The Herald Online

Issue date: 11/20/08 Section: Campus

Dr. Jim Stillwell

Dr. Diane Lawler-Prince

Concern about a prominent American health crisis has prompted Dr. Diane Lawler-Prince and Dr. Jim Stillwell to co-author the recently published "Preventing Childhood Obesity: Helping Preschool Children Become Healthy and Fit."

Lawler-Prince, chair of the Department of Teacher Education, said she wrote the book because obesity has become more widespread in the United States over the past few years.

An example she offered of the growing problem involved average dress sizes for American women. The average misses dress size for a woman in the 80s was an eight. The average misses dress size for a woman today is a 14.

"It's a topic that has really grown in the media," Lawler-Prince said. "They are now calling it America's biggest health issue."

The book is a guide for preschool teachers and parents who want to prevent their students or children from becoming overweight. It includes advice for teachers, such as what kind of healthy snacks they can offer and how to work with parents.

Suggestions for both parents and teachers reference basic nutrition, concerning correct child-size portions and physical activities.

Lawler-Prince said this book could be useful to ASU students with young children and to about 800 students pursuing a degree in teaching.

Stillwell's contribution to the book was a collection of exercises for preschool children and other related fitness information. Some of the exercises shown by pictures in the book include rhythm puzzles, body benders and weather vanes.

Stillwell, chair of the Department of Health, Physical Education and Sport Sciences, said he helped author the book because he wanted to do anything he could to help solve the problem of obesity in America.

"Childhood Obesity: Helping Preschool Children Become Healthy and Fit" also addresses the effects and causes of childhood obesity. Lawler-Prince said the long-term effects of childhood obesity include Type 2 Diabetes, which is not hereditary, and heart disease. Two short-term effects are pulmonary and muscle/joint problems in young children.

Childhood obesity is caused by unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyles. Progress is being made toward reversing these trends in the lives of elementary-age children.

Lawler-Prince said a study done by the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville shows after the passing of legislation to implement body mass index testing in public schools, more attention is being paid to the nutritional value of school lunches, more physical education classes have been implemented, and schools are decreasing their number of snack/soda machines.

Lawler-Prince and Stillwell's book is being sold for $17.95 by the non-profit Southern Early Childhood Association. Proceeds go to the organization and neither author will receive compensation from the book's sales.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools