Uses 
Kent Healthy Schools: Physical activity: facts and figures
Benefits of physical activity The benefits to health from participation in regular physical activity identified by research evidence include:- Helps to promote healthy growth and development i.e. healthy heart, development of strong bones and muscles and can help reduce the risk of some chronic disease later in life.
- Controls and manages weight
- Increases confidence
- Promotes self efficacy and helps children and young people to feel good about themselves
- Reduces stress and anxiety
- Provides the opportunity to mix with others and be creative
- Helps to develop basic skills
- Allows children to understand how to follow instructions, take turns and share.
- Physical activity in childhood may be related to general cognitive functioning e.g. staying alert and academic achievement in school.
- Active children are less likely to smoke, or to use alcohol or illegal drugs than inactive children.
- Physical activity guidelines
- National and local targets relating to physical activity
- Summary of some key statistics
For local information and statistics on children and young peoples health use the Government Office for the South East website. Kent and Medway NHS
Local area statistics that include data about obesity are available from the individual PCT annual reports. These can be downloaded from the publications libary on the Kent and Medway NHS website Data referring to children's overweight and obesity prevalence by survey year and sex 1995-2004 is available here PESSCL Survey Data
Summary report of the National Physical Education, School Sport and Club Links Survey for Kent schools. The data that it provided covers all schools in five of the six School Sport Partnerships (SSPs) active in Kent in 2004 - 2005. Other sources of national statistics Department of Health: Publications and statistics section
Almost all current and many old DH publications, including statistical reports, surveys, press releases, circulars and legislation, are available in electronic form in this section of the DH site. Official UK statistics
Britain's economy, population and society at national and local level. Summaries and detailed data releases are published free of charge. Wired for Health
For detailed information on healthy eating, food groups and the national perspective use the National Healthy Schools Programme website Wired for Health. Other sources of information For other useful resources, see the Facts and Figures heading in the Resources and Training section.