Current developments in the improvement of PE teachers’ action with overweight students

Globally, researchers regularly note the growing prevalence of weight excess and obesity among all population groups (Sassi, 2010). This trend is now considered a real epidemic. Weight gain and obesity are associated with several endogenous and exogenous factors among which inappropriate nutrition and sedentary lifestyle are clearly emphasized (Gahagan, 2004). Beyond the harmful consequences on individual health, the increasing proportion of overweight/obese individuals is already contributing to an increase in health care costs that will reach unmanageable proportions in few decades. Therefore, an increasing number of national and international bodies underline the need to implement effective programs designed to improve the citizen’s lifestyle. Over the last decade, the literature is replete with studies that demonstrate the positive effects of local and/or broader programs designed to address the issue of weight control and obesity prevention/treatment. Despite the encouraging data, it seems that the real impact on the society lacks consistency. It appears that multi-sectoral approaches are required. In such models, the School is identified as a determining component that should be implemented but cannot be considered as the magic remedy of a complex challenge like obesity (Fridlund Dunton et al., 2011; Lee et al., 2006). In fact, at school, each child is expected to acquire competences and knowledge that she/he will be able to use lifelong. Nevertheless, without the support of the other pillars of the society, any action undertaken at school would be a sword strike into water. Moreover, within the school, the fight against obesity needs the combined action of several partners in a multidimensional intervention. As a result of its links to the promotion of physical activity and health, physical education (PE) is logically presented as a key element in the strategies to be implemented (Tappe & Burgeson, 2004). However, for PE teachers, the growing number of overweight/obese students seems to represent a real challenge. Indeed, these students require specialized attention that, in the same time, cannot result in a stigmatization of the students’ characteristics. It first appears that PE teachers experience some difficulties in clearly identifying those students who need real intervention. Moreover, PE teachers express real concern over what can be done without causing harm to the overweight/obese student, this situation being especially relevant with the adolescent student (Cloes & Ziant, 2009; Rukavina et al., 2010). The presentation will focus on the current state of the research on PE teachers’ potential actions with overweight/obese students. The aim is to illustrate the avenues that are currently being explored. The presentation will offer a review of the steps of a research program addressing student obesity in PE developed at the University of Liege over the past several years