scope:

In Pediatric Behavioral Nutrition Factors: Environment, Education, and Self-Regulation, the editor carefully selected each chapter individually to provide a nuanced look at how environment, education, and self-regulation impact pediatric nutrition. All the various factors that intertwine with and influence nutrition are not yet known, and we often assume that poor nutrition is a socioeconomic issue. This is a massive, multifaceted topic. The articles in this compendium make clear that this simplistic assumption is not accurate; they were chosen to present as accurate a total image as possible, based on recent research. The final chapters offer innovative interventions that should become the foundation for ongoing investigation.

The chapters included are broken into four sections that cover

• pediatric dietary behaviors
• family environment and socioeconomic status
• education
• future directions for self-regulation

With chapters from a diverse roster experts affiliated with prominent universities, medical centers, and medical schools, the book takes a balanced look at important issues in the field. Topics include:

• studies of eating patterns among children,
• compiling data to determine which groups to target for interventions
• sibling and parental influences on the BMIs of children
• the influence of low parental education on children's weight
• nonthreatening early educational nutritional counseling programs
• self-regulation vs. self-control (as related to weight
• self-image of overweight/obese children