Overweight and Obesity in Children
and Adolescents
Knowledge Path
Knowledge Path Table of Contents
- Overview
- Websites
- Additional Electronic Publications
- Databases: Data, Literature and Research, and Programs
- Electronic Newsletters and Online Discussion Groups
Please provide feedback on this knowledge path.
This knowledge path has been compiled by the MCH Library at Georgetown University. It offers a selection of current, high-quality resources about the prevention, identification, management, and treatment of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents in homes, schools, and communities. Separate sections present resources for child care settings and about the impact of media use. Separate briefs point to resources for families and schools. The knowledge path will be updated periodically.
Please note: In January 2007, the American Medical Association's Working Group on Managing Childhood Obesity released recommendations on the assessment, prevention, and treatment of child and adolescent overweight and obesity. With regard to classification, the group recommends that "(a) individuals from the ages of 2 to 18 years, with a BMI > 95th percentile for age and sex, or BMI exceeding 30 (whichever is smaller), should be considered obese; and (b) individuals with BMI > 85th percentile, but < 95th percentile for age and sex, should be considered overweight, and this term replaces "at risk of overweight." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) uses the term "overweight" to refer to children and adolescents ages 2-19 who have body mass indexes (BMIs) equal to or greater than the 95th percentile for children of the same age and gender (See CDC's Defining childhood overweight (2007)). However, the terms "overweight" and "obesity" are frequently used interchangeably in the literature to describe this group of children and adolescents. Therefore, throughout this knowledge path, both terms are used frequently following the usage of the source being described.
See the Future of Children issue, Childhood obesity (2006). This publication addresses the high and rising rates of overweight and obesity among U.S. children and adolescents, presenting evidence on the multiple causes, consequences, and methods of dealing with the growing problem. Also discussed are the roles played by the built environment, schools, child care settings, and parents; issues that are unique to ethnic minority and children and adolescents from families with low-incomes; and how health professionals are handling the health problems associated with child and adolescent obesity when prevention efforts fail.
- American
Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): Overweight and Obesity.
Contains policy statements, program and reimbursement information,
distance-learning opportunities, and other resources about overweight
and obesity prevention and treatment.
- American
Dietetic Association (ADA). Contains food and nutrition
resources on topics that include healthy eating habits and weight
management. Includes information about conferences, meetings,
and professional development and an online
directory of nutrition professionals. Initiatives include
Childhood Overweight Evidence Analysis Project. Presents evidence-based research about the factors associated with childhood overweight and the interventions that are most effective in addressing childhood overweight.
Healthy Weight for Kids Initiative. Presents information and materials about this public-education campaign.
Champions for Healthy Kids. Presents information about this program that annually awards 50 grants of $10,000 each to community-based groups that develop creative ways to help children and adolescents adopt a balanced diet and physically active lifestyle.
- American
Heart Association (AHA): Childhood Obesity. Presents
scientific statements and guidelines, statistics, journal articles,
program information, and encyclopedia entries about overweight
and obesity in children and adolescents and early onset of cardiovascular
disease.
- American
Medical Association (AMA): Obesity. Presents conference
proceedings, professional-development materials, and recommendations
about overweight and obesity in children and adolescents.
- Association
of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO): Obesity and
Wellness. Offers resources to help state program administrators
and policymakers address overweight and obesity in children,
adolescents, and adults in schools, workplaces, and communities.
Includes examples of steps states have taken to improve nutrition
and physical activity and reduce overweight and obesity.
- Association of State and Territorial
Public Health Nutrition Directors (ASTPHND). Offers news,
meeting and professional-development information, and resources
about public health nutrition. Resources about overweight and
obesity include
Moving to the Future: Tools for Planning Nutrition and Physical Activity Programs. Presents resources to develop successful community programs that promote healthy eating and physical activity. Includes instructions for conducting a community assessment, writing objectives, developing a plan, and evaluating programs; forms, surveys, and worksheets that can be adapted to a community program; and discussion forums. Includes summaries and links to state and local plans that address nutrition, physical activity, and obesity prevention.
- Body
Works: A Toolkit for Healthy Girls & Strong Women.
Offers program information and recruitment, promotion, and training
materials designed to help parents and caregivers of young adolescent
girls (ages 9-13) improve family eating and activity habits to
prevent overweight and obesity. Developed by the Department
of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Office
on Women's Health, the program uses a train-the-trainer model
to distribute the toolkit through community-based organizations,
state health agencies, nonprofit organizations, health clinics,
hospitals, and health care systems.
