According to the Department of Health and Human Services there are approximately 12.5 million children who are overweight in the
- 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:
- 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.
- 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.
Do you know if there are certain guidelines that schools would have to follow to implement these physical education requirements?
ReplyDeleteWith the budget cuts throughout Virginia for the school systems there may not be enough funds going towards the physical education programs. They are going to want to focus primarily on the major subjects that require SOL testing.
Mary has a valid point, we think that the bill should be more specific as to what exactly the requirements are for the 60 minute periods of exercise. Also, when this bill talks about implementing healthy lifestyle habits and nutritional needs what does that entail and would that be included in PE or in a classroom setting?
ReplyDeleteIn order to improve health in children, there should be a focus on encouraging healthy eating habits in school regarding cafeteria food. Perhaps instead of offering fries everyday, these schools can offer alternates like a side salad or fruit slices.
- Group 1
In reference to Mary's comment, our bill states that each school would need to require at least sixty minutes of physical activity per day. Also the schools would need to implement a healthy eating program to encourage good nutritional habits. As far as budget cuts go, most school already have a physical education teacher and a set time for physical activity. There would be no need for an increased budget, the system in place would just need to be enforced. Kids would actually have to exercise during gym instead of being allowed to sit out.
ReplyDeleteIn reference to Amanda, we agree with your comments. The health education would be implemented during the child's lunch period. The cafeteria would offer healthy alternatives to french fries and other food such as you mentioned. Some schools have also decided to remove or restrict access to vending machines. However, there are also other schools that have decided to keep their vending machines and simply substitute unhealthy snacks for healthier ones such as milk for soda, baked chips for regular, etc. Our bill did not specifically state which activities would need to be implemented during the sixty minutes of physical activity. We believe that any activity that increases a child's heart rate would be beneficial.
ReplyDelete