Student Obesity Screenings Create Controversy

Overweight is defined as having a body-mass index higher than 95 percent of children the same age. At-risk is defined as having a body-mass index higher than 85%. Brevard’s Health Department has decided to begin screening students, to identify at-risk children. While some schools send the (screening results) letters home with report cards or sealed in envelopes, others simply hand the students stapled... 

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Number of Overweight American Kids Skyrockets

Just as adults do, overweight children face increasing health risks not only from obesity-associated diabetes but from heart disease and some cancers. There also may be psychological problems associated with being overweight, said Vicki Panaccione, who has a doctorate in psychology and practices in Melbourne. Although in her practice, children rarely are referred solely because they’re overweight,... 

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Gaining a Poor Self-Image

Today’s busy parents need to be aware of whether their child is overly concerned about her body, and if so, get professional help. Dr. Vicki Panaccione, a Melbourne child psychologist, said she sees a “good many” young people—mostly girls—who think they’re fat or that something is wrong with their bodies, although they don’t have diagnosable eating disorders. “Generally... 

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