Sunday, October 09, 2005

SuperSized Kids by Larimore and Flynt

Obesity in America is of epidemic proportions. This fact is easily affirmed with a quick look on a crowded street. Research shows not only are more people overweight or obese, the overweight keep piling on the pounds. Sadly, this phenomenon is not just an adult problem. In the book SuperSized Kids How To Rescue Your Child From The Obesity Threat, Walt Larimore, M.D., and Sherri Flynt explore the medical consequences of obesity in today's youth and offer their medical experiences, both personal and clinical, as they attempt to tackle this worldwide crisis. Obesity does not discriminate. In fact, as this book so adeptly explains, obesity affects all persons, individually and as a society. The negative health impact is globally catastrophic in addition to financially devastating. Larimore and Flynt, with the use of reality-based case in points, attempt to explain the ravages this disease presents while offering thier medical expertise to assure us this trend can be reversed. With simple medical terminology and easy to follow lifestyle changes, these dedicated professionals make eradicating childhood obesity seem like a real possibility. While exposing probable causes of obesity, the authors are quick to point out modern luxuries and conveniences as the likeliest culprits. Except, instead of assigning blame to society and culture alone, they lay the responsibility and recovery at the feet of the individual. If the purpose of this book is to explain what obesity is, what it does, and how to prevent it, that goal was certainly attained. Larimore and Flynt give the reader every reason to be concerned and become proactive with the weight, current and future health of our next generation.

SuperSized Kids How To Rescue Your Child From The Obesity Threat is one of many books tackling the issue of childhood obesity available today. Written to appeal to parents and caregivers, it sometimes uses over the top scare tactics to get the reader's attention. Although easy to read, the layout is a bit distracting with the pages having sidebars of Recipe For Success, Fifty Ways to SuperSize Your Kids, and/or Food For Thought. Using real life stories to emphasize the subject matter is usually a positive tool used by authors. This book employs too many. Parents who have children struggling with weight want answers and solutions, not necessarily a support group of unknowns. They already know they belong to an ever growing population and if they are reading this book, they are making strides to escape from it. From a clinical viewpoint, this books supplies plenty of facts and figures. What it doesn't do, is make them interesting. With so many other books available with the same subject matter, I suggest looking for another.

Rating (0 - 10 scale): 5
Reviewer Age: 36
Reviewer City, State and Country: Chambersburg, PA USA