Of course, an inestimable amount of totally informal communication between teenagers goes on all over the electronic universe. Surprisingly, some have not abandoned the conventions of print publications, even if their publications only exist online. The content, generated by teens, is vetted, organized, and structured into traditional magazine format. Open Directory offers a list of [...]
Stone Soup Magazine: Giving Kids a Voice
July 22, 2011 By 3 Comments
Previously, we looked at ChopChop Magazine, specializing in “nutritional literacy,” which involves children to a very great extent. For instance, a child named Sally presents a series of “makeovers” in response to such requests as “I hate broccoli… I challenge you to make it taste good.” The print publication Stone Soup: The Magazine by Kids, [...]
Social Networking and Obesity, Part 7
July 20, 2011 By 2 Comments
What kinds of suggestions do recovering food addicts pass along to each other through the numerous communication channels that make up the world of social networking? “Fashion Meets Food,” suggests a book called 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food by Dr. Susan Albers, and, especially, a little exercise called “the 5-4-3-2-1 method of counting [...]
Social Networking and Obesity, Part 6
July 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment
So, we were discussing the positive effects of social networking via electronic devices, and how the Pew Research Center’s findings show, among other things, that social networkers are more likely to be politically active. This is a good thing, because the childhood obesity epidemic seems to be in need of some political intervention, especially at [...]
Social Networking and Obesity, Part 4
July 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment
As with any other subject important to humans, personal testimony carries (excuse the expression) a lot of weight. Today’s peek at social networking includes examples of individual stories meant to hearten and encourage others who have had enough of obesity and/or food addiction. People share their epiphanies: I realized yesterday after a family dinner that [...]
Social Networking and Obesity, Part 3
July 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment
We talked about the Internet & American Life Project from Pew Research Center, which found that online social networking has generally good effects on people. Of course, it would not be at all surprising if obese people excelled at electronic communication for its own sake. In real life, a meeting with a friend comes with [...]
Social Networking and Obesity, Part 2
July 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Dr. Pretlow sees two main issues in dealing with the childhood obesity epidemic. To fight it, we need to: 1) Get obese kids unaddicted to highly palatable foods; and 2) Prevent healthy kids from becoming addicted to start with. We have been looking at the problem of food addiction and the possibilities of social networking [...]
Social Networking and Obesity, Part 1
July 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The overall mission of the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project is to explore the impact of the Internet on children, families, and communities. Last month, they released the report “Social networking sites and our lives.” The 85-page PDF file is subtitled, “How people’s trust, personal relationships, and civic and political involvement are connected [...]
Are Kids Overdiagnosed and Overmedicated Into Obesity?
July 11, 2011 By 1 Comment
A reader who wanted to be anonymous wrote by email: So many doctors and parents are quick to run for that medicine cabinet! My niece is on so many prescriptions, it is startling, to say the least. Gross amount, seriously! All of them for ‘behavior’ problems like attention disorder, anger, depression… don’t get me started [...]
Of Current Interest: MEND
July 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment
If you are in the United Kingdom, you’re in the midst of the National Childhood Obesity Week (July 4-10), originated by a group called MEND, which stand for “Mind, Exercise, Nutrition… Do it!” Events planned for this year included a new MEND Olympics program. In general, MEND promotes services designed to offer long-term solutions, mainly [...]
