Physical activity in childhood

Physical activity (PA) plays a key role in the psychomotor development, the bone maturation and the energy balance during childhood. Its interest in the management of chronic diseases is currently discussed. Childhood obesity is an example of disease in which PA promotion is part of management as well as dietary and psychological support. In other chronic diseases in childhood such as cancer or cystic fibrosis, maintenance of PA at a suitable level and especially after remission in acute lymphoblastic leukemia, for example, may limit the excessive development of fat mass currently observed in survivors. In conclusion, there are a bundle of arguments suggesting to integrate PA in the management of chronic childhood diseases. However, further work is needed to determine its type and frequency according to each disease. (C) 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.