Abstract
Significant changes in physical education have taken place over the past 40 years with a transition from a traditional sports skill-orientation to a broader emphasis on health-related fitness and lifelong physical activity. However, throughout the world, physical education programs are being reduced, minimized and/or outright eliminated from elementary and secondary curriculums.
It is therefore evident that there is a need to develop more effective assessment leading to greater accountability physical education teachers. Physical education programs must generate data that can make the profession's efforts much more accountable for program interventions.
Obesity and overweight, especially among children and youth, has become a major health concern on a worldwide basis. It has been well documented that patterns developed in one's childhood will, in fact, carry forward to one's adult.
The emerging epidemic of obesity among children and youth thus becomes a concern for future adult populations. The challenge is a complex one that requires more holistic and multidisciplinary thinking to address the problem.
Health, leisure and physical education professionals worldwide have a key role to play in formulating strategies to address this problem. The pedagogical community of the Czech Republic warmly welcomes and backs the initiative of the Statement of Consensus of the Global Forum for Physical Education Pedagogy adopted in 2010 as an inspiration and challenge for all of us to seek new ways and qualities in the education of young people.