Problems and Issues in Fitness Introduction to Physical Education, Fitness, and Sport Chapter 9 Problems and Issues in Fitness

Life expectancy in the USA: Introduction Life expectancy in the USA: Females: 80 yrs. Males: 75 yrs. Healthier older adults = reduced health care cost.

Most modern work is sedentary . . . PA Introduction Most modern work is sedentary . . . PA has been squeezed out of daily life. Healthier foods are more expensive . . . Consequences: A recipe for disaster. Emergence of a $35,000,000,000 weight-loss industry.

The Cost of Inadequate Health Fitness Historically, health and fitness were viewed as personal responsibility. It is now regarded a societal responsibility as well. Cost associated w. poor health fitness makes up a significant portion of the gross domestic product.

The Cost of Inadequate Health Fitness (Cont’d.) Sample youth medical problems related to overweight and obesity: High blood pressure Hypertension. Type II Diabetes. Orthopedic problems Psychological/behavioral problems.

The Cost of Inadequate Health Fitness (Cont’d.) Sample adult medical problems related to overweight and obesity: Hypertension. Heart disease. Stroke. Osteoarthritis. Sleep apnea. Various types of cancer (e.g., colon cancer).

The Cost of Inadequate Health Fitness (Cont’d.) Annual US Health care $1.5 trillion . . . (expected to double in the next five years). Obesity is now the 2nd leading cause of death in the U.S. . . .

Precipitating Factors Related to Overweight and Obesity Crisis What produces this energy imbalance?? Caloric intake Caloric expenditure vs.

The Cost of Inadequate Health Fitness (Cont’d.) Higher caloric intake in youth . . . a result of: Lower levels of PA. Higher intake of high-energy foods. Higher dietary fat. Less in-home cooking. More dependence on fast-food. Higher non-nutritious content in food. Larger portions. School contracts w. food vendors.

The Cost of Inadequate Health Fitness (Cont’d.) Lower caloric expenditure in youth . . . A result of: A changed “built environment.” Less walking. More motor commuting. Limited access to safe PA environments (ie. parks and recreation spaces) Increased time spent on Computers & watching of TV. Location of schools. Reduced time in Physical Education. Various types of cancer (ie. colon cancer).

The Cost of Inadequate Health Fitness (Cont’d.) Parents’ perceptions of barriers to PA: Transportation problems. Lack of opportunities in immediate area. Expense. Parents’ lack of time. Neighborhood safety. From MMWR Weekly (2003)

Fitness Behavior: Short Term and Long Term Becoming active vs. staying active . . . WHAT IS NEEDED?: Exercise in ways that are enjoyable, Find activities that meet the needs and interests of people, Develop self-assessment of fitness skills, Knowledge about fitness, Fitness planning skills, and Motivation . . .

Fitness Behavior: Short Term and Long Term (Cont’d.) Prerequisite conditions for youth to become attracted to PA (i.e., motivated): Create opportunity to develop and demonstrate competence in skill, fitness, or appearance, Being accepted and supported by peers, and significant others. IT MUST BE FUN!

Developing a Fitness-Educated Public For the nation’s population to become more fit & healthy, it need to be more educated about fitness. To what extent does popular media help or hinder in this process? Print? TV? Internet?

Developing a Fitness-Educated Public (Cont’d.) Problems created by the media: Distorted images of fitness. Perception that fitness can be achieved quickly & without much effort. Creation of celebrity experts without real background. From Skinner (1988)

Developing a Fitness-Educated Public (Cont’d.) Accurate and up-to-date knowledge is essential for improving nation’s health. Quality information is now more readily available. School Health and Physical Education programs are the best venues . . . Access for all!

Developing a Fitness-Educated Public (Cont’d.) If schools continue to reduce time in Health and Physical Education, SES will become a more dominant determinant for fitness knowledge, and -skill development.

Equity Issues in Fitness and Activity (Cont’d.) PA levels decline significantly through adolescence. Declines are more pronounced for girls, especially African American girls . . . Attention to girls’ PA patterns is a recent trend.

Equity Issues in Fitness and Activity (Cont’d.) Girls’ PA patterns . . .What we do know: Participation in Sport is at record levels. MVPA levels outside of Sport are declining. Girls PA is consistently lower than for boys. Dropout from Sport is higher for girls.

Equity Issues in Fitness and Activity (Cont’d.) What are some conditions that need to be created to help girls become/stay active? . . . See also Boxes 9.1 and 9.2 Strong support from significant others. Encouragement at an early age. Equal access to safe and supportive programs, facilities, and instruction. Recognize/accept the multiple reasons for participation.

Equity Issues in Fitness and Activity (Cont’d.) Opportunity for PA and fitness . . . A level playing field?? Those who are in most need, are more disadvantaged . . . i.e., have less access or opportunity. Removal of barriers is a structural problem. Effective policies and programs are needed to remove such barriers.

Certification of Fitness Leaders Many exercise leaders are quite competent. Some certification programs exist w. varying levels of rigor and quality. Unless public education on fitness improves, demands for better certification programs will likely not increase.

Fitness Tests or Activity Estimates? Inactivity is a key risk factor. Value of moderate vs. vigorous activity? PA level (process) may be a better indicator of health fitness than fitness tests (product). Norm-referenced fitness testing is counterproductive.

“People get older, because they slow down.” Fitness and Aging: Changing Views and Expectations (Cont’d.) Benefits of PA later in life include: Improved physiological functioning (slowdown of aging process). Improved quality of life. Lower levels of depression. Again, SES is a powerful predictor of PA later in life . . . “People get older, because they slow down.”

Fitness Issues in Physical Education Health-related Physical Education: Promoting lifelong PA and fitness. Programs should be targeting the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to enjoy lifelong PA. Frequency/time per week (the “dose” of PA opportunity) has been reduced in favor of academic subjects..

Fitness Issues in Physical Education (cont’d.) Health-related Physical Education: Gone are calisthenics . . . Focus on promoting PA beyond regular PE classes (e.g., drop-in during unassigned times; after-school). Linking with what is available in the surrounding community. Fitness and PA: A school-wide responsibility.