The response of mentally retarded children to various stimuli (low active remain low active, high active remain high active) relates activity to intelligence and suggests that, for low intellectual functioning subjects, the retardation was due to endogenous reasons with consequent organic brain involvement affecting mechanisms controlling activity…

The effects of physical activity on the human skeleton are examined. Research studies are cited that indicate exercise may be beneficial in maintaining or increasing bone mineral content. Effects of exercise on the prevention or treatment of osteoporosis are uncertain. (DF)

An article discusses what is known about children's fitness based on numerous small-scale studies. Specifically addressed are issues of cardiovascular fitness, effects of training, participation in physical activity, and behavioral carryovers to adulthood. Six articles follow that comment on and critique the first. (Author/MT)

Reports on the development of the Adolescent Activities Checklist (AAC) which is comprised of 100 items that assess pleasant and unpleasant activities. The AAC subscales demonstrated high internal consistency and homogeneity. Results suggest the AAC is a reliable index of the frequency of pleasant and unpleasant activities reported by adolescents.…

This article offers a perspective on the present and future status of the health and fitness of Americans. Many advances have been made in the areas of health and fitness, but heart disease and obesity are still major health problems. (DF)

There are many misconceptions about exercise that keep older adults from participating in a regular physical fitness program. This article explores some of these misconceptions and offers strategies for developing appropriate and safe programs for the older population. (DF)

Activity-level and childrearing questionnaires were administered to parents of 43 nursery school children. Results were interpreted as consistent with a heritable component to activity level. (ST)

Although research indicates that the growth and development of young athletes is not adversely affected by continuous rigorous physical activity, there is evidence to support the fact that inclusion of certain nutritional programs may deplete the physically active child. Cardiovascular involvement should be monitored and proper safeguards taken to…

To aid in the identification and treatment of hyperkinesis, parent and teacher rating scales were developed. Analysis of parent ratings indicated three factors: excitability; motor coordination; and directed attention. Analysis of the teacher form yielded similar factors. Analysis of variance of each factor score revealed significant differences…

The effects of task-overlapping linguistic noise on activity and performance of hyperactive and control children were assessed. Results suggest that task difficulty may play a role in the effects of overlapping stimulation on both groups. (Author/GK)

The effectiveness of a package of self-control procedures in a classroom with six hyperactive boys ages 7 to 10 was investigated. Results indicated that the self-control package was effective in improving misbehavior and attention to tasks during the individual seat work but not during group instruction. (Author)

Assessed the prevalence of dieting, investigating clusters of risk behaviors among adolescents. Data from the 1999 South Carolina Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicated that weight control behaviors related to several other important health behaviors. Differences existed between adolescents who used extreme weight loss measures and moderate dieters…

Authors address current recommendations for physical activity and health, physical activity and mental well being, and implications for counselors and the counseling profession. Specifically, they review a recent article published in the "Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology" and examine in detail the resulting implications for counselors…

A review of the literature regarding gender differences in physical activity found that gender differences in motor performance were related to age in 12 of 20 tasks and suggested that gender differences prior to puberty may be environmentally induced, but after puberty may be influenced by a biology-environment interaction. (Author/CB)

Examined pain coping strategies in 79 adult sickle cell disease (SCD) patients. Results revealed that coping strategies factors were important predictors of pain and adjustment. Subjects high on Negative Thinking and Passive Adherence had more severe pain, were less active and more distressed, and used more health services. Individuals high on…