The document discusses the importance of quality physical education programs in combating childhood obesity. It notes that today's youth are the first generation expected to have a shorter lifespan than their parents due to lack of activity and resulting health issues. A quality physical education program can help children live healthier lives through increased activity and development of important life skills while also boosting academic performance. The document provides 10 reasons why physical education programs are important, including preventing disease, promoting wellness, developing fitness, and educating the whole child.

1. THE IMPORTANCE OF A
Rusty Veth
QUALITY EDUCATION Kristen Pelley
PROGRAM

3. OBESIT Y IN CHILDREN
 Today’s youth will be the first generation to not outlive their
parents
 A lack of a quality physical education program leads to
obesity and inactivity amongst other things but there are also
emotional and psychological repercussions
 With a quality physical education in place though chances
increase that our young people will live healthier, more
productive life spans, and it will pay of f in the classroom

4. REASONS FOR HIGH OBESIT Y RATES
 Life style changes
 JOBS
 FODD
 CONVIENINCE
 Statistically speaking this adds up to nearly one third of U.S.
children ages 4-19 eating fast food every day, which results in
approximately six extra pounds per child per year

5. CROSSING ACADEMIC LINES
 Charlotte Kelso observing the dramatic decline in students
capacity to learn when inactive
 A quality physical education program can teach students
 Math
 Physics
 Social study skills

6. PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT
 Self-worth
 Self-image
 Self-confidence
 Promotes feelings of health and wellness
 It develops brain cells and stimulates the production of
endorphins, body chemicals that help create feelings of
happiness and calmness as well as ease stress and pain

7. PROGRESSION OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION
PROGRAMS
 Gym
 calisthenics and sports competition shifting towards physical fitness
 1980’s
 group activity focused
 1990’s
 Intramurals
 Today
 just getting students up and moving! Simple things like walking or
dancing are the focus now.

8. WHAT QUALIT Y PHYSICAL EDUCATION
PROGRAMS PROVIDE…
 While obesity can lead to emotional damage and life skills
lost the benefits that are prevalent are:
 Development of motor skills
 Application of content in math/social studies/science
 Self-discipline
 Improved judgment
 Reduce stress
 Strengthen peer relationships
 Experience setting goals
 Dealing with success and loss appropriately

9. REASON ONE
 Regular physical activity helps prevent disease
 According to the Surgeon General, it is now clear that the
risks of chronic diseases such as heart disease, high blood
pressure, stroke, diabetes, and osteoporosis are increased by
secondary living
 Regular physical activity can improve immune function and
help relieve arthritis, asthma, and fibromyalgia

10. REASON TWO
 Evidence has accumulated proving that physical activity can
promote wellness in adults as well as among youth
 Active people are less likely to be anxious and depressed then
those who lead secondary lifestyles.
 You are more likely to be productive at work, higher self
esteem, and experience more restful sleep.

11. REASON THREE
 Among the adult population, 66 percent are overweight and
32 percent are obese.
 19 percent of children and 17 percent of adolescents are
overweight.
 There has been a three-fold increase in overweight conditions
among children in the past two decades
 This is problematic because of a higher incidence of disease
and absence of wellness exists among children
 One probable cause of childhood overweight and obesity is
decreased daily energy expenditure.

12. REASON FOUR
 Physical fitness has been categorized into five categories:
cardiovascular fitness
 strength,
 muscular endurance
 Flexibility
 body composition

13. REASON FIVE
 As stated in the previous four reasons, physical fitness is a
common denominator for health
 Physical activity helps reduce:
 risk of disease
 promotes wellness
 contributes to energy balance and maintenance of healthy body
composition
 promotes fitness development.
 Most adult fail to meet the minimum requirement of 30
minutes of activity required daily.
 In recent years, physical education and recess have been
reduced in schools resulting in long periods of inactivity
during the school day

14. REASON SIX
 Physical education provides students with the necessary skills
they will provides students with many real world skills, in
addition to providing physical activity in the school day.
 Self-management skills are an especially important part of
quality secondary physical education.
 As youths transition to adulthood, they require skill that will
aid then in making self assessments, planning personal
programs, setting goals and making decisions.

15. REASON SEVEN
 The reasons for the reductions in physical education programs
.
over the past 20 years included scarcity of resources and lack
of time
 When budgets become problematic in schools, physical
education classes are usually the first to go
 Time is reduced for P.E. class is often because of the belief
that student will do better on academic tests if more time is
focused to other academic areas when research has proven
that P.E. increases academic activities.

16. REASON EIGHT
 Many public schools struggle with large class
sizes, insuf ficient equipment, and limited facilities, physical
educators endure the additional stress of having to constantly
promote the importance of the program
 The evidence to cut physical education is short sided. In
fact, over the long haul, cutting physical education can be
quite costly.

17. REASON NINE
 United States health goals for promotion of physical education
include
 increasing the proportion of the nation’s public and private schools
require daily physical education for all students
 increasing the proportion of adolescents who participate in daily
physical education
 increasing the proportion of adolescents who spend at least 50
percent of school physical education class time being physically
active.

18. REASON TEN
 A central tenant of a sound educational philosophy is to
educate the whole child
 Support the notion that educating the whole person is a
worthy goal.