Why boys fear physical education

LONDON, Ontario, April 1 (UPI) -- If a boy is thinner or heavier than he wants to be, the stress and anxiety of attending physical education may be prohibitive, a Canadian study said.

Michael Kehler and Kevin Wamsley of The University of Western Ontario said most teen obesity research involves inactivity linked to television viewing and the computer, but little research in masculinity, body image and health.

Kehler said that in Ontario all high school students are required to take at least one course in health and physical education. Most boys choose to take gym in Grade 9, but others postpone it to a year later when the topic is related to health and does not include gymnasium or playing field activities.

Kehler and Wamsley along with Michael Atkinson of the University of Loughborough in Britain did one-on-one interviews of high school boys as well as observations in physical education classes and Web logging.

Gym anxiety plays out in a number of ways, from disinterest to genuine fear of being harassed, Kehler said.

"Often boys who don't feel at ease are terrified to go to the locker room or class, fearing they will be mocked for their size, their lack of athletic prowess, or that they will fall victim to homophobia," Kehler said.