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Book Review |
Department of Human Nutrition and Food Science
California State Polytechnic University and Departme\
nt of Molecular Medicine
City of Hope National Medical Center & Beckman Research Institute
Pomona, Califor\
nia
Jana Pa
ízková, MD, PhD, DSc, and Andrew P. Hills, PhD. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2001.
Childhood Obesity: Prevention and Treatment is a compendium of knowledge about idiopathic obesity in the context of growth. Jana Paízková and Andrew Hills, both important researchers in the field of obesity, have produced a well-rounded and highly detailed treatment of the subject of childhood obesity, from epidemiology and etiology through practical environmental management guidelines. This useful text comprises two parts: characterization of the obese state and practical aspects of treatment and management. While the work as a whole is intended for the obesity professional, the second part could prove to be a worthwhile reference even for the well-read parent.
The first part is devoted to phenotypic characterization of the obese child. The first two chapters present a comprehensive statement of the international epidemic of obesity and provide epidemiological perspective. Etiology and assessment of obesity are covered next, followed by thorough treatments of the often-neglected topic of the roles of energy expenditure and physical activity in creating and maintaining the obese state. The authors have included a chapter reviewing clinical and research methods for assessment of functional capacity.
The discussion of food intake and behavior is marred by the absence of discourse on the myriad recent advances in brain chemistry affecting ingestive behavior. A critical review of the current animal and human data regarding roles for neuropeptide hormones such as the orexins and the pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) products in regulating food intake and energy balance would strengthen this chapter considerably. The roles of vitamins and minerals in lipid metabolism, particularly bone metabolism, receive disappointingly scant attention as biochemical markers of childhood obesity. The chapter on hormonal facets of obesity is an adequate survey, and more detailed material is fittingly left to other sources.
The second part is devoted to practical aspects of therapeutic management of the obese child. This part is primarily targeted at the clinician, although the clinical researcher or obesity educator may find the discussions quite useful. Chapter 12 is encyclopedic in its discussion of therapeutic approaches to weight reduction and is a wonderful clinical reference resource. Drugs and surgery are not thoroughly discussed, mostly because these approaches should be used sparingly in this patient population. Similarly, application of physical activity should be approached with care in young patients. The authors give a thorough, well-reasoned treatment of the prudent use of physical activity as a therapy. This chapter would be read to advantage by physical education instructors in every school district.
Should the authors produce a future addition, it would be essential to include a chapter discussing the use of alternative therapies such as fad diets, nutraceuticals and functional foods in managing obesity. Overall, this text is an excellent educational reference suitable for the student of obesity as well as the teacher, researcher or clinician. It is clearly, concisely and logically presented. Childhood Obesity: Prevention and Treatment is to be highly recommended as a cornerstone reference in an obesity library.
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