Childhood Obesity

Catalog description

This course addresses how genetic predispositions, behavioral and environmental factors affect children's obesity risk and examines strategies for obesity prevention. HDFS (NUTR) 532 Childhood Obesity (3) This course will examine the epidemic of obesity, particularly childhood obesity, and how various behavioral and environmental factors place children at risk of becoming overweight. Sources of influence that will be examined include: children's nutrition and physical activity behaviors, the family environment, the school environment and community characteristics. Media, social policy and economic factors will also be addressed. In addition, the health and psychosocial consequences of obesity, ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in the prevalence and predictors of obesity among children and adolescents will be addressed. At its conclusion, this course will examine policy initiatives and obesity prevention programs.