In a political climate where most public schools have reduced or eliminated P.E. entirely in response to budget cuts and increased pressure to improve academic test scores, Naperville High School in Illinois stands out as an anomaly. The school's already robust daily P.E. program is specifically designed around the notion that physical activity…

This document provides resources for increasing physical activity and physical education in schools. It also offers case studies that examine two successful initiatives, one led by an elementary school principal in Washington, D.C., and the other by school leaders in Naperville, Illinois.

Background: School-based body mass index (BMI) measurement has attracted much attention across the nation from researchers, school officials, legislators, and the media as a potential approach to address obesity among youth. Methods: An expert panel, convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2005, reviewed and provided…

Over the past few years, media use among children and teens has become more prevalent than ever. With the launch of the iPod, the explosion in instant messaging, the birth of mobile video and YouTube, and the advent of social networking sites like MySpace, young people are rarely out of contact, or out of reach of the media. Meanwhile,…

Childhood and adolescent obesity rates have reached epidemic proportions in the United States and are growing. The sedentary routines found in schools and in the home as well as the overexposure to unhealthy snacks and nonnutritional foods contribute to the pervasiveness of this disease that afflicts America's children. Obese children face…

This collection of student monographs includes: "Educating Older Adults About Medications" (Patricia Barrett-Schwer); "Health Educators' Role in Weight Management and Body Acceptance" (Melanie H. Brede); "Health Educators as Advocates for Organ Donation" (Jennifer L. Hawker); "Involvement of Illinois School…