Political Influences and Recommendations

According to the Department of Health and Human Services there are approximately 12.5 million children who are overweight in the United States. These children are at greater risk for serious health issues later in life. The Surgeon General has an initiative to promote healthy eating and physical activity in young children to decrease the percentage of obese and overweight children. In order to achieve this goal some objectives include:

- Helping Kids Stay Active

- Encouraging Healthy Eating Habits

- Promoting Healthy Choices

The American Heart Association has enacted The Fitness Integrated with Teaching Kids Act (FIT Kids Act) which incorporates the ideals of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. Together, these acts promote physical education and activity for public school children through high school, as well as education concerning important healthy eating habits. The FIT Kids Act will require all schools, districts, and states to report on quantity and quality of physical education within the public school system. Physical activity and wellness will be promoted throughout the school day instead of only during the time of physical education class.

Congress should be aware of this initiative because it is a growing concern for society and affects everyone. The following reasons are why Congress should enact this legislation:

1. Many schools are cutting physical education classes and 22% of schools do not require students to take physical education classes at all even though physical activity is the most important component in fighting childhood obesity. The statistics show that only 3.8% of elementary, 7.9% of middle, and 2.1% of high schools provide daily physical education or its equivalent for the entire school year.
2. It is proven that a lack of regular exercise can actually decrease a child’s academic, social and emotional development. Children who exercise can be more successful in the classroom and achieve more in life.
   

The Mayo Clinic recommends yearly well-child visits to your primary health care provider as well as providing healthy eating choices and regular physical activities for your child outside of school. It is suggested to encourage things other than food as an incentive for good behaviors. These simple ideas can lead to healthier futures for children.

If this legislation is enacted, it would have a positive impact on nurses, clients, and the health care system. Nurses would have an increased role as patient educators in preventing obesity, creating healthy lifestyles, and changing current view points on eating habits. Clients would be more informed on how to fight obesity and prevent obesity in their children. They would have the power to make informed decisions. The health care system would change from a system of illness treatment to a system of illness prevention and education regarding childhood obesity. Overall, this legislation would be beneficial to society in all aspects.

The Importance of Childhood Physical Activity

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, health care costs for obesity-related morbidity may soon approach $147 billion per year in the United States. In order to impede this growing problem, Senator J. Chapman Petersen (D) of Virginia District 34 is taking action. He is proposing a bill to increase physical activity and solid nutrition in Virginia public schools to reduce childhood obesity.

The American Heart Association states that "Today about 25 million kids and teens in the U.S. are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. That’s nearly one in every three young people."

This graph is from The Virginia Department of Health and depicts the obesity rates for selected states.

The Senate Joint Resolution bill No. 85 states 60 minutes of physical activity a day and healthy nutrition is strongly encouraged to be implemented in public schools. These changes are important because school age children spend the majority of their week in school. Some children may not have the opportunity to engage in healthy lifestyle choices in their home environment.
Therefore, involvement in physical activity during school hours is necessary to ensure that the child develops a healthy lifestyle.