ABSTRACT
This chapter illustrates that governments are increasingly encouraging their populations to enjoy sport participation with the underpinning belief that enjoyment will translate to physically active lifestyles and subsequent health and wellbeing benefits. It reviews what is known about sport and its connections to pleasure/happiness, health and wellbeing and examines the issues surrounding the use of sport as a form of 'biopower'. The chapter argues that governments are using sport as a form of biopower to foster the health, happiness and wellbeing of populations, but this is a flawed strategy that produces a number of unintended and problematic consequences by examining the concept of subjective wellbeing (SWB), as this concept has become a prime focus of analysis within diverse disciplines, including sport studies. It also reviews the limited literature associated with the intersections between sport and SWB, with the intention to understand whether it is prudent for governments to promote sport as a technique for enhancing a population's sense of wellbeing.