- Center
for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP). Contains
reports, journal articles, dietary-guidance materials, food plans,
web-based training, and symposium proceedings. CNPP is part of
the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA). Resources include
Dietary guidelines for Americans. Provides background materials and information about how to apply the guidelines, which emphasize healthy eating and physical activity to maintain a healthy weight. Links to the current Dietary guidelines for Americans, 7th ed. (2010) and accompanying material.
- Center for
Weight and Health (CWH). Contains program information,
educational materials, publications, and conference information
about overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. CWH
is located at the University of California, Berkeley.
- Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC). Contains the following
resources and initiatives about overweight and obesity in children
and adolescents:
CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Provides data about overweight and obesity in the United States, including results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Resources include
- CDC growth charts: United States (2000). Contains tools and background information for plotting the growth of infants, children, and adolescents through age 20. CDC and the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) developed two sets of self-directed, interactive training modules for health professionals using the pediatric growth charts in clinical and public health settings. Topics for one set of modules include background information about the rationale for changes in the revised charts; using and interpreting the BMI-for-age charts; and recommendations to screen, assess, and manage overweight in children and adolescents. Topics for the second set of modules include accurate measuring (equipment and technique) and using the growth charts with various populations, such as adolescents and children with special health care needs.
CDC's Nutrition and Physical Activity Program: Childhood Overweight. Defines childhood overweight and describes the prevalence of overweight in children and adolescents, the factors associated with overweight, and related health consequences. Presents information about the BMI and links to the BMI calculator for children and adolescents. Also presents information about state-based nutrition and physical activity programs to prevent obesity and other chronic diseases and provides results from the Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System (PedNSS).
- Childhood
Obesity: Assessment, Prevention, and Treatment. Presents
an online curriculum about overweight and obesity in children
and adolescents for health professionals who work with women,
infants, children, and adolescents. The curriculum is presented
by the Leadership, Education
and Training (LET) Program in Maternal and Child Nutrition at
the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, with funding
from the Maternal and Child
Health Bureau (MCHB). Also see LET's Guidelines
for adolescent nutrition services (2005) and the chapter, Overweight
adolescent.
- Children's
Health Fund (CHF). Presents health-education
materials about nutrition, physical activity, and weight
management that are available in English and Spanish and produced
in accordance with low-literacy writing and design conventions.
Also offers journal articles, white papers, and other academic
publications on health topics that include overweight and obesity
in children and adolescents. CHF is committed to providing health
care to the nation's most medically underserved children and
their families.
- Children's
Nutrition Research Center (CNRC). Presents research and
training information, articles, an interactive healthy
eating calculator, and an electronic newsletter on
nutrition topics that include overweight and obesity in children
and adolescents. CNRC is a cooperative venture between the Baylor
College of Medicine, Texas Children's Hospital, and the Agricultural
Research Service (ARS).
- Economic
Research Service (ERS). Contains economic information
and research on topics that include overweight and obesity. ERS
is part of the U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA).
- Food
and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC). Provides databases and resource
lists with links to reports, policy statements, websites, electronic
discussion groups, and other information tools on a wide
range of food and nutrition topics for health and education professionals.
Presents a selection of resources about adolescent
and childhood obesity. FNIC is part of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA).
- Healthy
People 2020. Information about this national health-promotion
and disease-prevention initiative of the Department
of Health and Human Services. View the overview, objectives,
and recommended interventions and resources for nutrition
and weight status.
- Institute
of Medicine (IOM): Childhood Obesity Prevention. Presents
information about the activities of this committee, which is
composed of national leaders in public health, public policy,
medicine, nutrition, physical activity, pediatrics, obesity prevention,
social and behavioral sciences, biostatistics, and epidemiology
to serve as a focal point for national and state-level policy
discussions about childhood obesity prevention. The Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation is the sponsor for the committee.
Reports include
Preventing childhood obesity: Health in the balance. (2004). This congressionally mandated study examines the nature, extent, and consequences of obesity in U.S. children and adolescents, including the social, environmental, and dietary factors responsible for its increased prevalence. The report also recommends specific actions for families, schools, industry, communities, and government to prevent obesity and promote a healthy weight. A report brief and fact sheet series accompany the report.
Progress in preventing childhood obesity: How do we measure up? (2006). This report examines the progress made by obesity-prevention initiatives in the United States from 2004 to 2006. A report brief and fact sheets accompany the report.
