This issue of BJSM – one of the 16 annually – focuses on keeping young people healthy. Many readers are not aware that the IOC and BJSM partner to produce 4 issues of the BJSM annually. These issues focus on the IOC mission of ‘Athlete Protection and Health Promotion’. The special issues, generally appearing in March, June, September and December (issue numbers 3, 7, 11, 15) are tagged as Injury Prevention and Health Promotion (IPHP) issues.

The (IOC) recognises the health and fitness benefits of physical activity (PA) and sport as stated in recommendation #51 from the Olympic Movement in Society Congress  Everyone involved in the Olympic Movement must become more aware of the fundamental importance of Physical Activity and sport for a healthy lifestyle, not least in the growing battle against obesity, and must reach out to parents and schools as part of a strategy to counter the rising inactivity of young people.1

Read the consensus paper from the expert group meeting in Lausanne

The IOC expert group  discussed the role of PA and sport on the health and fitness of young people and to critically evaluate the scientific evidence as a basis for decision making. Specifically, the purpose of this consensus paper is to identify potential solutions through collaboration between sport and existing programmes and to review the research gaps in this field. The ultimate aim of the paper is to provide recommendations for those involved in young people’s sport.

We’ll highlight other papers from the issue this week – check out the table of contents.

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