Varsha Mullangi

Mrs. McMennamy
Capstone Period 5
31 October 2016
Track Hours 25-32 Reflection
For my fourth set of eight track hours, I did independent study and read four publications
from various journals. The first scholarly article came from a journal called Obesity Reviews,
and was 26 pages long, taking me about three hours to read. The journal reviewed in detail
different types of interventions and programs used to target obesity in adolescents. Through
qualitative and quantitative data, it assessed sucessfulness and consequences of each school
based intervention or program. The factors used to evaluate effectiveness included statistical
differences in BMI and skin-folds, and four interventions were effective by both standards. Two
examples of successful methods included reducing amount of time spent viewing television and
increasing physical education. Based on the results of the study, the article also made several
recommendations for improvements an future directions. For example, attention must be given to
the difficulty of having to address a diverse population, such as those found in larger schools. In
order to compensate for these heterogenous groups, schools should consider tailoring their
programs based on gender, age, and even ethnicity in some cases. Furthermore, greater emphasis
must be placed on long-term sustainability of these interventions and programs by possibly
incorporating them into school curriculum.
My second source was twelve pages long, and took me about and hour and a half to read.
This source was particularly valuable, as it covered prevention of both eating disorders and
obesity, as well as how they overlapped in terms of prevention. For example, teenagers may
misinterpret obesity prevention messages, or incorrectly attempt to lose weight. Consequently,
this could lead to the development of an eating disorder. The article also gave a list of
management strategies that could be applied to both eating disorders and obesity, as well as
evidence to support the effectiveness of these measures. These included dieting, family meals,
weight talk, weight teasing, and a healthy body image. Finally, the last major section of the
publication looked at pediatricians, and tactics they can use to properly prevent nutritional
disorders while avoiding causing unintended consequences, such as eating disorders.
The third source I read covered obesity prevention and was 13 pages long, taking me
about an hour to read. Although this source was not specific to the adolescent age bracket, it
provided helpful insight as to how to make prevention programs effective, as well as the steps

that need to be taken at various societal levels. The article stressed the importance of monitoring
and evaluation when establishing programs, as setting goals and tracking progress can strengthen
them. The biggest part of the publication that concerned my research was a table with proposed
solution for different facets of society, including national government, media, and educational
sites.
The last scholarly article I read looked at schools and their roles in obesity prevention
among adolescents an children. It was 19 pages long, taking me approximately two and a half
hours to read. The article looked at different aspects of obesity prevention, how they factored
into the school environment, and policies regarding them. The biggest aspects included food and
physical activity. Regarding food, the study found that the widespread availability of competitive
foods increased students total caloric intake. Physical activity integrated into school curriculum
also reaped emotional and social benefits in addition to physical ones.

Source Analysis D
Source D
MLA Citation:
Doak, C. M., T. S. Visscher, C. M. Renders, and J. C. Seidell. "The Prevention of
Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescents: A Review of Interventions

and Programmes." Obesity Reviews 7.1 (2006): 111-136. Wiley Online Library.
Web. 28 Oct. 2016.
Source Validation:
This source is valid because it was published in a reputable journal, Obesity
Reviews. This journal is peer-reviewed and publishes observations and research
relating to obesity and its comorbidities.
How I found this source:
I found this publication by searching through Google Scholar.
Intended Audience:
The intended audience for this source is an educated one interested in learning
more about different prevention methods used to target obesity in children and
adolescents.
Arguments/topics:
This publication looked at school-based intervention programs and evaluated their
effectiveness. By using both quantitative and qualitative data, success factors as
well as consequences of each program type were found. Two of the most effective
methods were increasing physical education and reducing television exposure in
schools. The article also listed recommendations for future improvements.
Additionally, it also touched on how programs that worked can be expanded to
larger scales.
Quotes, paraphrases, and summaries:
Interventions should directly alter the physical or social environment, such as
improving the physical education programme or changing the school canteen.
Of these three types of interventions it was the exercise-only group that was
shown to be effective and that this effect was only observed using skin-fold
measures.

 Effectiveness of the intervention is based either on an intervention producing

statistical differences between the intervention and comparison groups according
to height/weight measures (e.g. BMI), skin-folds or both.
Teachers are unlikely to emphasize weight problems because of the
embarrassment to obese children. Unless weight has been lost, there is little
motivation for obese children to participate in a program that provides them with
negative feedback at three of the five screening stations, i.e. weight for height,
triceps skinfolds, and fitness.