Also see a related IOM workshop summary, Joint U.S.-Mexico Workshop on Preventing Obesity in Children and Youth of Mexican Origin. (2007).
- Interdisciplinary
Leadership Training in Overweight Prevention and Intervention
for Children with Special Health Care Needs. Presents
an online continuing education course about overweight prevention
and intervention among children with special health care needs
for health and education professionals. This course is presented
by the Boling
Center for Developmental Disabilities at the University of
Tennessee with funding from the Maternal
and Child Health Bureau (MCHB).
- Maternal
and Child Health Training Program: Nutrition Grantees Collaborative
Web Site. Offers information about eight university-based
maternal and child health (MCH) nutrition training programs.
Presents information about grantee resources, meetings and conferences,
and position announcements. A collection of resources focuses
on pediatric obesity assessment, prevention, and intervention.
The training program is part of the Maternal
and Child Health Bureau (MCHB).
- National
Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD).
Offers program summaries and links to resources to help states
promote collaboration between the public and private sectors
to make communities, workplaces, and schools healthier through
obesity prevention and wellness promotion. NACDD provides a national
forum focused on efforts to reduce the impact of chronic diseases
and their risk factors on states and communities nationwide.
- National
Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP): Healthy
Eating and Activity Together (HEAT). Presents an evidence-based
clinical practice guideline and resource kit for this initiative
to improve child health through culturally appropriate and strength-based
interventions that build the family's ability to achieve the
ideal balance between nutrition and physical activity to support
optimal growth and wellness and prevent childhood overweight.
- National
Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality (NICHQ): Childhood
Obesity. Presents a wealth of resources for improving
the quality of care given by health professionals for the prevention
of overweight in children and adolescents and the identification
and management of children and adolescents who are overweight
or at risk for overweight. NICHQ is dedicated to improving the
quality of health care provided to children and adolescents.
Initiatives and resources include
Childhood Obesity Action Network (COAN). Presents meeting information and materials for this network of health professionals formed to share knowledge and successful practices to accelerate improvement in the prevention and treatment of child and adolescent overweight and obesity.
- National Institute for Health
Care Management Foundation (NIHCM). Contains program
information and materials about public and private health care
initiatives to combat child and adolescent overweight and obesity.
NIHCM conducts research, policy analysis, and educational activities
on a range of health care issues and fosters dialogue between
the private health care industry and government to find workable
solutions to health-system problems.
- Obesity Society.
Provides continuing education resources, journal articles, position
statements, fact sheets and other materials to promote research,
education, and advocacy to better understand, prevent, and treat
obesity.
- Office
of the Surgeon General: Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease
Overweight and Obesity. Presents a report, press
releases, fact sheets, and links to related websites about the
prevalence of overweight and obesity among all age groups in
the United States, the threat overweight and obesity poses to
health, and actions that individuals at all levels of government
and in the private sector can take to address the problem in
their communities. The initiative, Healthy
Youth for a Healthy Future, targets overweight and obesity
prevention and promotes healthy lifestyles for children and adolescents. The
Surgeon General’s vision for a healthy and fit nation (2010)
describes the epidemic of overweight and obesity among children,
adolescents, and adults in the United States and presents recommendations
to address the problem through better nutrition and regular physical
activity in communities, homes, child care settings, schools,
work sites, and medical communities.
- Public
Health Nutrition for the 21st Century. Presents
six online modules about public health nutrition practice, placing
particular emphasis on addressing Healthy People
2010 objectives relevant to MCH and nutrition. One module
addresses obesity among children and adults. The program is produced
by the University of North
Carolina School of Public Health.
- RAND
Corporation: Obesity in America. Presents research and
commentary about the problem of overweight and obesity among
all populations in the United States. Examines aspects of the
problem, such as neighborhood characteristics, food prices, food
industry marketing, physical education instruction, health consequences,
and academic performance. RAND is a nonprofit organization that
conducts research and analysis on challenges facing the public,
including health and health care.
- Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF): Childhood Obesity. Offers
research and program information, data, program evaluations,
project reports, and news summaries from RWJF and its grantees
about preventing overweight and obesity among children and adolescents. Also see the RWJF-supported Childhood Obesity Prevention
Committee.
- Weight-Control
Information Network (WIN). Offers publications and
research information about nutrition, physical activity, and
overweight and obesity. Publications are available in English
and Spanish. WIN is an information service of the National
Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
Additional Electronic Publications
- Cawley J, Liu F. 2007. Maternal
employment and childhood obesity: A search for mechanisms in time
use data. Ann Arbor, MI: National
Poverty Center. This paper examines the mechanisms for the
correlation between maternal employment and an increased risk of
childhood obesity.
- Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS). 2008. 2008
physical activity guidelines for Americans. Washington, DC:
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). This set of materials
provides science-based guidance to help Americans ages 6 and older
improve their health through participation in appropriate physical
activity. Recommendations are provided for groups such as children
and adolescents, adults, older adults, pregnant and postpartum
women, and individuals with special health care needs. Materials
are available for health professionals, policymakers, adults, organizations,
and communities.
- Donahue EH, Grisso JA, Orleans CT,
Paxson C. 2006. Childhood
obesity. Princeton, NJ: Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International
Affairs; Washington, DC: Brookings
Institution. (The future of children; v. 16, no. 1; spring 2006).
This publication addresses the high and rising rates of overweight
and obesity among U.S. children, presenting evidence on the multiple
causes, consequences, and methods of dealing with the growing problem.
Also discussed are the roles played by the built environment, schools,
child care settings, and parents. A policy brief, Fighting
obesity in the public schools (2006), accompanies the publication.
A webcast to
examine federal, state, and local initiatives to address childhood
obesity was held in conjunction with the publication's release.
- Garasky S, Stewart SD, Gundersen C, Lohman BJ, Eisenmann JC. 2008. Food
insecurity, economic stressors, and childhood overweight. Ann
Arbor, MI: National Poverty Center.
This paper examines whether economic stressors and food insecurity
influence childhood overweight.
- Government Accountability Office (GAO).
2006. Childhood
obesity: Factors affecting physical activity. Washington, DC:
Government Accountability Office. This briefing presents findings
from a literature review to identify factors affecting rates of physical
activity for children and adolescents. The factors presented in the
articles are discussed in three groups: (1) demographic factors,
(2) cognitive and behavioral factors, and (3) community factors.
- Guyer B, Ma S, Grason H, Frick K, Perry D, Wigton A, McIntosh J.
2008. Investments
to promote children's health: A systematic literature review and
economic analysis of interventions in the preschool period. Baltimore,
MD: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School
of Public Health. This paper examines research on short- and
long-term economic and health impacts of health-promotion and disease-prevention
interventions on four health problems of particular concern for infants
and children from birth to age 5, as well as during the prenatal
period. One of the health problems addressed is obesity. An issue
brief presents highlights of the report.
- Liu J, Bennett KJ, Harun N, Zheng X, Probst JC, Pate RR. 2007. Overweight
and physical inactivity among rural children aged 10-17: A national
and state portrait. Columbia, SC: South
Carolina Rural Health Research Center. This report examines
the prevalence of overweight and obesity among rural children and
adolescents ages 10-17 as compared to children living in urban
areas. The report also presents information about behaviors that
influence weight.
- Maeshiro R. 2007. Prevention
and treatment of overweight and obesity: Medical school objectives
project. Washington, DC: Association
of American Medical Colleges. This report contains expert recommendations
on the learning objectives and educational experiences needed in
medical school curricula to better address overweight and obesity
prevention and treatment.
- Marder W, Chang S. 2006. Childhood
obesity: Costs, treatment patterns, disparities in care, and prevalent
medical conditions. Ann Arbor, MI: Thomson
Medstat. This research brief presents key findings from an
analysis of data on the prevalence, cost, and treatment of obesity
among children covered by Medicaid compared to those covered by
private health insurance.
- Maternal
and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). 2006. Overweight
and physical activity among children: A portrait of states and
the nation 2005. Rockville, MD: Maternal and Child Health Bureau.
This chartbook presents national- and state-level data on the prevalence
of overweight in children and adolescents (ages 10-17) within the
context of family structure, poverty level, parental health and
habits, and community surroundings.
- Mathieson A, Koller T. 2006. Addressing
the socioeconomic determinants of healthy eating habits and physical
activity levels among adolescents. Copenhagen, Denmark: World
Health Organization Regional Office for Europe. This report
highlights case studies and survey data from the Health Behaviour
in School-Aged Children study presented at a forum about adolescent
overweight and obesity in Europe. The report also summarizes the
forum's main conclusions on what the issues are and how policymakers
can tackle them.
