Increasing physical activity (PA) levels is one key strategy that has been advocated as a means to curb the alarming increases witnessed over the last 30 years in childhood and adolescent obesity . This includes; reducing coronary heart disease risk, risk of developing type II diabetes and associated metabolic abnormalities , enhancing psychological well-being  and other associated hypokinetic diseases. Furthermore, evidence suggests that physically active children are more likely to be physically active in adulthood .

 

Although youth-specific PA guidelines are established and recommend that at least 60 minutes of daily moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activities (MVPA) are undertaken by children and adolescents , a sizeable number of young people do not engage in sufficient MVPA for health benefits and may be at increased risk of overweight, obesity and other hypokinetic diseases as a consequence. The causes are multi-faceted including; increased time spent in sedentary activity , unsupportive social and built environments for PA, decreased autonomy in leisure time activity and increased parental concerns over outdoor safety and crime, resulting in less opportunity to be physically active .

 

One environment, which has been consistently identified as an important locus for children‟s PA and efforts to reduce overweight and obesity is the school . This chapter provides an overview of integrated curriculum pedometer interventions as a means to increase PA and reduce body fatness in children.