmond, George Davey Smith, Andy R. Ness, Marcel den Hoed, George McMahon, and Nicholas J. Timpson

Associations Between Eating Frequency, Adiposity, Diet, and Activity in 9–10-Year-Old Healthy-Weight and Centrally Obese Children; Amy Jennings, Aedín Cassidy, Esther M.F. van Sluijs, Simon J. Griffin, and Ailsa A. Welch

Role of Developmental Overnutrition in Pediatric Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes; Dana Dabelea and Curtis S. Harrod

Protecting Children from Harmful Food Marketing: Options for Local Government to Make a Difference; Jennifer L. Harris and Samantha K. Graff

Life Course Impact of School-Based Promotion of Healthy Eating and Active Living to Prevent Childhood Obesity; Bach Xuan Tran, Arto Ohinmaa, Stefan Kuhle, Jeffrey A. Johnson, and Paul J. Veugelers

Modeling Social Transmission Dynamics of Unhealthy Behaviors for Evaluating Prevention and Treatment Interventions on Childhood Obesity; Leah M. Frerichs, Ozgur M. Araz, and Terry T–K Huang

Effects of an Intervention Aimed at Reducing the Intake of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages in Primary School Children: A Controlled Trial; Vivian M. van de Gaar, Wilma Jansen, Amy van Grieken, Gerard J.J.M. Borsboom, Stef Kremers, and Hein Raat

Listening to the Experts: Is There a Place for Food Taxation in the Fight Against Obesity in Early Childhood?; Erin Pitt, Elizabeth Kendall, Andrew P. Hills, and Tracy Comans

The Costs and Cost-Effectiveness of a School-Based Comprehensive Intervention Study on Childhood Obesity in China; Liping Meng, Haiquan Xu, Ailing Liu, Joop van Raaij, Wanda Bemelmans, Xiaoqi Hu, Qian Zhang, Songming Du, Hongyun Fang, Jun Ma, Guifa Xu, Ying Li, Hongwei Guo, Lin Du, and Guansheng Ma

Index

Biography

Peter D. Vash, MD, MPH, FACE, assistant clinical professor of medicine at UCLA Medical Center and Fellow of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, is a board-certified internist specializing in endocrinology and metabolism and a Diplomat in Obesity Medicine. He is the past president of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians and served on the board of the North American Society for the Study of Obesity (NASSO). Dr. Vash works in private practice with patients suffering from obesity and eating disorders and has lectured extensively nationally and internationally on the medical management and treatment of obesity. He has been an invited expert witness to speak before a U.S. Senate subcommittee and the FTC concerning medical weight-loss issues and the safety and impact of commercial weight-loss programs. He has written four books: The Fat to Muscle Diet, The Dieter’s Dictionary, A Matter of Fat: A Physician’s Program, and Lose It and Keep It Off. He has served on the board of Shape Magazine, writing numerous articles regarding health, fitness, and weight problems. Dr. Vash has worked closely in consultation with the media (TV, radio, print), aiding them with information and explanations of issues regarding obesity and eating disorders. He is currently the executive medical director of the Lindora Medical Clinics, the largest and oldest medical weight-loss clinic in Southern California.