Kinesiology researchers have long had an interest in physical activity, fitness, and health issues and in the professional education and work practices of teachers and coaches. The professional development needs and practices of "fitness professionals," however, have not been a major concern for researchers in the field. The purpose of…

Change in education is inevitable. Physical educators are being positioned to effectively manage change and control their own destiny. In order to manage and facilitate positive change, physical educators should clearly embrace and accept physical education as a public health tool, understand the educational change process in schools, and know how…

Physical education (PE) can make meaningful contributions to public health by directly providing moderate to vigorous physical activity (PA) opportunities for school-aged youth. Quality PE aims to contribute indirectly to PA beyond the school day. Unfortunately, insufficient evidence exists regarding the impact of PE on lifelong PA. This has led…

Physical education has been an institution in American schools since the late 19th century, and today almost all American children are exposed to physical education classes. It has often been claimed that physical education provides important benefits to public health. The purpose of this paper is to determine if physical education increases…

In this paper we focus our attention on an examination of the four-step process adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its systematic campaign to promote physically active lifestyles by older adults across the 193 WHO member states. The four steps adopted by the WHO include (1) Building Consensus Among Professionals; (2) Educating the…

School physical education plays an important role in public health. Nonetheless, there are few evidence-based, health-related, physical education programs and very little is known about how to disseminate them for widespread use. This article (a) presents background information and a review of the completed research on the SPARK (Sports, Play, and…

This article examines the obesity, health, and physical activity discourses of the past 35 years in the context of the United States with particular reference to five social sectors: the biomedical domain; the popular media; nonprofit foundations, centers and agencies; various national and multinational corporations; and government at all levels.…

Sedentary living is a serious global public health problem that is associated with numerous preventable diseases. Schools are in a position to be the most cost-effective public resource to combat inactivity. In schools physical educators are positioned to be the strongest advocates of a healthy, active lifestyle. To effectively promote physical…

Data on the dose-response gradient for the relation of physical activity or physical fitness to health and function are reviewed, refuting the idea that physical activity programs are either exercise for health or for fitness and suggesting that the key factor is the total energy expenditure of the activity. (SM)

Examines the effects of physical activity on depression and anxiety, discussing the scientific strength of studies on physical activity, depression, and anxiety against the standards of science accepted in epidemiology with a focus on the independence, consistency, dose-response gradient, and biological plausibility of the evidence. (Author/SM)

Reviews factors that led to the issuance of official pronouncements on the health implications of physical activity by various prestigious scientific and medical societies, summarizing several statements. Emphasis has shifted from endorsing structured exercise to supporting public health interventions to promote physical activity through…

Discusses physical activity and exercise adherence, describing five conundrums that retard advances in knowledge about causal determinants of physical activity and successful interventions that increase physical activity and exercise adherence: adoption versus maintenance; social marketing versus product marketing; mediators of physical activity;…

Childhood obesity has become an emotive and serious problem in Europe. In the UK, it has generated a great deal of interest by the media, health professionals, food companies, scientists, and more recently, the government. Upward trends have been recorded in most countries, levels are interestingly variable, and the origins of this variation have…

The inclusion of a representative sample of understudied populations (e.g., women, minorities, older adults, youth, and people with disabilities) in physical activity promotion studies is a public health priority. Given the limited empirical evidence of effective recruitment strategies and limitations in research methodology for both over…

This article presents the author's presentation on the 13th Delphine Hanna Commemorative Lecture in 2004. The presentation examines some of the problems and issues that must be addressed in order to promote physical activity in the academy and beyond. While there is no all embracing prescription, the author hopes to offer some suggestions that…