OVERWEIGHT: What Kids Say

What's Really Causing the Childhood Obesity Epidemic?

By Robert Pretlow, MD -- Overweight kids are seldom heard and poorly understood. This book presents what overweight kids say about being overweight - their stories, struggles, and successes - in their own words, with commentary by the author. The source is 134,000 messages from an open-access website for overweight kids. With stunning honesty these kids share their difficult lives, their shame and secrecy, and their frustration with parents and health professionals. The degree to which these kids struggle to lose weight is staggering. A third say they turn to food when sad, angry, lonely, depressed, stressed, or bored. For most, this ‘comfort eating’ appears to be unconscious, mindless. The disaster is that they get hooked on the behavior and are unable to stop. They struggle to resist cravings for highly pleasurable foods like junk food, knowing full well the dreadful effects of weight gain, which is highly suggestive of an addictive dependence. Their success stories are an inspiration to kids just starting out. The book examines what's really causing the childhood obesity epidemic, the ‘why now,’ and what might be done about it from a treatment, prevention, and policy standpoint. New solutions for kids to lose weight are presented. (342 pages)

Robert Pretlow, MD - Interviews: Seattle Times | SF Radio | Atlanta Radio | KCTS TV

Reviews: Live Lighter | Health & Goodness | Harcombe | Healthy Moms | Diets In Review  | British Columbia Medical Journal | All About Health

 Blogs: Childhood Obesity News | Twitter Obesity Blog

Sample Pages: Back Cover | Testimonials | Contents | Forward | Parents | Professionals


The full color eBook (PDF) downloadable version is free for kids 18 & under - click here
 
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For those over 18 the black & white (interior) paperback is on sale on Amazon.com for $10.57 (US) - click here.

To write your comments about this book or see what others are saying click here.

Consider buying the book on Amazon.com and donating it to your local library. Just enter the library's address in the Amazon shipping address. For addresses of U.S. public libraries click here.  The Health & Goodness review says, "This book should be in every school library."  Consider donating it to your school library.

 For further information, contact Dr. Robert Pretlow at:
1-206-448-4414 (Seattle)