The condition for obesity or being overweight is described as an excessive accumulation of fat in the body or an increase in weight beyond that considered desirable with regard to age, height, and bone structure. An individual or child of more than normal weight is considered obese. Overweight is a more general term signifying excessive and burdensome weight.

Obesity is a common problem in our country and in the world today. Particularly it is associated with the United States, which enjoys a higher standard of living than many countries. This higher living standard directly affects the eating habits of people, and people in the United States tend to be overweight. Being overweight effects physical and mental health in adults and children (Miller-Keane 1.97.8). Many over-weight children tend to grow up to be overweight adults, thus carrying the significant physical and mental health problems associated with overweightedness with them into adulthood. At least 25% of all children are obese, and more than 80% of overweight children become overweight adults (Brownell, 1978). Too much weight, or too many pounds, are a strain on the body, and can eventually shorten one's life span. The over-weight child who does not control his weight and carries the condition with him into adulthood invites a number of unnecessary complications.

Physically these include shortness of breath and an undue amount of strain on the heart and heart muscles. Continued overweight from childhood to adulthood contributes to tendencies of arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Orthopedically, there can be chronic back pain and medical problems in the joints. Significant to children is a reduced ability to exercise or enjoy sports.

The obese child is also at a psychological disadvantage. Obese children tend to be the victims of cru-vel teasing from their peers; adjusting to this can lead to different personality disorders, ranging from minor to major. Compulsive overeating can develop into any outlet for some children relieving persistent loneliness, tension, and boredom.

The causes of obesity are many. Most cases of obesity are due to an excessive intake of calories in proportion to expenditure of calories. There are cultural factors involved, such as the abundance of food in the United States that is of the purified high caloric and low nutrient category. Extreme obesity tends to have familial trends. In families where both parents are found to be overweight, the children usually are also.

Even though endocrine and metabolic disturbances are frequently cited by people as causes for their overweightedness, these causes are known to be relatively rare, and secondary to the main problem of high caloric intake.

Lack of exercise in childhood and carried into adulthood in life patterns is an important cause of overweightedness. A cycle is developed. Because the child is overweight he tends not to join other children for games or physical activity. This in turn doesn't allow for him to have adequate exercise necessary for the body to grow and be healthy.

There are many techniques currently in use in the management of overweightedness and obesity in children and adults. Among them are hospitalization with fasting, surgical intervention, self-help groups, drugs to suppress appetite or increase metabolism, and behavioral management techniques. Particularly with children, this problem is best managed behavioral techniques, since the rest of the aforementioned techniques all involve some physical interference with growth and development patterns, all of which can be detrimental to children. The emphasis in behavior modification programming is on understanding and changing behavior, Stimuli, and reinforcement. The goal of most behavior modification programming for weight loss is to gradually alter maladaptive eating patterns and to increase the expenditures of calories through exercise.

CONTENTS

List of Figures
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1 - Introduction

Review of Literature
Parental Participation
Rate of Eating
Exercise
Dieter's Table
Self Recording
Summary

Chapter 2 - Method

Subjects
Setting
Behavior Definition and Measurement Procedure
Procedure
Analysis

Chapter 3 - Results

Interobserver Agreement Measures
Individual Subject Weight Loss
Reinforcement Schedule

Chapter 4 - Discussion

Individual Subject Discussion
Factors Influencing Weight Loss
Limitations
Advantages of the Study
Suggestions off Weight Loss Programming
Future Research
Summary

References

Appendix A - Hannah Neil Diet Plan
Appendix B - Physical Education for Obese Children
Appendix C - Human Subjects Information

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