Obesity is a major pediatric public health problem. Adolescents are a priority population for intervention strategies. School nurses are in key positions to design intervention strategies to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent adolescent obesity in the students they serve. To design effective programs, school nurses need to know what components…

Exercise prescription guidelines emphasize the importance of individual preferences for different intensities, but such preferences have not been studied systematically. This study examined the hypothesis that the preference scale of the Preference for and Tolerance of the Intensity of Exercise Questionnaire would predict self-selected exercise…

The article builds on a number of recent critical reviews to argue that claims that we are experiencing an obesity crisis are almost entirely without foundation. The possibility is explored that this crisis is manufactured through a complex process of the social production of knowledge. The article marshals evidence to challenge the basis upon…

Participation in a health promotion program for 192 overweight and obese adults with mental retardation was associated with behavior change resulting in reduction of body mass index--BMI (weight in kg, divided by height in meters, squared) by the end of the program. We analyzed the mediating and intermediate factors contributing to weight…

This essay considers the many benefits of journal writing. It explains how one person learned, during a 26-mile commute, to talk into a tape recorder slowly, leaving sizable pauses between phrases to facilitate transcription later on; how journal writing is a way to catch moments in the day, to describe a scene or to make connections that one…

The relationship between activity and positive self-esteem in girls 9 to 12 years of age was explored in this study. The hypothesis was that the positive relationship between physical activity and positive self-esteem which exists for women also exists for girls. A secondary goal was to gain insight into some of the factors that are associated…

Many communication majors expect to do little written communication, since skill in oral communication is more developed if not preferred. Before a student writes or becomes engaged in the rational and logical process of evaluating writing, he or she is in the stage of clearing the mind for action. A non-rationalistic approach to writing seeks to…

This handbook for teachers of English explores the development of writing skills in an academic context. The book is intended for teachers working in situations where students are required to produce reports, essays, dissertations and other forms of academic writing in English. The book's first section examines the writing process and establishes…

A three-part exploratory study was conducted to examine children's responses to interactive, nonlinear HyperCard stories and the children's design of stories in HyperCard. Twenty-three fifth graders took part in a semester-long language arts training program that included HyperCard as well as traditional stories in books. Two questions were posed:…

A study used comparison-group methods to examine the effectiveness of dialogic journal writing in a content area classroom. Subjects were students in a sophomore-level course in Chinese literature at the University of California, San Diego. Students were divided into three comparison groups each of which was further divided into sections. Four…

This book presents a holistic approach to fitness, opens channels of information, and identifies useful resources and references. After an introduction to the subject of health related fitness, the book presents 12 chapters answering the following questions: (1) Why Not Be Fit? (2) What Is Physical Fitness? (3) Why Participate in Fitness? (4) What…

A study examined and analyzed the functions of written language for one writer during her first-grade year. Data included 516 pieces of writing done by the subject, transcriptions of interviews with the subject, and field notes. Results indicated that: (1) sources of the subject's writing ranged from extremely structured situations to…

This study attempted to define the current bases for physical exercise and activity for healthy older adults and to use those data as a basis for developing physical exercises and activities for older adults with mental impairments. An 8-week exercise program was developed and evaluated to determine its effect on satisfaction and quality of life…

Emerging adolescents should have ample opportunities to present creative ideas in written form. Some generalizations may be helpful in identifying and understanding the creative student. Creative people have been found to possess the following traits (Iris Tiedt, 1983): nonconformity of ideas, egotism and feelings of destiny, great curiosity, a…

Three installments of "Classic of the Month," a regular feature of the National Council of Teachers of English publication, "Notes Plus," are presented in this compilation. Each installment of this feature is intended to provide teaching ideas related to a "classic" novel. The first article offers a variety of…