The author read with interest, and concern, the January 2011 issue of the "American Psychologist". The "Special Issue on Comprehensive Soldier Fitness" addressed a hugely consequential national issue and offered a vision for psychological resilience along with an elaborate set of supporting articles, concluding with some comments on "Objections"…

The author was disappointed to see an entire special issue of the "American Psychologist" (January 2011) devoted to military psychology, but he was especially concerned about the one-sided moral justifications presented by Seligman and Fowler (2011) in the final article of the issue. The author feels they misrepresented potential objections to…

There are many key players in a functional school-university partnership. The purpose of this article is to provide insight into the establishment of roles within a school-university partnership charged with creating educational reform. Specific details are provided about three key change agents (the Wizard, the Warrior, and the Wagoner) who…

When institutional testing is done well, there are many potential benefits; however, it is not without its negatives. The Texas Youth Evaluation Project (TYEP) is an example of large scale institutional testing that yielded more than a few benefits. However, results reported some problems as well. Much has been learned from the TYEP, including…

This article presents ideas and views of educators regarding the role of dance in the secondary physical education program. One educator believes that dance education is an excellent complement to the traditional physical education program at the secondary level. Another educator defines physical education as the "art and science of human…

A new study of parents' health, medical care, and health-related behavior finds that large numbers of parents at all income levels take part in risky behaviors that are harmful to their own health and are likely to harm the health of their children. These behaviors include smoking, heavy drinking, and being overweight and sedentary. Risky…

A relationship between physical fitness and cognition has been difficult to document. The paper describes cognition and examines the effects of aging on cognition, the fitness-cognition relationship hypothesis, difficulties in determining the fitness-cognition relationship, and the current status of the relationship. (SM)

Issues of health education programming for people with intellectual disability are discussed. Three aspects of health education programming are considered: physical activity, general health knowledge, and social supports for health. Continuity of information is viewed as important in policy development as well as interprofessional coordination and…

This paper argues that traditional African dance can develop fitness and health particularly for those interested in both health and African culture. A discussion of fitness concludes that this quality enables the body to perform physical activities with greater efficiency and that all the qualities commonly found in notions of fitness are found…

Lessons left out of the formal superintendents' education include handling the school board; working with micromanagers; dealing with the once-a-month expert; communicating with parents; and keeping fit. (MLF)

Major community involvement can help promote physical activity and enhance supportive environments that encourage physical fitness. There must be teamwork by those in fitness, recreation, and health promotion to reduce duplication, broaden support, and combine the power of community leaders. The article examines successful partnerships and…

The human capital model is described as it relates to health promotion and exercise behavior change strategies, and possible limitations are discussed. An alternative called the human development-potential perspective is presented. The alternative model broadly frames health in socioecological terms with economic, moral, and sociocultural…

Introductory exercise courses for sedentary, moderately overweight adults were developed. The underlying principles of the courses, their structure and contents, guidelines of instruction, and use of evaluation are described. Implementation of five weight-reduction courses and six exercise courses involving 209 participants is described;…

Health professionals can work to correct common misconceptions through nutrition and fitness education and sharing information and resources to provide consistent public messages. The article discusses the impact of the media, food labels, and the Fuel for Fitness program, encouraging teamwork to ensure proper communication of diet and exercise…

Research shows that parks and recreation services provide people with opportunities that have substantial positive health effects, resulting in massive public-health cost savings. In a rapidly changing world, the ability to adapt and collaborate is critical for leisure services professionals. Recreation and parks must be reconceptualized to remain…