Middle school students' body mass index and physical activity levels in physical education.

摘要

One of the most critical public concerns in the United States is the rapid increase in childhood obesity, partly due to the social and environmental changes (e.g., excessive TV and computer use, pressures of standardized testing, etc.) in the past few decades, which has resulted in less physical activity in school children's daily routines (Zhu, 2008). In particular, youth obesity has increased from 7% to 19% in children (ages 6-11 years) and from 5% to 17% in adolescents (ages 12-19 years) in the past three decades (Hedley et al, 2004; Ogden, Regal, Carroll, & Johnson, 2002; Ogden et al., 2006). Childhood obesity often tracks into adulthood (Guo & Chumlea, 1999) and generally leads to numerous physical and mental health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and low self-confidence (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 2001).