Public Policy Analysis
Introducing more PE into schools as a way of reducing childhood obesity
Childhood obesity is one of the most commonly-identified problems facing the nation today, yet lawmakers have struggled to address it effectively because of its multifactorial nature. "It is the No. 1 health problem in children…a study this year in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that obese children were twice as likely to die of disease by age 55" (Netter 2010). The food the child consumes at home; the food the child consumes at school; the child's level of physical activity; genetics; and possibly other as-yet unidentified factors all contribute to a child's body mass. However, while there is no 'silver bullet' solution, mandatory PE classes are an important step forward in reducing obesity. "Only six states nationwide require the recommended 150 minutes of elementary school-based physical education" (PE programs, 2012, Huffington Post). This proposal uses the group process model to suggest a way in which individual school communities can create a policy agenda to incorporate physical education into the school.
Financial cutbacks and a desire to prepare students for standardized tests are often used as a justification for cutbacks in PE. However, the negative effects upon children's bodies and attention spans are often overlooked. Children are not machines and simply 'slotting in' more study time does not produce better academic results. "According to a 2010 CDC review of 50 studies spanning 23 years,...
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