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The Center For Disease Control ( Cdc ) And The World Health Organization Essay

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Introduction: The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) note that when children participate in the recommended level of physical activity of at least 60 minutes per day multiple health benefits ensue. Nevertheless, since the creation of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) increasing focus has been dedicated to bridging the achievement gap among students and less emphasis has been placed on non-academic curriculum such as physical education. Research has shown that approximately 3.8% of elementary schools provide formal physical education with this percentage steadily declining as children continue onto middle and high school. This decrease in physical activity is in line with reports from the CDC which estimate that one third of children in the United States are overweight and, within those cases, the CDC has documented that children who are overweight have higher absentee rates, have poorer health and experience early signs of mental illness all of which have an impact on academic performance. The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), a member-based non-profit organization, is changing this discourse by establishing a mission that supports educators and students through learning, teaching and leading. The efforts of ASCD led to the establishment of the Whole Child Initiative, 2007, as a framework for education in the 21st century. Central to this initiative is that children who begin school healthy

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