Schools to get required minimum physical education standards under new bill

Every student attending a public school would have to spend some time in physical education classes if a bill that was introduced in the House of Representatives on Tuesday were signed into law.

The Physical Education to Create a Healthier Nation Act would require all public schools to provide minimum requirements of physical education time for every student regardless of grade level. The bill would require elementary schools to have at least 150 minutes of physical education each week, and that amount increases to a minimum of 225 minutes for students in middle and high schools – amounts the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, a non-profit association dedicated to quality in physical education and sport, recommends. The legislation also would ensure students with disabilities have a physical education plan that would correspond to their Individualized Education Plan.

San Bernardino County Democratic Rep. Joe Baca introduced the legislation as another way to help combat childhood obesity – also to help fight obesity, since the 112th Congress began in January he has introduced the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Grower Tax Incentive Act, which would increase tax incentives for fruit and vegetable growers that he has said would give more access to healthy foods.

“The rate of childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years – and obesity related health care now costs our nation over $147 billion annually,” Baca said in a news release about the legislation. “We must implement preventative policies that will create a fit future for our children, and stop the public health epidemic that obesity has become. Greater emphasis on physical activity, nutrition education, access to healthy foods and changes to our sedentary culture are all critical to solving this crisis. I am proud to introduce this bill to begin addressing part of the solution to the obesity epidemic.”

According to a School Health Policies and Programs Study the Department of Health and Human Services released in 2006 – the latest report given of the national survey periodically conducted to assess school health policies and programs at state, district, school and classroom levels – about 69 percent of elementary schools, 84 percent of middle schools and 95 percent of high schools require physical education. Of those, about 4 percent of elementary schools, 8 percent of middle schools and 2 percent of high schools provided daily physical education or its equivalent at the levels the Physical Education to Create a Healthier Nation Act would require for the entire school year for students in all grades.

The percentage of states that required or encouraged schools to follow the standards the NASPE recommends and that this bill would require increased from 59 percent in 2000 to 76 percent in 2006. In fact, California exceeds the NASPE recommendations by requiring 200 minutes of physical education every 10 schools days for students in grades one through six and 400 minutes of physical education every 10 school days for students in grades seven through 12.

Baca said his bill would not only help lower childhood obesity problems but also help reduce the nation’s healthcare costs.

“It is terrifying that right now, we are raising the first ever generation of Americans to have shorter life expectancies than their parents,” Baca said. “And with obesity related costs expected to hit $1 trillion annually by the year 2030 – we need to realize that if left unchecked, this health crisis can literally bankrupt our nation. This legislation is an important first step in recognizing the seriousness of childhood obesity, and working towards preventative solutions that makes America a happier, healthier nation.”

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