Childhood obesity has become a global epidemic, with long-term implications for the physical and psychological well-being of individuals. Elementary schools serve as a crucial environment for addressing this issue by providing physical education (PE) programs. However, barriers to implementing quality PE curricula can impede efforts to fight…

Purpose: Over the last couple of decades, health has become a central part of the subject content in physical education (PE) curricula in many countries. As a result, issues of health have been foregrounded much more clearly in the teaching of PE. The aim of this study was to explore how Swedish PE teachers make sense of health in relation to…

The present study investigates the effect of obesity and overweight on children's cognitive abilities and well-being using survey data from West Bank schools. The results show the significant adverse impact of obesity on a child's well-being by raising externalizing (behavioral) problems and increasing the probability of classifying a child with…

There is now a wealth of research on obesity both from biomedical and socially critical perspectives. However, less research has focused on the lived experiences of young children and particularly those who are perceived as 'sedentary'. This paper critically examines the issue of obesity as related to children's experiences of physical…

This qualitative case study explored administrators' perceptions of family and community engagement activities that enhanced student well-being and ultimately impacted academic achievement in one urban district. Template analysis of 11 semistructured interviews and observation notes employed the positive psychology well-being theoretical…

Childhood obesity is a prevalent health condition, the effects of which extend to mental health, social relationships, educational performance, and long-term physical health conditions. The present study focused on an optimized student support intervention that functions in predominantly high-poverty urban locations, which recognizes students as…

Education policy internationally positions schools as central sites of intervention on 'obesity epidemics', particularly in working class communities. This article presents a moral geographies approach which examines how such obesity-focused healthy food imperatives are experienced in specific places and times. The authors draw on data from a…

An underexamined consequence of childhood obesity is caregivers' missed work attributed to child absence from school due to a health condition. This secondary analysis (N = 123) reported the frequency of missed work among caregivers of children with a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 75th percentile and examined associations with select…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between measures of students' physical well-being and self-perception and their academic achievement. Specifically, we look at students' social support for physical activity, physical activity perceptions, self-concept, self-efficacy, health behaviors, and cardiorespiratory fitness (as measured…

In Louisiana, 33% of adolescents and 28% of children are overweight or obese (Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, 2011). It is projected that as many as 24,000 more children in Louisiana may become obese by 2020 if the trend continues (Broyles et al., 2011). Researchers have identified several strategies to address overweight among…

Objective: This paper presents findings of a qualitative study which explored children and young people's understanding of health and the factors that contribute, or act as barriers, to healthy lifestyles. Views were elicited from consultations with children and young people as part of the process for the development of a National Obesity Policy…

BAckground: Reversing decline in physical fitness and increase in excess body weight in school children are considered major public health challenges. We evaluated a proposed model to integrate a screening and healthy exercise, eating, and lifestyle program (HEELP) into primary schools in Canberra, Australia. Objectives were: (1) to establish body…

According to a recent study reported by the BBC, 30% of children in England are overweight and a significant factor affecting this statistic is that children have limited understanding of food, including what should be consumed and in what proportions. Nutritional choices made by children in today's society can dramatically affect their health and…

Childhood obesity is a prevalent subject of research currently, and many researchers have studied the effectiveness of school programs in battling obesity among students. This case study, utilizing ethnographic tools of observation, interviews, and investigation of artifacts, examines educators' perceptions of the role of the school in the…

Background: Recess is at the heart of a vigorous debate over the role of schools in promoting optimal child development and well-being. Reallocating time to accentuate academic concerns is a growing trend and has put recess at risk. Conversely, pressure to increase activity in school has come from efforts to combat childhood obesity. The purpose…