100 Questions & Answers About Your Child's Obesity

by Barton Cobert, Josiane Cobert

Overview

EMPOWER YOURSELF! Childhood obesity has become a very common condition and can often lead to serious physical and emotional complications as the child grows up. If you are the parent, caregiver, or loved one of a child who is battling obesity, 100 Questions & Answers About Your Child’s Obesity can offer help. This book is an authoritative and user-friendly guide that will enhance your knowledge of this condition and answer your questions about causes, diagnosis, treatment options, and the prognosis for children with obesity. Written by a gastroenterologist/pharmacologist and a child psychiatrist, and with contributions from actual parents of overweight children, this book is an excellent resource of learning about how to live a healthier lifestyle and to cope with the medical, emotional, and everyday aspects of childhood obesity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763778323
Publisher:	Jones & Bartlett Learning
Publication date:	01/01/2010
Edition description:	1E
Pages:	184
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Barton Lewis Cobert MD, FACP, FACG, FFPM has had a long career in the clinical practice of Gastroenterology and Internal Medicine as well as, in the pharmaceutical industry specializing in drug safety and risk management. For over a decade he was Global Head of Drug Safety (side effects) for the Schering-Plough Research Institute and held similar positions for Novartis Consumer Health Inc. He has also worked in the information technology industry at Medidata Solutions. Dr. Cobert was born in New York City and received his BA from New York University and his MD from New York University School of Medicine. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians, the American College of Gastroenterology and the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine (UK). He has written and lectured extensively both nationally and internationally on drug safety, side effects and the safe use of medications. He has written three books on drug safety including the Manual of Drug Safety and Pharmacovigilance which is used as a textbook in courses on drug safety. Dr. Cobert is president of BLCMD Associated LLC, a drug safety and pharmacovigilance consulting company in Westfield, NJ.

Josiane Cobert, MD has been head of inpatient and outpatient day child psychiatry at the Trinitas Regional Medical Center in New Jersey for over 20 years dealing with the entire spectrum of children with psychiatric problems. She has worked in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. Dr. Cobert was born in Paris, France and received her training at the Universities of Caen and Rouen. She worked in France for a decade in private practice as a general practitioner/obstetrician-gynecologist. She came to the Unit ed States in 1981 where she trained in adult and child psychiatry at the Cornell/North Shore University Medical Center in New York. She is board certified in Adult and Child Psychiatry. She is a fellow of the American College of Forensic Examiners and a member of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

Table of Contents

Introduction vii

Part 1 Definitions and Measurements 1

Questions 1-10 define what a normal weight is and how to determine whether your child is obese:

What is the "normal" weight of a person? How is it determined?

If height matters, then how do you account for height in finding a normal or healthy weight?

I heard that waist circumference is important. What does it mean if my child has a large waist size?

Part 2 Demography/Epidemiology 15

Question 11 explains the statistics of obesity in Americans:

I have heard people say that there is an "epidemic" of obesity. What does that mean? How bad is the problem in the United States?

Part 3 Causes 19

Questions 12-22 review the numerous causes for your child's significant weight gain:

My husband and I, along with our parents, are heavy. Is this a hereditary or genetic problem?

If obesity is genetic, can anything be done about it?

We have heard that if our daughter is heavy as a baby, she will never escape being heavy. Is this true?

Part 4 Problems Caused by Excess Weight 35

Questions 23-27 explain how satiety affects how much we eat, as well as outline a number of serious health risks that can occur if your child is obese:

How is satiety controlled, and what do I have to do to make my son feel full and to suppress his appetite or cravings?

What is the satiety index?

What is so bad about being fat? What health problems can excess weight cause or worsen?

Part 5 In the Doctor's Office 43

Questions 28-37 offer advice on what to expect if you seek medical attention for your child's obesity:

When should we seek medical advice for our child's weight problem?

Our daughter's weight is aproblem. We are seeing die doctor next week. What will the doctor ask?

What will the physical examination and medical assessment look for?

Part 6 Prevention 53

Question 38 discusses why it is important to take preventative measures to avoid obesity as your child grows:|31 My child is at a healthy weight now but still needs to have preventive behavior against obesity. Why?

Part 7 Treatment 55

Questions 39-100 examine numerous treatment options available to children who suffer from obesity, along with the best ways to ensure your child's excess weight will stay off:

What is an overview of the treatments available to help our daughter achieve and maintain a healthy weight?

If our daughter is in the normal range, what should we do to keep her from getting heavy?

What is involved in die dietary assessment and how is it done? What do I need to know about my daughter's eating?

Resources 135

Appendix A Dietary Guidelines for Americans 139

Appendix B Height, Weight, and BMI Percentiles for Children 161

Glossary 169

Index 177