Get Up and Move!
The United States Government should mandate Physical Education in schools. At the current time, physical education in schools is controlled at a local and state level, and they are failing our children. Without intervention, childhood obesity will continue to rise as well as healthcare costs. Our future is suffering as government focuses more on saving money instead of saving lives.
Remember gym class in the
olden days? I do and I absolutely hated it! Walking around the
basketball court on the rainy days, and those dreaded dodge ball
games. Most adults have memories, good or bad, of gym class. And how
could one forget the movies references of gym locker rooms where so
much drama occurred. As much as I despised gym, I admit that was
where most of my physical activity took place during my middle school and high
school days. With video games, talking on the phone with
girlfriends, and homework, I did not find time for physical activity
outside of school- like most adolescents.
I found a shocking
statistic as I was working on a different Government assignment- that
only six states require physical activity in grades K-12. I was
flabbergasted! With Mayor Bloomburg using propaganda to support his
“Fat Tax,” he should have been fighting the battle to mandate New
York Schools' physical activity time, as well as increasing funding
in support of supplies and gymnasiums for children to use. Due to
government cutbacks in the education system, the first class to go is
gym. I found it surprising that many schools no longer have recess,
gymnasiums, or P.E. instructors for the students. Most of our society
is unaware these shocking statistics because states classify exercise
as Physical Education instead of physical activity. Yes, many schools
have a P.E. course- which does not require actual activity, but more
as a health class with lecture. At the current time, only 12 states
require physical activity in elementary schools, 7 states require
physical activity in middle schools, and 3 states require physical
activity in high schools! However, Physical Education online is
allowed in 30 states!
So, why does government not
mandate physical activity in schools? Government argues that there's
just not enough funding. With this lack of funding, the adolescent
obesity is on the rise, and so are healthcare costs. The CDC states:
“overweight and obesity are the result of “caloric imbalance”—too
few calories expended for the amount of calories consumed—and are
affected by various genetic, behavioral,
and environmental factors... The percentage of children aged 6–11
years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980
to nearly 18% in 2010. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged
12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to 18% over the same
period...In 2010, more than one third of children and adolescents
were overweight or obese.” The AHA states:“The
total excess cost related to the current prevalence of adolescent
overweight and obesity is estimated to be $254 billion ($208 billion
in lost productivity secondary to premature morbidity and mortality
and $46 billion in direct medical costs).
If
current trends in the growth of obesity continue, total healthcare
costs attributable to obesity could reach $861 to $957 billion by
2030, which would account for 16% to 18% of US health expenditures.”
All I can remark is, do the math!
The
federal government should mandate physical activity in schools.
Physical Education is very important, but the activity is crucial.
Forget numbers, statistics, and even dollars. Focus on the children.
These children are our future and our lifeline. They will be making
laws and setting precedents. They will cure cancer and move this
country forward. They are our hope, and we are failing them. If we
fail them, then we are failing ourselves.
Cites:
AAHPERD.
“State Standards for Physical Education.”National
Association for Sport and Physical Education and the American Heart
Association. Web.
24 April 2013.
AAHPERD.
“Shape of the Nation: 2012 Report”
National Association for Sport and Physical Education and the
American Heart Association. Web.
24 April 2013.
AHA. “Overweight & Obesity: Statistical Fact Sheet 2013 Update.” American Heart Association. Web. 24 April 2013. http://www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-public/@wcm/@sop/@smd/documents/downloadable/ucm_319588.pdf
CDC. “Childhood Obesity Facts.” CDC: Center of Disease Control and Prevention. Web. 24 April 2013. http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm
LiveScience. “Up to 40 Percent of U.S. Schools Cutting Back on Recess.” MNN: Mother Nature Network. Web. 24 April 2013.