Source Analysis E
Source E
MLA Citation:
Golden, Neville H., Marcie Schneider, and Christine Wood. "Preventing Obesity
and Eating Disorders in Adolescents." Pediatrics 138.3 (2016): n. pag. American
Academy of Pediatrics. Web. 28 Oct. 2016.
Source Validation:
This source is valid because it was published in a reputable journal, Pediatrics,
which is the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. This journal
is peer-reviewed and publishes observations and research relating to a multitude
of fields in pediatrics.
How I found this source:
I found this publication by searching through Google Scholar.
Intended Audience:
The intended audience for this source is those interested in preventing nutritional
disorders in adolescents.
Arguments/topics:
The article began by addressing the rising rates of obesity and eating disorders
among adolescents. It also touched on how eating disorders and obesity can relate
when trying to prevent obesity. Then, five management strategies were given, as
well as evidence to bolster their effectiveness. Integrated approaches were also
cited specifically for treating eating disorders. Finally, the article looked at the
role of pediatricians when preventing obesity and eating disorders in adolescents.
Quotes, paraphrases, and summaries:
Adolescents who are overweight may adopt disordered eating behaviors while
attempting to lose weight. In cross-sectional studies, adolescents who are
overweight have been shown to engage in self-induced vomiting or laxative use
more frequently than their normal-weight peers
Family meals have been associated with improved dietary intake and provide
opportunities for modeling behavior by parents, even though family meals have
not been shown to prevent obesity across ethnic groups.
Adolescents who were more satisfied with their bodies were more likely to
report parental and peer attitudes that encouraged healthful eating and exercising

to be fit, rather than dieting; they were less likely to report personal weight-related
concerns and behaviors.
Obesity prevention and treatment, if conducted correctly, does not predispose to
EDs. On the contrary, randomized controlled trials of obesity prevention
programs have shown a reduction in the use of self induced vomiting or diet pill
use to control weight

Source Analysis F
Source F
MLA Citation:
Kumanyika, S., R. W. Jeffery, A. Morabia, C. Ritenbaugh, and V. J. Antipatis.
"Obesity Prevention: The Case for Action." International Journal of Obesity 26.3
(2002): 425-36. Nature. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.
Source Validation:
This source is valid because it was published in a reputable journal, The
International Journal of Obesity, that deals with various aspects of obesity.
How I found this source:
I found this publication by searching through Google Scholar.
Intended Audience:
The intended audience for this source is people interested in examining the
current state of obesity and its rates, as well as possible solutions.
Arguments/topics:
The first topic of the publication is the global scope of obesity and its prevalence
in various countries. The parts that most affected my research however were the
later portions. For example, it specifies various targets and factors that have led to
the increase in obesity, such as high fat diets and sedentary lifestyles. It also
brought up the importance of monitoring and evaluating different prevention
methods. The most important segment was a table with various potential solutions
for obesity prevention on different societal levels.
Quotes, paraphrases, and summaries:
Development of effective preventive solutions requires a sound understanding of
the key forces that are driving the obesity epidemic.
Interventions aimed at improving individual lifestyles, when conducted in
isolation of societal intervention, tend to have limited success. They are most
effective in motivating the socially advantaged who already have sufficient
lifestyle options open to them. Over time, this may actually aggravate disparities
between the more and less advantaged.
Education alone is not sufficient to change weight-related behaviours.
Environmental and societal intervention is also required to promote and support
behaviour change.

 Integrate nutrition, physical activity and obesity prevention objectives into

relevant policies and programmes, eg, conduct obesity impact assessments for all
new and existing policies.

Source Analysis G
Source G
MLA Citation:
Story, Mary, Marilyn S. Nanney, and Marlene B. Schwartz. "Schools and Obesity
Prevention: Creating School Environments and Policies to Promote Healthy
Eating and Physical Activity." The Milbank Quarterly.1 (2009): 71-100. Wiley
Online Library. Web. 31 Oct. 2016.
Source Validation:
This source is valid because it was published in a reputable journal, The Milbank
Quarterly.
How I found this source:
I found this publication by searching through PubMed.
Intended Audience:
The intended audience for this source is those looking to learn more on schools
and the role they play in obesity prevention.
Arguments/topics:
The articles first section looked into school food environment, as well as policies
relating to foods served in schools. For example, the wide availability of
competitive foods has led to an increased intake of calories amongst school
children. Analysis of national and state policies towards school nutrition, as well
as nutrition education in schools was also conducted. The next section of the
article covered physical activity in schools. This includes regulations on different
levels of activity requirements and school policies that encourage physical
activity. The publication also looked at changes to be made in the future.
Quotes, paraphrases, and summaries:
Food and beverages at school fall into two main categories: (1) federal school
lunch and breakfast programs and (2) foods and beverages sold outside the formal
meal programs, specifically la carte items available in the school cafeteria and
venues outside the cafeteria, such as vending machines, snack bars, school stores,
and fundraisers. This latter category is called competitive foods because they
compete with the nutritionally regulated school meal program.

 Stronger policies are needed to provide healthier meals to students at schools;

limit their access to low nutrient, energy-dense foods during the school day; and
increase the frequency, intensity, and duration of physical activity at school.
The two types of school BMI measurement strategies are surveillance alone or a
combination of surveillance and screening (Nihiser et al. 2007).
According to the federal law, school wellness policies must have five features to
promote student wellness: (1) goals for nutrition education, physical activity, and
other school-based activities; (2) nutrition guidelines for all foods available on
each school campus during the school day; (3) assurance that guidelines for
reimbursable school meals will not be less restrictive than federal regulations and
guidance; (4) a plan for measuring implementation of the local wellness policy,
including the designation of one or more responsible persons; and (5) the
involvement of parents, students, and representatives of the school food authority,
the school board, school administrators, and the public in developing the school
wellness policy.