- McPhillips-Tangum C, Torghele K, Saarlas K, Renahan-White A. 2006. Assessment
of childhood obesity information needs: Findings from stakeholder
interviews. Decatur, GA: Public
Health Informatics Institute. This document reports on an effort
to identify and assess stakeholder information needs related to
childhood-obesity programs and activities conducted by stakeholders
in the federal government, state government, and education; parents
and families; health professionals and organizations; industry;
media; community and nonprofit organizations; and researchers.
- Monheit AC, Vistnes JP, Rogowski JA. 2007. Overweight
in adolescents: Implications for health expenditures. Cambridge,
MA: National Bureau of Economic Research.
This paper examines factors that contribute to the variation in
adolescent body weight, the likelihood of being overweight, and
whether overweight adolescents incur greater health care expenditures
compared to those of normal weight.
- Mulheron J, Vonasek K. 2009. Shaping a Healthier Generation: Successful State Strategies to Prevent Childhood
Obesity. Washington, DC: NGA Center for Best Practices. This report presents strategies to governors and other policymakers for developing children’s health policies that prevent obesity and advance the well-being of families.
- Patrick K, Spear B, Holt K, Sofka D, eds. 2001. Bright
Futures in practice: Physical activity. Arlington, VA: National
Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health (NCEMCH).
This book presents physical activity guidelines and tools emphasizing
health promotion, disease prevention, and early recognition of
physical activity issues and concerns related to infants, children,
and adolescents. A chapter is devoted to obesity.
- Story M, Holt K, Sofka D, eds. 2002. Bright
Futures in practice: Nutrition, 2nd ed. Arlington, VA: National
Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health (NCEMCH).
This book presents nutrition guidelines and tools emphasizing health
promotion, disease prevention, and early recognition of nutrition
issues and concerns related to infants, children, and adolescents.
A chapter is devoted to obesity. Bright
Futures in practice: Nutrition pocket guide (2002) is a quick
reference tool for the comprehensive nutrition practice guide.
The pocket guide highlights key aspects of each developmental period
and includes tools such as indicators of nutrition risk and tips
for promoting food safety. Also see Bright
Futures nutrition: Family fact sheets (2002).
- U.S. Preventive
Services Task Force (USPSTF). 2010. Screening
for obesity in children and adolescents. Rockville, MD: Agency
for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). This statement
recommends that doctors screen children aged six years and older
for obesity and offer or refer them to counseling and behavioral
interventions to promote improvements in weight gain status. Supporting
documents accompany the recommendation.
- Wall Street Journal Online, Harris
Interactive. 2007. WSJ.com/Harris
Interactive survey finds that most adults believe parents, schools
and food industry can make differences in battling childhood obesity.
Rochester, NY: Harris Interactive. This press release presents
results of an online survey of U.S. adults conducted by Harris
Interactive in August 2007 for The Wall Street Journal Online's
Health Industry Edition.
- White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity. 2010. Solving
the Problem of Childhood Obesity Within a Generation: Report to
the President. Washington, DC: Executive Office of the President
of the United States. This report describes the problem of child
and adolescent obesity, recommends steps to address the problem,
and outlines benchmarks of success. Recommendations focus on the
early childhood period, empowering parents and caregivers, providing
healthy food in schools, improving access to healthy, affordable
foods, and increasing physical activity.
- Whitlock EP, O'Connor EA, Williams SB, Beil TL, Lutz KW. 2008. Effectiveness
of weight management programs in children and adolescents.
Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality (AHRQ). This report examines the effectiveness
and safety of behavioral, pharmacological, and surgical treatments
for children and adolescents (ages 2-18) who are overweight or
obese.
- Wilensky S, Whittington R, Rosenbaum S. 2006. Strategies
for improving access to comprehensive obesity prevention and treatment
services for Medicaid-enrolled children. Washington, DC: George
Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services.
This policy brief examines the extent to which state programs use
the Medicaid Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment
(EPSDT) benefit to address and finance obesity-related services
that advance best-practice standards in obesity prevention, treatment,
and management in children and adolescents.
The databases listed below are excellent tools for identifying data, additional literature and research, and programs about overweight and obesity in children and adolescents, including incidence of overweight and obesity, prevention, current research on treatment options, and weight-loss programs. Many of the entries below contain tips on how to use the databases efficiently. Please note that databases vary in how terms should be entered; for example, some require quotation marks and others don't. Enter search phrases as shown in bold below.
- Child
Trends DataBank. Reports on national trends and research
on over 80 key indicators of child and adolescent well-being,
and offers information about the types of programs and interventions
that may influence particular outcomes. Child Trends is a nonprofit,
nonpartisan research organization providing research and data
to inform decision-making that affects children and adolescents.
