During the past decade since the first edition of this practical work was published, global prevalence of obesity has increased by epic proportions, and physical fitness levels have continued to decline. Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Health in Early Life, Second Edition analyzes cutting-edge longitudinal and cross-sectional data on morphologica
Physical inactivity is a key determinant of health across the lifespan. A lack of activity increases the risk of heart disease, colon and breast cancer, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, osteoporosis, anxiety and depression and others diseases. Emerging literature has suggested that in terms of mortality, the global population health burden of physical inactivity approaches that of cigarette smoking. The prevalence and substantial disease risk associated with physical inactivity has been described as a pandemic. The prevalence, health impact, and evidence of changeability all have resulted in calls for action to increase physical activity across the lifespan. In response to the need to find ways to make physical activity a health priority for youth, the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Physical Activity and Physical Education in the School Environment was formed. Its purpose was to review the current status of physical activity and physical education in the school environment, including before, during, and after school, and examine the influences of physical activity and physical education on the short and long term physical, cognitive and brain, and psychosocial health and development of children and adolescents. Educating the Student Body makes recommendations about approaches for strengthening and improving programs and policies for physical activity and physical education in the school environment. This report lays out a set of guiding principles to guide its work on these tasks. These included: recognizing the benefits of instilling life-long physical activity habits in children; the value of using systems thinking in improving physical activity and physical education in the school environment; the recognition of current disparities in opportunities and the need to achieve equity in physical activity and physical education; the importance of considering all types of school environments; the need to take into consideration the diversity of students as recommendations are developed. This report will be of interest to local and national policymakers, school officials, teachers, and the education community, researchers, professional organizations, and parents interested in physical activity, physical education, and health for school-aged children and adolescents.
"Physical Activity and Nutrition for Health is a book and CD-ROM package that will help you promote fitness and nutrition among students and staff and garner support from parents and community members to enhance student success. Physical Activity and Nutrition for Health will help you plan and implement physical education and nutrition education programs that significantly improve health and support learning in other subject areas, such as health education, mathematics, and science. And it will help you change the attitudes and behaviors of children so they embrace a lifetime commitment to health and fitness while maintaining a healthy weight."--BOOK JACKET.
Childhood obesity is a serious health problem that has adverse and long-lasting consequences for individuals, families, and communities. The magnitude of the problem has increased dramatically during the last three decades and, despite some indications of a plateau in this growth, the numbers remain stubbornly high. Efforts to prevent childhood obesity to date have focused largely on school-aged children, with relatively little attention to children under age 5. However, there is a growing awareness that efforts to prevent childhood obesity must begin before children ever enter the school system. Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Policies reviews factors related to overweight and obese children from birth to age 5, with a focus on nutrition, physical activity, and sedentary behavior, and recommends policies that can alter children's environments to promote the maintenance of healthy weight. Because the first years of life are important to health and well-being throughout the life span, preventing obesity in infants and young children can contribute to reversing the epidemic of obesity in children and adults. The book recommends that health care providers make parents aware of their child's excess weight early. It also suggests that parents and child care providers keep children active throughout the day, provide them with healthy diets, limit screen time, and ensure children get adequate sleep. In addition to providing comprehensive solutions to tackle the problem of obesity in infants and young children, Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Policies identifies potential actions that could be taken to implement those recommendations. The recommendations can inform the decisions of state and local child care regulators, child care providers, health care providers, directors of federal and local child care and nutrition programs, and government officials at all levels.
More children born today will survive to adulthood than at any time in history. It is now time to emphasize health and development in middle childhood and adolescence--developmental phases that are critical to health in adulthood and the next generation. Child and Adolescent Health and Development explores the benefits that accrue from sustained and targeted interventions across the first two decades of life. The volume outlines the investment case for effective, costed, and scalable interventions for low-resource settings, emphasizing the cross-sectoral role of education. This evidence base can guide policy makers in prioritizing actions to promote survival, health, cognition, and physical growth throughout childhood and adolescence.
In the 2001 Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity, former Surgeon General David Satcher, MD, PhD, warned of the negative effects of the increasing weight of American citizens and outlined a public health response to reverse the trend. The Surgeon General plans to strengthen and expand this blueprint for action created by her predecessor. Although the country has made some strides since 2001, the prevalence of obesity, obesity-related diseases, and premature death remains too high.
