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Application of Empirically Supported Treatments to Clinical Settings

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Handbook of Childhood and Adolescent Obesity

Part of the book series: Issues in Clinical Child Psychology ((ICCP))

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Approximately 17 percent of all school-aged children are either classified as at-risk of overweight or as overweight in the United States, and the prevalence of overweight has been increasing for decades (Ogden et al., 2006). Furthermore, more overweight has been seen in children at younger ages over the past two decades (e.g., Ogden et al.). Not only is there an increased prevalence of overweight in children, but overweight children have consistently been getting heavier (Jolliffe, 2004). These rates of overweight in children are not only seen in the United States. Over 22 million children under the age of five are estimated to be overweight worldwide (Deckelbaum & Williams, 2001). In light of the incidence and prevalence of overweight in children (Ogden et al.), and the impact it can have on their lives (e.g., Schwimmer, Burwinkle, & Varni, 2003; Zeller, Roehrig, Modi, Daniels, & Inge, 2006; Zeller, Saelens, Roehrig, Kirk, & Daniels, 2004), the need for successful and feasible treatments is clear.

In terms of treatment of pediatric overweight, numerous studies have been conducted examining weight-management programs for children. Most treatments take a multidisciplinary approach and include strategies for improving eating habits, increasing physical activity, and decreasing sedentary behavior. In terms of empirical support, behaviorally based therapies have consistently reported the best outcomes (e.g., Summerbell et al., 2003). In fact, behavior-based treatments have long been described as the state-of-the-art approach for child weight management (Robinson, 1999).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030

    Craig A. Johnston & William T. Dalton III

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  1. Craig A. Johnston
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  2. William T. Dalton III
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

    Elissa Jelalian Ph.D.

  2. Clinical Child Psychology Program, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA

    Ric G. Steele Ph.D., ABPP

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Johnston, C.A., Dalton, W.T. (2008). Application of Empirically Supported Treatments to Clinical Settings. In: Jelalian, E., Steele, R.G. (eds) Handbook of Childhood and Adolescent Obesity. Issues in Clinical Child Psychology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-76924-0_26

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