Discussion

1. Select one state from our country. Using the Internet, research and report on the legal standards for day care licensing in that state. Please include the following: size of the facility, physical condition of the facility, passage of fire and safety inspection, number of toys available, caretaker-child ratio, provisions for illness, meals provided, and training or education of the teacher.

2. How do the minimum standards for licensing compare with the necessary standards for good intellectual and emotional development elaborated in the text? What surprised you most about what you learned in your search?

3. Why are more preschoolers obese than in previous generations? Here are some theories:

• sedentary lifestyle
• “activities” that are not active: television, video games, computer use
• change in food availability; take-out is common
• change in portion sizes: take-out food is often “supersized” so that people who eat this way often become unaware of how much a portion really is
• marketing: many food products are advertised heavily, including advertising aimed at children

Which of these theories do you believe contributes most to childhood obesity? Provide an explanation for your answer.

4. What advice would you give parents who are looking for help with managing this problem in their own families? Do you think it is possible for our nation’s children to become “healthy”? Why or why not? What potential consequences may result if we fail to make progress in this area?

I need four or more sentences for each question.