- National
Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Provides
data sets, survey results, data briefs, and other documentation
about the health and nutrition of the U.S. population. NHANES
is a product of the National
Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
- Pediatric
Nutrition Surveillance System (PedNSS). Monitors the
nutritional status of children from birth to age 5 who are enrolled
in federally funded MCH programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition
Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), EPSDT, the Title
V Maternal and Child Health Program, and Head Start. Data on
birthweight, short stature, underweight, overweight, anemia,
and breastfeeding are collected for children who visit public
health clinics for routine care, nutrition education, and supplemental
foods. PedNSS is administered by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Title
V Information System (Title V IS). Contains data from
annual Title V Block Grant applications and reports submitted
by all 59 U.S. states and jurisdictions. To learn about states'
efforts to address overweight and obesity in children and adolescents,
conduct two searches. Select Measurement and Indicator Data and
go to the State Data section. First, select State Priority Needs
Keyword Search and choose Keyword: Obesity and Population: Children
(1 through 21). Click on Start Search to get your results. Next,
go to Measurement and Indicator Data and select State Performance
Measures. Click on Search by Keyword/Population. Select Keyword:
Obesity and Population: Children (1 through 21). Click on Start
Search to get your results. Title V IS is a service of the Maternal
and Child Health Bureau (MCHB).
- Youth
Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS): Youth Online.
Provides comprehensive results from the YRBSS that can be viewed
by location (United States, state/territory, or local) and health
topic. Choose Dietary Behaviors and select a category under Weight
to view data about overweight and obesity in children and adolescents.
Categories can be compared online. Youth Online is a service
of CDC's Division of Adolescent and School Health
(DASH).
- Also see the National Center for Health Statistics
(NCHS).
- AGRICOLA
(AGRICultural OnLine Access). Contains bibliographic
information for agricultural literature including many child
and adolescent nutrition publications from the USDA's Food and
Nutrition Service; state child nutrition agencies; Nutrition
Education and Training Program products; Team Nutrition grantees;
cooperative extension program materials; and materials from associations,
universities, and the private sector. AGRICOLA is organized into
two data sets (books and journal articles). To identify books
and articles on the topic, click on Keyword Search. Enter the
terms, children adolescents and select
"any of these" and "Subject"
in the two fields to the right. Click "And". In the next row, enter obesity
overweight. Click on "Set Limits" to narrow your search (e.g.,
add a publication date limit). Use the thesaurus to
identify additional search terms for this search or related searches.
AGRICOLA is a service of the National
Agricultural Library (NAL).
- ClinicalTrials.gov.
Provides access to information about clinical research studies for
a wide range of conditions, including overweight and obesity in children
and adolescents. Included are a summary of the purpose of the study,
recruiting status, criteria for patient participation, location of
the trial, and contact information. To identify studies, select Advanced
Search. Under Targeted Search, Conditions, enter obesity OR
overweight. Scroll to Age Group and select Child (birth-17).
Click on Search to get your results. ClinicalTrials.gov is a service
of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and is developed by the
National Library of Medicine (NLM).
- Cochrane
Database of Systematic Reviews. Presents systematic reviews
of the effects of health care interventions internationally.
Search for abstracts of the reviews by entering overweight
OR obesity in the search box. Click on Search Reviews to
get your results. Access to the full-text article requires a
subscription. The database is published by the Cochrane
Collaboration, an international not-for-profit organization
based in the United Kingdom.
- Database
of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE). Contains summaries
of systematic reviews that have met strict quality criteria.
Included reviews must be about the effects of interventions.
Each summary also provides a critical commentary on the quality
of the review. The database covers a broad range of health topics.
To identify summaries, type (overweight OR obesity) AND (child
OR adolescent) in the search box. Click on Go to get
your results. DARE is produced and maintained by the Centre
for Reviews and Dissemination at the University of York.
- Food
and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC) Databases. Presents
a collection of databases about evaluated food and nutrition
education and training materials and research. Databases with
materials about overweight and obesity in children and adolescents
are
Healthy Meals Resource System Education and Training Materials Database. Search by keywords (separately): Overweight, Obesity.
SNAP-Ed Connection Resource Finder Database. Search the database by subject: Weight Control.
WIC Works Education and Training Materials Database. Search the database by topic: Childhood Overweight/Obesity.
