title: Fitness and health of children through sport: the context for action.
abstract: A growing body of scientific evidence indicates that the declining levels of physical activity and fitness in children and youth are associated with adverse impacts on their health, including rising levels of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, metabolic syndrome and increased risk of sports injury. In response, a number of governmental and non-governmental organisations have instituted programmes to promote health in children and youth through sports and physical activity. Many of these programmes have achieved success in increasing participation in sports and other forms of physical activity and, by extension, improving the health of these young people. These programmes have also been used successfully to enhance the lives of the young participants by means other than improving physical health.
authors.affiliation: Division of Sports Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Children’s Hospital Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. michelilyle@aol.com
authors.forename: Lyle
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Micheli
authors.forename: Margo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mountjoy
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Engebretsen
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hardman
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kahlmeier
authors.forename: Estelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.forename: Arne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ljungqvist
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Matsudo
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: McKay
authors.forename: Carl Johan
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Sundberg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006266:Health Education; D006291:Health Policy; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007390:International Agencies; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D012572:School Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology*