International Academy of Sportology
Outline of the Academy's Establishment
In recent years, living environments on a global level have changed dramatically, resulting in declining physical activity, transformation of eating habits and raising fears of heightened social stresses and a drastic increase in those with such ailments as sleep disorders.
Disease structures are not merely affecting adults, but changing significantly from childhood. It is not only that declined physical prowess among elementary and junior high school pupils is viewed as a problem and lifestyle diseases are becoming more prevalent among younger generations, but the advent of the ultra-aged society brings anxieties of an increase in dementia patients, muscular depression and proliferation of osteoporosis patients requiring nursing care.
Because of this, there is demand for prompt attention to approaching the matters of the maintenance and enhancement of "health."
Just as defined in the World Health Organization Charter, health does not simply mean the absence of illness, but needs completeness physically, mentally and socially.
One of the most important methods expected to comprehensively improve these various health problems is sports. Actually, up until now research themes related to sports have a foundation segmented into various fields such as physical education, sports science and health science through to getting healthy through competitive sports. At the same time, thinking about sports from the medical viewpoint, in the fields of diabetes, cardiovascular organs and orthopedics, exercise therapy has been strenuously researched and clinically applied, while in recent years that research matter has been viewed importantly from the point of preventative medicine. It has also become indispensible to approach from the positions of mental health, aesthetics and philosophy.
That is to say, the current situation in the field of "health " sees those in a variety of positions use sports to conduct research with similar objectives.
Sportology shall be a scientific approach to the relationship between sports and health and is a newly defined system of study. While using "sports and health " as keywords to deepen the respective specialized sciences involved, sportology simultaneously integrates each of these specializations, creates and presents opportunities where "deepening and integration " are possible and gives back to society more effective and more efficient academic achievements - a strong motivation for us in establishing this academic society. From now on, several further academic developments are targeted, with specialists in each area acknowledging the necessity to establish a group where multifaceted, diverse discussion can occur, leading to this proposal for the establishment of a new academic society called the International Academy of Sportology.
I am firmly convinced that this academic society shall make it possible through innovative research to return considerable benefits to society.
That explains the background to the establishment of the International Academy of Sportology and its outlines.
The inaugural International Academy of Sportology will be held on 5th March, 2011, in Tokyo as the one of the satellite symposia to the 28th General Assembly of the Japanese Medical Congress held by the Japanese Association of Medical Sciences' in April 2011.
We hope you understand our intentions and make a heartfelt request for your assistance with the establishment and development of the International Academy of Sportology.
January 2010
OGAWA Hideoki, MD. PhD.
CEO, Juntendo University
Charter Founder, International Academy of Sportology