The following is an excerpt from the June 2009 issue of Club Business International, IHRSA's monthly magazine reaching almost 25,000 fitness professionals around the world.
The children of America are on the verge of a health crisis—and, ultimately, so, too, is the nation’s healthcare system. About one in three children and youth are already overweight or obese. In fact, today’s kids could be the first generation of Americans to live shorter lives than their parents.
Across the spectrum, it’s widely agreed that a lack of physical activity and poor nutrition are two of the leading culprits. According to the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, an initiative of the William J. Clinton Foundation, 92% of elementary schools do not offer daily physical education classes year-round, and only about 20% of high school students report eating fruits and green vegetables five or more times a day.
Fortunately, there’s a growing awareness of the issue. Congress, many state legislators, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Surgeon General, and political leaders are actively working to improve the health of America’s kids.
So far this year, 26 states have introduced physical education (PE) legislation. Many of the bills seek to impose specific requirements on PE programs’ weekly duration, standards, and implementation requirements, or create an assessment mechanism. In Illinois, House Bill 2291 proposes requiring each school board to have an annual assessment on the physical fitness levels of all students in grades five, seven, and nine. The results would be available in report cards, along with the average number of minutes of exercise PE students receive per week at each grade level.
Legislators in Mississippi are taking a different approach. They’re currently considering House Bill 791, which would require that children’s Body Mass Index (BMI) be measured starting in kindergarten and then every other year through tenth grade. The results, including percentile and an explanation, would be provided to parents. Montana is also considering a similar bill.
During these tough economic times, three states are currently weighing the merits of tax credits to encourage physical activity among youth. In Illinois and Maryland, families could be eligible for $500 tax credits for qualified youth physical fitness programs. The Maryland bill is part of a broader legislation that also includes tax credits for adults and seniors, including $500 tax credits for health club membership dues.
In 2007, the Canadian government began providing parents with a $500 children’s fitness tax credit for eligible expenses for children under age 16. While the U.S. federal government doesn’t offer such an incentive, the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) bill, one of IHRSA’s signature pieces of proposed federal legislation, would allow parents to pay for children’s physical fitness expenses with money from their family’s pre-tax savings account. These accounts are typically used for such health-related costs as doctor visits and prescription drug co-pays. This bill would allow parents to pay for exercise expenses that could prevent diseases associated with obesity. The pre-tax savings would grant many families access to youth fitness activities, such as little league and soccer. [Advocate for passage of the PHIT Act on campaign4health.org.]
It’s not just legislators who are taking aim at childhood obesity. Acting Surgeon General Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H., has launched an initiative called Healthy Youth for a Healthy Future. The goal of the program is to highlight local communities that are coming together to motivate kids to exercise and eat nutritious foods as well as teaching them to make healthy choices.
“Teaching our children the importance of eating well and being physically active at a young age is crucial to reversing the trend of obesity in this country,” said Galson. “Everyone has a role to play in this fight to prevent childhood obesity.”
IHRSA actively supports efforts to improve the health of children through physical activity and proper nutrition. In 2008, via work with the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity, IHRSA supported the addition of PE requirements in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in Congress.
For more information, visit www.ihrsa.org/publicpolicy.
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