Causes and consequences of childhood obesity

The January 2008 special issue of The Annals, published by SAGE, explores the problem of obesity in the young, providing kids, their parents and caregivers a road map for a healthier lifestyle both for them and for future generations.

From agreeing on the terminology to use, to possible public policy options, the articles in the special issue provide hope that this alarming crisis can be diffused, investigating such subjects as:

• The environment of the developing child, including the home, school and neighborhood
• Parenting styles
• Food and beverage marketing in schools and in the media
• Intervention and prevention

“Clearly we need to help the 9 million children in this country who are overweight, and we need to do it now,” writes Amy Jordan, Guest Editor, author, and director of the Media and the Developing Child sector of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. “The authors in this special issue provide a research agenda that, if implemented, will continue the interdisciplinary approach we have taken to understand the problem of childhood overweight and obesity and the collective effort we will need to solve it.”