Understanding Childhood Obesity (eBook)

Asthma affects 21.5 million Americans, and that number is on the rise. With over a third of its sufferers under the age of 21, this lung affliction has become the most prevalent chronic disease among children, and the third most prevalent in the general population. In 1997, over five thousand Americans died of asthma attacks.

This rise poses a paradox almost as mystifying to physicians as the onset of an attack can be to the asthma sufferer. Doctors have made impressive advances in therapeutic treatment and vastly forwarded our knowledge of how the disease strikes the lungs. Why, then, is the number of victims growing?

Noting that understanding and education are key to halting this rise, Dr. Phil Lieberman has written Understanding Asthma for families of asthma victims and for the individual sufferer. His subjects of special focus include the lungs of an asthmatic, allergies which trigger the disease, and measures used to control asthma.

Featured are:

• A complete appendix of resource organizations with postal and e-mail addresses and phone numbers.
• A comprehensive examination of how the disease affects the lungs.
• A description of the tools the physician uses to diagnose and treat asthma.
• A thorough review and classification of current treatments.
• An insight into current research and the future of treatment and management.

Phil Lieberman is Clinical Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics in the Divisions of Allergy and Immunology at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. He also practices privately at Allergy and Asthma Care in Memphis.

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Almost fourteen percent of American children over age six and twelve percent of adolescents are obese, more than double the rate of thirty years ago. Although there are countless diet and weight loss books on the market, few of them explain in jargon-free terms the basic factors, the body processes that can lead to childhood obesity, and the research currently underway to combat this growing health risk. In Understanding Childhood Obesity, Dr. J. Clinton Smith has created a comprehensive guide covering nearly every field of obesity research. He explores causes and methods of control, the body's physical and chemical make-up, prevention strategies, new treatments and behavior modifications, and future research possibilities. Smith closely examines the genetic and environmental factors that can lead to childhood obesity. For parents, he answers the all-important question of whether an obese child needs help, and he outlines traditional diet and exercise treatments as well as aggressive medical and surgical techniques. He also introduces readers to the "e;continuous care and problem-solving model"e; that has proved valuable in pediatric treatment clinics. Featured are: An explanation of how obesity is identified by using a child's height and weight. A frank discussion of the health consequences of obesity. A review of how the body breaks down food for energy and how and why the body stores energy. An examination of the powerful environmental factors affecting childhood weight gain. A thorough gathering of the treatments and research, and a view of exciting new discoveries in genetics and body chemistry.