Among the many troubling aspects of the rising prevalence of obesity in the United States and elsewhere in recent years, the growth of early childhood overweight and obesity stands out. To explore what is known about effective and innovative interventions to counter obesity in young children, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Roundtable on Obesity Solutions held a workshop in October 2015. The workshop brought together many of the leading researchers on obesity in young children to describe the state of the science and potential solutions based on that research. Participants explored sustainable collaborations and new insights into the implementation of interventions and policies, particularly those related to nutrition and physical activity, for the treatment and prevention of obesity in young children. Obesity in the Early Childhood Years summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.
Physical activity has far-reaching benefits for physical, mental, emotional, and social health and well-being for all segments of the population. Despite these documented health benefits and previous efforts to promote physical activity in the U.S. population, most Americans do not meet current public health guidelines for physical activity. Surveillance in public health is the ongoing systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of outcome-specific data, which can then be used for planning, implementation and evaluation of public health practice. Surveillance of physical activity is a core public health function that is necessary for monitoring population engagement in physical activity, including participation in physical activity initiatives. Surveillance activities are guided by standard protocols and are used to establish baseline data and to track implementation and evaluation of interventions, programs, and policies that aim to increase physical activity. However, physical activity is challenging to assess because it is a complex and multidimensional behavior that varies by type, intensity, setting, motives, and environmental and social influences. The lack of surveillance systems to assess both physical activity behaviors (including walking) and physical activity environments (such as the walkability of communities) is a critical gap. Implementing Strategies to Enhance Public Health Surveillance of Physical Activity in the United States develops strategies that support the implementation of recommended actions to improve national physical activity surveillance. This report also examines and builds upon existing recommended actions.
Physical Activity Epidemiology, Second Edition, provides a comprehensive discussion of current population-level studies showing the influence of physical activity on disease. Updated with extensive new research collected in the eight years since the previous edition, the second edition adds the expertise of respected epidemiologist I-Min Lee. To assist readers in understanding the public health significance of physical activity, Dishman, Heath, and Lee present a detailed review of research findings and what those findings suggest regarding the relationship between physical activity and a variety of health risks. The second edition of this groundbreaking text has been exhaustively updated to reflect the wealth of new research published in this fast-moving field of study. With more than 100 pages of additional content, the text also offers more detailed coverage of all-cause and coronary heart disease mortality, expanded coverage of pathophysiology and biological plausibility, new information on physical activity among various racial–ethnic populations, and the effects of physical activity on cognitive function, dementia, and HIV/AIDS. More than 250 tables and figures, twice the number found in the previous edition, highlight the latest epidemiological information in an easy-to-understand visual format. Physical Activity Epidemiology, Second Edition, assists readers in understanding how leisure-time physical activity can enhance people’s quantity and quality of life by summarizing the available knowledge, detailing the methods used to obtain it, considering its implications for public health, and outlining the important questions that remain. Readers will find comprehensive discussion of these topics: • Evidence that physical activity protects against the development of coronary heart disease and stroke and premature death from all causes • Population-based studies and clinical experiments providing evidence that physical activity and exercise play a role in the primary and secondary prevention of mild hypertension, dyslipidemia, and obesity • Contemporary epidemiologic evidence that physical activity reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis and protects against the development of breast and colon cancers, some inflammatory diseases, depression, and anxiety disorders • Considerations in the promotion of a safe, physically active lifestyle among all segments of the population Physical Activity Epidemiology, Second Edition, will engage and challenge students by examining the state of current research in all of its variation and even ambiguity. The text details the methodology and findings of classic and contemporary studies and then helps students begin to analyze the results. Special Strength of the Evidence sections found at the end of most chapters summarize the findings to determine the extent to which correlation and causation can be proven. Chapter objectives, chapter summaries, and sidebars in each chapter assist students in focusing on the key points of study, and an extensive glossary with detailed definitions provides a handy reference for review. Instructors will find a new image bank in this edition to enhance their class lecture materials. Physical Activity Epidemiology, Second Edition, offers students, sport and exercise scientists, health and fitness professionals, and public health administrators a comprehensive presentation of significant studies, how these studies contribute to understanding the relationship between activity and disease prevention, and how this information can be used in leading individuals, communities, and global society toward increased health and longevity.
