Childhood Obesity - Do you have an overweight child? We offer tips to help your child lose weight and get fit!

The My Overweight Child blog will help you keep informed about the latest research, findings, and resources available to parents of overweight or obese kids. There are many knowledgeable people working on the increasingly dire problem of childhood obesity - and we want to give parents a place where they can check in regularly to see the latest studies and tips available to help you help your child lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

We invite you to add your comments - if you have feedback for the blog, would like some specific topics covered, or you just want to share your experience as a parent dealing with childhood obesity.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Only 4 Percent of U.S. Elementary Students Have Phys Ed Every Day

As students across the nation either prepare to return to school or have already begun classes, it may come as a surprise to many parents that very few American children have daily physical education classes.

This lack of regular phys. ed. opportunities was documented in a recent study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  • The study found that only 4 percent of elementary schools, 8 percent of middle schools and 2 percent of high schools have daily physical education.
  • Only two states, Illinois and Massachusetts, require such classes every day for kindergarteners through 12th graders.
  • The study found that children in Illinois and Massachusetts the same rates of obesity and overweight as children everywhere else in the United States, even though they exercise daily.
"I'm all for holding schools to high standards with regard to academic outcomes," said Russell Pate, vice president of Health Studies at the University of South Carolina. "But we need to have balance, and we need all schools to be healthy places for children."

Labels: schools, physical_activity, physical_education

Posted By: Aspen/CRC