Survival of the FIT
How Physical Education Ensures Academic Achievement and a Healthy Life
By: Daniel Fulham O’Neill
Survival of the Fit is more than a book. It is a guide and template for a revolution regarding physical education (PE) and sports in our nation’s schools. This revolution will change the way we consider, program and fund PE. Most importantly, it will ensure the health of the next generation of children as they negotiate this increasingly complex world that is moving far faster than human evolution.
Please support your independent bookstore:
or find Survival of the FIT at these wonderful stores:
Gibson’s Bookstore – Concord, NH
Innisfree Bookshop- Meredith, NH
Toadstool Bookshops – Keene, Nashua and Peterborough, NH
Dr. O’Neill contributes to article on BMI index on health.com.
Dr. O’Neill had a great meeting in May with the Commissioner of Education in NH, Frank Edelblut. The Commissioner is someone with a keen “physical identity” and will be an influential and strong ally in our quest to bring PE to every child, every day, in every year of school.
Childhood Obesity and the Importance of Early Childhood Intervention
About the Author
Dr. Daniel O’Neill is a board-certified Orthopaedic Surgeon, Sports Medicine Doctor, Sport Psychologist, and Author on a mission to get children healthier and happier through maintaining what he calls their “physical identity” for life. At the intersection of physical health and sports, he has built over 30+ years a successful medical practice and revolutionary educational platform that is transforming today’s approach to children’s fitness. His research, presentations and books have consistently challenged the status quo, inspiring educators nationwide to discover and nurture the athlete in every child.
Dr. O’Neill currently practices at The Alpine Clinic, the largest orthopedic practice in Northern New Hampshire. As a physician he worked with a diverse patient list that includes the U.S. Ski and Ski Jumping Teams, Plymouth State University, and Burke Mountain Ski Academy. After appreciating the importance of mental preparedness and rehabilitation was missing from the world of sports medicine, Dr. O’Neill went back to school to become a Sports Psychologist so he could better help his patients heal—both in mind and body.
An industry trailblazer, Dr. O’Neill is devoted to raising awareness about the link between children’s loss of physical identity and the likelihood of the later onset of obesity, physical lethargy, anxiety and depression. A noted thought leader, he speaks and writes on the topics of the exercise mindset, sports psychology, optimizing athletic performance, rehabilitation & recovery, and motivating the ‘non-athletic’ child from within. His latest book, “Survival of the FIT: How Physical Education Ensures Academic Achievement and a Healthy Life” will empower readers with a better understanding of the global obesity crisis and offer concrete yet simple solutions for creating healthier and happier children.
Dr. O’Neill holds an MD and a doctorate in Exercise and Sport Psychology. He lives the active lifestyle he inspires, always finding great adventure hiking, biking and skiing in the White Mountains with his wife, Patty, and two rescue dogs, Lenny and Carlos.
“A wonderful ’manifesto’ on the sad state of our youth fitness and the problems with school physical education programs, and an urgent call for rebranding school physical education. Unlike many authors who are quick to describe social problems but offer no solutions, O’Neill provides excellent recommendations for a more healthy next generation.”
Leonard Zaichkowsky, performance consultant
“I cannot imagine what I would have become without spending so much of my youth outdoors. Dr. O’Neill has put a name on this: physical identity. I hope that this book will influence other young people to enjoy the world as I have.”
Bode Miller, Olympic Gold Medalist
“A devastatingly simple, actionable guide to reversing our national obesity and diabetes epidemics, promoting emotional health, and saving our county billions of dollars by promoting preventative health care.”
Gary Hirshberg, cofounder and chief organic optimist, Stonyfield Organic
Join the conversation:
- Interview with aParently Speaking
- Interview on 106.9 Sunday Morning Magazine
- Childhood Obesity and the Importance of Early Childhood Intervention
- Why kids playing sports is good for their mental health
- Pandemic’s Impact on Childhood Obesity
- Does Yoga Strengthen Your Bones? An Orthopedic Surgeon’s Answer Might Surprise You
- How to address the rise in prediabetes among children
- Importance of Physical Education Podcast
- How Did They Not Die?! The Skill and Danger Involved in Alpine Skiing and Bobsled
- Fitness Tracker Benefits and Drawbacks