Overcoming Obesity in Childhood and Adolescence
A Guide for School Leaders
- Donald Schumacher, MD - Center for Nutrition and Preventive Medicine, Charlotte, NC
- J. Allen Queen
This clear, authoritative overview by an educator and a physician helps principals navigate their way through many contradictory recommendations confronting them The authors provide a targeted discussion of the 'do's,' 'don'ts,' and 'can'ts' that school leaders need to know when creating and implementing new school policies for wellness, nutrition, fitness, and health. Student surveys and annotated guides to the best research accompany core chapters on:
- Dealing with childhood obesity in schools and society
- Facilitating the principal's role as agent of change
- Understanding the barriers that interfere with change
- Developing school action plans for wellness, fitness, and stress reduction
Principals will find Overcoming Obesity in Childhood and Adolescence a timely resource for understanding and evaluating the challenges inherent in dealing with this growing health issue in schools and society.
"The book tackles a major health problem that is significant to our educational system. It provides considerable evidence to support childhood obesity as a problem of interest for our nation."
"The book provides a good background history of how the shifts in education policy have changed over the past 80-something years and have developed a sedentary society. It demonstrates the challenges that principals face today."
"The book makes a distinct contribution to the field because of the timeliness of the subject matter, the severity and demands of the issue, and the need for more resources addressing this subject."
"This concise and comprehensive text provides an outstanding game plan at the tactical and operational levels for motivated building principals."
"The authors present principals with a strategy guide for tackling the obesity epidemic within the school walls. A valuable first step for school administrators wondering how to begin improving the health of their students."
"Schumacher and Queen's book fits very nicely with the kind of curricular and programmatic resources available to school personnel regarding the treatment and prevention of overweight and obesity. The authors did a good job at making medical information accessible to someone who might lack expertise in that area."