Physical fitness in childhood and adolescence is a strong indicator for present and future cardiovascular, metabolic, skeletal and mental health. To aid in the development of screening protocols that could help identify young people most in need of improved fitness, researchers from the HELENA project have derived age and sex specific normative values for physical fitness in European adolescents.

Hydration is an important part of our health and wellbeing. Even small losses of body fluid can cause headaches, lack of concentration, decreased reaction time, and lethargy, and can hinder sporting performance. Beverages, including those with sodium can help in restoring and maintaining our water balance.

The human body is designed to move; being physically active can offer a range of physical, social and psychological benefits. New guidelines have been released to help Europeans achieve a better quality of life by being more active.

Physical activity is related to health and lifestyle status and should be part of everyone’s daily routine. With growing rates of obesity and its associated health problems, physical activity is now more important than ever.

Parents’ lack of money, time for cooking, and motivation are some of the important barriers to achieving a healthy diet in children. Similarly, lack of sports facilities, intolerant neighbours, and not having a garden can act as barriers to being more physically active. These are the first results of the European IDEFICS study (Identification and Prevention of Dietary- and Lifestyle-Induced Health Effects in Children and Infants).

In November 2007 a major report was published that reviewed existing studies on the relative risk of different types of cancer through lifestyle choices. Drawing together high quality research and international scientific expertise, this report, published jointly by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) is the state of the art on the relationship between food, body composition, physical activity and different types of cancer.

Much of the attention on nutrition and health has focussed on what we eat and how it affects the risk of various diseases. Less attention has traditionally been paid to the amount of physical activity we undertake. This is now changing as evidence continues to mount on the benefits of physical activity for the well-being of body and mind and the reduction of risk of chronic disease.

Water is essential for life, and maintaining hydration is important for physical and mental performance. The human body is largely made of water. Body water content declines with age, from about 75% in babies to 60% in adults. Although we can live for up to 50 days without food, without water we will survive only a few days, even in a cool climate. People generally drink enough water, but for specific population groups, like the elderly, or while exercising, fluid intake might become critical.

Whenever highly talented, motivated and well-trained athletes gather for competition, the margin between victory and defeat is small. Diet affects performance so attention to food and drink intake can make the vital difference.

Lifts, buses, cars, motorised scooters, people movers in airports and metro stations, all of these are intended to make our daily life ever easier. These features of the so-called “developed” countries, might be now regarded as potential enemies of our… “silhouette”, as revealed by a recent Eurobarometer survey.

"If exercise is supposed to be so good for you, how come it hurts so much?" It's a common question but the truth is that anyone who has bad memories associated with getting physically active was probably being asked to approach it in the wrong way.

Whether we are active or sedentary our bodies require the same nutrients to keep us in good health. When taking moderate but regular exercise there is no need to make radical changes to the diet but rather, learn to appreciate that the balance of nutrients you require may differ slightly from those who take no physical activity at all.

How do we get people to be more physically active? Along with an excess in energy intake, physical inactivity is an important contributor to the ever-increasing levels of overweight and obesity. Dr John Kearney, Scientific Director of the Institute of European Food Studies, reports on a recent European study.

Dancing the Macarena for half an hour a day or taking a daily 20 minute brisk walk is probably more beneficial to your health than vigorous exercise, according to specialists in health promotion.