Catherine was always a chubby baby. As she developed, she ...

[Haya94]

Catherine was always a chubby baby. As she developed, she continued to increase in physical size and never seemed to lose her baby fat. Now, at age 12, Catherine is considered obese. What can we expect of Catherine's school experiences? What are two of the most serious health risks associated with her obesity? Discuss two strategies for dealing with Catherine's obesity.
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

Describe two recommendations you would make to parents who want to protect their young children as they use computers and the Internet.
 
  What will be an ideal response?

[stanleka1]

Answer to Question 1

In addition to the health concern, children who are obese are likely to miss school because of the health problems related to their obesity. Moreover, they are likely to be teased and/or rejected by their peers, which can lead to self-esteem issues. Children who are obese also tend to have sleep problems. Their lack of sleep may lead to attention deficit and difficulty learning at school. Some of the most serious health issues associated with childhood obesity include: hypertension, Type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease in adulthood. Obesity can negatively impact all major organs (e.g., heart, kidneys, as well as the eyes and nerves). In terms of dealing with obese children, the first step is education about caloric intake and good nutrition. More specifically, nutrition experts recommend talking with children about the high sugar content in soft drinks. Children need to be educated about nutrition and taught that one visit to a fast food restaurant may consume their total amount of daily recommended calories. It is also important to talk about sedentary lifestyle and the need for activity. Finding an activity that is of interest to an obese child is critical for physical fitness. Although it is necessary to focus on Catherine, we must keep in mind that addressing her weight and health issues will require family-wide nutritional and lifestyle changes.

Answer to Question 2

Parents should be selective about their children's computer usage. They should take time to examine programs and websites and choose developmentally appropriate programs that encourage learning, creativity, and social interaction.
A second recommendation is that parents should install filtering software to protect their children from strangers and/or inappropriate content available on the Internet. Parents should take an active role in monitoring their children's computer usage. They can do so by keeping the computer in a common area and talking to their child directly about why some programs and Internet sites are off limits.