This article examines the extent to which the lifestyles of young people are affected by health and fitness considerations. An analysis of data from 3253 Health Related Behavior Questionnaires, completed by fourth-year secondary school pupils is presented. (IAH)

Suggests that exercise should be the first-line therapy for preventing and treating many common diseases; however, physicians need more training in how best to use exercise therapy. The paper explains the power of exercise and discusses how to motivate individuals to start safe, enjoyable, and life-saving exercise routines. (SM)

A comparison and contrast is made between different notions and occurrences of play in daily life to highlight the sense of the importance of play in a physical education lesson. The meaning and definition of play are detailed, and its impact in and as part of actual learning is discussed. Two stories of real-life situations are described in which…

An overview of The Body Shop wellness program at Eastern Washington University provides information on enrollment figures, demographic data, physiological improvements, and the results of a survey of participants' attitudes toward and perceptions of the program. The Body Shop serves the university as a fitness center and also as a wellness…

Regular physical activity, fitness, and exercise are critically important for all people's health and wellbeing. It can reduce morbidity and mortality from many chronic diseases. Despite its well-known benefits, most U.S. adults, and many children, are not active enough to achieve these health benefits. Physical inactivity and related health…

Afterschool programs often play an important role in promoting healthy lifestyles for youth. Many programs offer youth opportunities to engage in an array of organized physical activities such as softball, martial arts or ballet. Most programs also serve healthy afternoon snacks while emphasizing the value of a nutritious diet. Physical fitness…

"The Fit Kids" program, which assessed the physical fitness level of more than 1000 students, resulted from a public school-university-business alliance. Development and implementation of the program are described, and guidelines are provided on how to use community resources to develop, promote, and implement a comprehensive fitness…

Reviews the prevalence, natural history, causes, impact on performance, diagnosis, and treatment of iron deficiency in adolescent and young adult athletes. All athletes should be screened and treated. The best diagnosis involves determining serum ferritin and hemoglobin levels. Treatment requires therapeutic doses of oral ferrous iron for several…

Discusses a study that compared internal health locus of control (IHLOC) with internal exercise locus of control for predicting college students' activity. Results indicate an independent influence of IHLOC on free-living physical activity and suggest that testing adjust for fitness, barriers to physical activity, and outcome-expectancy values.…

Physical development should be classified using a multidimensional hierarchical model. Optimal physical development combines physical fitness and skill development. The paper discusses the history of physical fitness, hierarchical nature of fitness, and specificity of fitness, stressing the need for collaboration in facilitating optimal…

Presents information about body composition assessment, including how useful the measurement is, how to conduct assessment, accurate skinfold measurement, body mass index versus skinfold results, interpreting results, standards for score interpretation, other types of measurement, how to approach skinfold assessment, and handling sensitivity and…

Exercise-induced asthma (EIA) affects 12-15% of the population. This comprehensive guide suggests that nearly all individuals with EIA can be active, highlighting both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic management of asthma and stressing the importance of rigorous patient education in controlling underlying asthma and EIA. (SM)

This 1941 paper highlights the poor health of draft inductees, describing: implications of draftee rejections for school health programs; whether school children need to be "toughened" during the national emergency; legislation for national health preparedness; barriers to progress in school health (e.g., ill-prepared health educators);…

There has been increased interest in the development and implementation of physical activity interventions designed to increase young people's physical activity participation in recent years. This is perhaps founded on concerns over youngsters' physical activity levels and the possible health consequences. School-based interventions are the most…

Physical activity is important in maintaining and improving overall health for all. Students with disabilities tend to have lower fitness levels due to the lack of participation in physical activities, therefore, progressions and modifications to physical activities are needed. Assessing the physical activity levels of students with disabilities…