Fitness Over the Last Several

¶ … Fitness

Over the last several years, the obesity epidemic has been continually brought to the forefront, as an increasing number of Americans are being affected by this health condition. Part of the reason for this, is the obvious in lifestyle choices that individual are making. Yet when you look beyond this standard explanation, there are a number of different factors that could be affecting, why someone is suffering from obesity (mainly a lack of exercise) As the combination of diet along with the lack of physical activity, are causing the number of obese and overweight people to increase dramatically. To determine why so many are suffering from this condition the article, A Review of Physical Activity in Children and Adolescents, seeks to understand specific reasons why children and teenagers are not physically active. To comprehend the various causes, an examination was conducted of 108 different studies, which would take into account 48 variables for children and 40 variables for adolescents. The results were, the different factors that would affect the physical activity of a child / teenager would depend upon: sex (as males were more physically active), parental obesity rates, physical activity preferences, previous experience with physical activity, diet, available facilities in an area, parental support, participating in physical activities with friends and the amount of time spent outdoors. This is significant, because it shows how a number of different factors will determine, if someone is physically active. While neither one of them is more important than the other, the combination of them will decide, how someone views participating in various forms exercise. As the combination of these ideas, will create the overall positive or negative perceptions that someone will have about physical activity. Over the course of time, these opinions will determine the underlying levels of health, as the constancy of exercising will reinforce these different opinions. (Sallis, 2000, pp. 963 -- 975)

Brief Critique / Evaluation

When you evaluate the various ideas presented in the article, it is clear that the author was trying to establish a host of different reasons, as to why children and adolescents will participate in physical activity. As the increases in the obesity rate and the decline in the levels of physical fitness would continue to highlight a shift that was occurring in these views. To determine the number factors that could affect these perceptions, researchers would evaluate a variety of different studies. The idea was to seek out as many variables as possible; that could be affecting these perceptions, while corroborating the most common reasons with each other. Once this took place, it would provide better insights as to what factors could be affecting these perceptions. This is important, because a number of studies have been conducted in the past, where they identify specific elements for the group that they are studying. However, the problem is that the focus of researchers was to narrow, often providing limited factors that could affect if someone is physically active. The article we examined takes these specific factors and then corroborates them with one another, to determine what effects they are having on why someone will or will not be physically active. (Sallis, 2000, pp. 963 -- 975) As a result, the information that was presented in the article will help to provide: more specific and general reasons that could cause someone to be physically active. Where, they will all work together, to effect these perceptions that an individual will have. Over the course of time, these views will continue to build upon themselves. At which point, the individual will begin to believe the various factors, as reasons for or not engaging in physical activity. This is significant, because it shows that various psychological and sociological forces, could affect if someone will maintain their levels of physical fitness. The article, A Review of Physical Activity in Children and Adolescents, discusses how these views are affected. At which point, researchers can have a greater understanding, as to why children and adolescent will or will not participate in various physical activities.