- MCH Library at the National
Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health (NCEMCH),
Georgetown University. Maintains several databases to collect,
manage, and disseminate knowledge about MCH, with special emphasis
on knowledge gained from initiatives and programs supported by
the Maternal and Child Health
Bureau (MCHB). The library's bibliographic database is
MCHLine®. To identify library materials on the topic, type obesity in the keyword field of the database search form. To narrow your search, enter a publication date (single year or range of years).
The MCH Library also offers organizations and programs databases.
- National
Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC). Contains evidence-based
clinical practice guidelines and related materials for health
professionals. Identify guidelines by selecting Detailed Search
in the Search box. Enter obesity OR overweight in the
Keyword field. Scroll down on the search form to select Age of
Target Population (e.g., Adolescent, Child, Infant). Hold down
the control key (ctrl) or Apple command key and click your mouse
to make multiple selections. The database is an initiative of
the Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality (AHRQ).
- PubMed.
Contains over 20 million citations for biomedical articles from MEDLINE
and life science journals. Citations may include links to full-text
articles from PubMed Central or publisher websites. To identify
citations on the topic, enter the terms overweight OR obesity in
the search box. Click on Limits and make the following selections
on the page: select a date (e.g. Published in the last 2 years);
click on Languages: English; click on Species: Humans; click on Ages:
All Child; and select Search Field Tags: MeSH Major Topic. Click
on Search to get your results. To narrow your search further or for
additional searches, use the MeSH
(Medical Subject Headings) database to identify terms (e.g., (overweight
OR obesity) and diabetes mellitus). PubMed is a service of the National
Library of Medicine (NLM).
- Also see the Center
on Media and Child Health (CMCH).
- Discretionary
Grant Information System (DGIS). Contains information
about grants issued by the Maternal
and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), including grants to address
overweight and obesity in the MCH population. To identify these
projects, click on Abstracts, enter overweight obesity in
the Search Word or Phrase field, click on Any of the words, and
click on Search to get your results.
- Health Services Research
Projects in Progress (HSRProj). Provides information
about ongoing health services research and public health projects.
To identify projects on the topic, enter the search phrase (overweight
OR obesity) AND (child OR adolescent). Click on Search to
get your results. HSRProj is funded by the National
Library of Medicine (NLM).
- MCH Library at the National
Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health (NCEMCH),
Georgetown University. Maintains two databases to identify organizations
and programs working to prevent and treat overweight and obesity
in children and adolescents:
MCH Organizations Database. Lists over 2,000 government, professional, and voluntary organizations involved in MCH activities, primarily at a national level. To identify organizations type obesity in the keyword field of the database search form. Click on Search MCH Organizations to get your results.
MCH Projects Database. Comprises an online catalog of projects funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) through October 1, 2002. MCHB funded several projects about overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. To identify them, go to the database search form. Type obesity in the Abstract field. Also see MCHB's Discretionary Grant Information System (DGIS).
- Nutrition,
Physical Activity and Obesity State Legislative Database.
Contains summaries of state legislative bills related to nutrition,
physical activity, and obesity from 2001 to the present. Select Obesity/Overweight in
the topic field. Links are provided to each state legislature
site where the full-text version of the bill is available. This
database is presented by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Shaping
America's Youth (SAY) Program Registry. Includes information
on intervention programs throughout the United States that are
working to improve nutrition and physical activity in children
and adolescents. Search by program name, keyword, organization,
state, and category (e.g., Program target age: children, ages
5-12). SAY is a national joint public- and private-sector initiative
to identify and centralize efforts currently under way across
the United States to reverse the rapidly increasing prevalence
of overweight and inactivity among children and adolescents.
Electronic Newsletters and Online Discussion Groups
- Children's
Nutrition Research Center (CNRC): Nutrition and Your Child.
This quarterly electronic newsletter offers research-based information
to those interested in the nutritional care and feeding of infants,
children, and adolescents. Topics include overweight and obesity.
- Food
and Nutrition Information Center: Listservs and Blogs.
This annotated list links to electronic discussion groups and
blogs about healthy eating and physical activity in a variety
of settings.
- See the MCH Library family resource brief Overweight and Obesity in Kids and Teens.
Resources for Schools
- See the MCH Library school resource brief Overweight and Obesity.
- FitSource:
A Web Directory for Providers. Presents a set of links
to resources for child care and after-school program professionals
to help them incorporate physical activity and nutrition into
their programs. Resources include activities, lesson plans, healthy
recipes, information for parents, and other downloadable tools.
