Many children in the United States do not get as much exercise as they should to maintain good health. Use of computers, video games, and cell phones for many hours each day; lack of healthy food; and the absence of safe places to play all contribute to the increase in childhood obesity. According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over one third of high school-aged adolescents fail to exercise regularly. Physical education classes in schools can provide children with healthy activity and educate them regarding the importance of continuing to stay active as adults.
Significance
The combination of high-sugar and high-fat diets, along with inactivity, has increased the rate of childhood obesity. Type 2 diabetes, which in the past had been almost exclusively a disease that developed in adulthood, is now being seen in young children. And because obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes, more children than ever are at risk of developing the disease as adults. Obesity rates among adolescents tripled between the years 1980 through 2000, according to the CDC. Primarily because of obesity, young children are developing risk factors for heart disease, and 26 percent of overweight children between the ages of 5 and 10 have at least two risk factors for heart disease.
Recommendations
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that elementary school children get 150 minutes of physical education throughout the school year. After elementary school, students should get 225 minutes of physical education each week. According to the School Health Policies and Programs Study, a survey conducted by the CDC in 2007 found that 78.3 percent of schools in the United States offered physical education programs. Of those 78.3 percent, only 3.8 percent of elementary schools, 7.9 percent of middle schools, and 2.1 percent of high schools, provided the amount of physical education recommended by the CDC.
Socialization
Physical education provides an opportunity for children to learn about competing and teamwork. These lessons about what is required to win, giving your best effort, and how to handle defeat, are very useful as they become mature adults. Playing games and competing in sports provide children the opportunity to focus on a common goal, and helps to boost their confidence.
Academic Performance
The reason that some schools have reduced the time students spend in physical education is that they are concerned that their academic performance will be negatively affected by the time out of the classroom. However, according to Stewart G. Trost, associate professor from the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Sciences at Oregon State University, physical activity actually helps a student's academic performance. Trost states that 14 studies published between 1967 through 2006 analyzed the link between academic performance and physical activity. These studies involved approximately 58,000 students. Eleven of the 14 studies concluded that regular physical activity improved academic performance.
References
- Active Living Research; Physical Education, Physical Activity, and Academic Performance; Stewart G. Trost; 2009
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Facts About Obesity in the United States
- School Health Policies and Programs Study: Physical Education, 2006
- "The State Education Standard"; The Role of Schools in Preventing Obesity; Howell Wechsler, et al.; December 2004
