Implications
weight gain
HOLIDAYS, HOLIDAY
If the holiday environment leads to increases in fatness and decreases in aerobic fitness, there are potential policy implications. Interventions targeted at the holiday period (such as summer camps and programs which offer a mix of physical and learning activities), at the home environment, or at effectively extending the in-school environment (such as shortening the holiday period) may provide the structured day needed to prevent weight gain and losses in aerobic fitness. Further, many sporting competitions stop during the summer holidays (e.g., netball, basketball) while others (e.g., little athletics) have a short Christmas-New Year break. Perhaps an emphasis on moderate-to-vigorous aerobic activities like swimming, bike riding, running, and dancing, as recommended in national physical activity guidelines, may help minimise holiday-related declines in aerobic fitness, particularly while competitive sports are in a hiatus.There is accumulating evidence that interventions of this sort of structured programming have been effective in North America and Europe, where summer camps are common [Family-based interventions are difficult during the holiday diaspora, but a recent systematic review [