FitSource is presented by the National
Child Care Information Center (NCCIC).
- Healthy Eating
Research. 2007. Promoting
good nutrition and physical activity in child-care settings.
Minneapolis, MN: Healthy Eating Research. This brief presents an
overview of research that examines the nutritional quality of meals
and snacks, opportunities for physical activity, and the outcomes
of interventions designed to prevent overweight and obesity in
child care settings.
- See the publication, Childhood obesity (2006),
which contains the article, The
role of child care settings in obesity prevention.
- Center
on Media and Child Health (CMCH). Offers an online database of
research articles examining the relationship between media exposure
and health-risk behaviors, including overweight and obesity.
To identify articles on the topic, type overweight obesity in
the Words field. Click on OR in the field to the right. Narrow
your search by adding a publication date and age group. CMCH
is a joint project of Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical
School, and the Harvard School of Public Health.
- Media-Smart Youth:
Eat, Think, and Be Active! Offers a web-based health-promotion
program designed to help young adolescents (ages 11 to 13) become
aware of how media may influence their nutrition and physical
activity choices. This program was developed by the National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
- National
Institute on Media and the Family: Switch. Presents
information about this family-based program that helps parents
and kids get active, manage screen time, and chose nutritious
foods. The institute is a nonprofit organization founded by David
Walsh, Ph.D., a psychologist, educator, family therapist, and
author concerned about the impact of media on children.
- Chester J, Montgomery K. 2007. Interactive
food and beverage marketing: Targeting children and youth in the
digital age. Berkeley, CA: Berkeley
Media Studies Group. This report focuses on how advertising
that promotes foods high in calories and low in nutrient content
to young people contributes to the increasing incidence of childhood
and adolescent obesity. The report outlines the problem, discusses
different types of marketing strategies used to engage children
and adolescents, and provides suggestions for creating a healthy
media environment for the 21st century.
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Department
of Health and Human Services (DHHS). 2006. Perspectives
on marketing, self-regulation, and childhood obesity. Washington,
DC: Federal Trade Commission. This document reports on a workshop
about what the private sector can and should do to help decrease
childhood overweight and obesity. The workshop reviewed current
food-marketing practices and examined the actions that the food
industry and media are taking to create and market healthier foods
to children and to encourage positive changes in children's diets
and health.
- McGinnis JM, Gootman JA, Kraak VI, eds. 2006. Food
marketing to children and youth: Threat or opportunity? Washington,
DC: National Academies Press.
This report reviews research on food marketing and American children.
The report concludes that television advertising significantly
influences the food choices and purchases of children under 12
and that it is associated with increased rates of obesity among
young people. The authors call on the food industry to work voluntarily
with the federal government to promote a healthier diet for children.
- Also see the food marketing
to children section in the knowledge path, Nutrition
in Children and Adolescents.
- Also see the Center for
Weight and Health (CWH) report, Focusing
on TV: Obesity prevention for
"tween-age"
girls. (2007).
- Community Services Locator: An Online Directory for Finding Community Services for Children and Families knowledge path
- Nutrition in Children and Adolescents knowledge path, family resource brief, school resource brief
- Physical Activity and Children and Adolescents knowledge path, family resource brief, school resource brief
- Sleep in Infants, Children, Adolescents, and Pregnant Women knowledge path, family resource brief, school resource brief
Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescents: Knowledge Path,
3rd ed. (July 2008). (Updated: October 2011).
Author: Susan Brune Lorenzo, M.L.S., MCH Library.
Reviewers: Lacey Arneson, Leadership Education and Training Program
in MCH Nutrition at the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health;
Rachel Bowers, Leadership Education and Training Program in MCH Nutrition
at the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health; Meredith Bruening,
R.D., Leadership Education and Training Program in MCH Nutrition at
the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health; Stephanie Heim,
Leadership Education and Training Program in MCH Nutrition at the University
of Minnesota, School of Public Health; Olivia Pickett, M.A., M.L.S.,
MCH Library; Jane Mitchell Rees, Ph.D., R.D.,
C.D., Maternal Child Health Program and Adolescent Medicine Section
at the University of Washington School of Public Health and Community
Medicine; Elizabeth Reisdorf, R.D., Leadership Education and Training
Program in MCH Nutrition at the University of Minnesota, School of
Public Health; Jamie Stang, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., University of Minnesota,
School of Public Health.
Editor: Ruth Barzel, M.A., MCH Library.
