An Overview of Physical Development

An Overview of Physical Development

An Overview of Physical Development

The education of children and youth today encompasses much more than the traditional reading, writing, and mathematics seen in years past. According to Huitt (2004), there is a need to consider the education of our young people from a more holistic perspective. This paper will address the importance of considering the physical development of children and youth.Booth, Chakravarthy & Spangenburg (2002) propose that the human body is genetically prepared for a higher level of physical activity than is current among most people in post-industrial societies and that physical functioning of the body influences all other domains of the individual. This relationship is best described through the concept of wellness, referring to the total health of the individual including the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual domains (Edlin, Galanty & Brown, 2002). From the perspective of wellness, each aspect of one's health must be viewed with equal importance because they are all intertwined. If one area of health is neglected, other domains suffer as well.At the same time that there is a concerted effort to raise test scores (Rebora, 2004), there is a steady decline in the overall physical health of our nation (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2001).

Two diseases in particular are increasing in epidemic proportions: obesity and Type 2 diabetes. This rise is linked with two major factors: physical inactivity and poor nutritional habits.The Surgeon General reported that nearly 50 million adults between the ages of 20 and 74 are obese. Overall, more than 108 million adults are either obese or overweight. That is an astounding 61% of the U.S. population.

Though previously considered an adult disease, Type 2 diabetes has increased dramatically in children and adolescents,. Laino (2003) reported that one in three American children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes if they adopt the nation's inactive and overeating lifestyle.One way to address these issues and curb these trends is to better educate our children and youth about the importance of regular physical activity and proper nutrition. Exposure to these topics beginning in early childhood is crucial to the healthy development of our youth. Throughout the remainder of this paper, more specific issues regarding physical development will be explored, suggestions will be made as to what parents and educators can do to help promote physical development, and measurement issues will be considered that can help the educators, parents, and the community take more responsibility for the health of our nation.

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