Good Food/Bad Food
Obesity in American Children
By Allie Light, Irving Saraf, and Nancy Evans
Childhood obesity is a national epidemic: Too many children watching too much television, omnipresent ads for fast foods and high-fat snacks, vending machines in school cafeterias, busy schedules, lack of physical activity, the decline of family meals — it's a perfect recipe for overweight kids. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of seriously overweight children has doubled since 1980, and the rates of Type II diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol among children are soaring.
Good Food / Bad Food offers parents, teachers and policy makers a recipe for change. The ingredients include a better understanding of the causes and consequences of childhood obesity, and the changes in personal habits and public health policies that can prevent obesity and help overweight children achieve and maintain a healthy weight. The documentary includes scenes with children and families of different ages and cultural backgrounds, and examines the average child's diet by looking at school cafeterias, convenience stores, and fast food outlets. It presents the views of prominent researchers and clinicians dealing with childhood obesity and, most importantly, highlights school and community programs that are making positive changes for overweight children. In a clear, accessible, and often humorous way, it educates and motivates parents, teachers and policy makers to take action to protect their children's health.
31 minutes © 2005
"Highly recommended. A fine introduction to the growing problem of childhood obesity in the United States. Pediatricians, an exercise physiologist, a nutritionist, and school officials all point to the environmental factors helping to create a nation of overweight kids. Not only points out the problem, but looks at the causes and outlines some effective strategies for solving it. For library collections serving undergraduate health sciences, education, and social work programs; a good choice too for public libraries supporting community health programs."
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