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
Becoming increasingly more active is vital to combating and reducing obesity in children. Healthful, fitness habits, then, must be jumpstarted at institutions where all American children spend mandatory time, such as in a child’s school; evidently, “normal weight children get 16 more minutes of
The Centers for Disease Control is advertising a campaign that is trying to persuade people to get the flu vaccination shot for themselves and their children. It will be told what techniques they are using to persuade these people to get the shot.
“The physical and emotional health of an entire generation and the economic health and security of our nation is at stake” a quote made by the First Lady, Michelle Obama, as she launches her comprehensive initiative to change the way children think about nutrition and physical fitness (“Learn the Facts,” 2010). Three decades ago, children lived active lives that kept them healthier. They walked to and from school, ate home cooked, reasonable portion meals with vegetables and played outdoors most of the time. Today, children ride the bus instead of walk, eat more fast food and snacks throughout the day because parents are busier, and watch more television or play video games rather than be active outside with peers (“Learn the Facts,” 2010). Young children are becoming overweight and obese along with being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes more frequently. They are making poor dietary choices, inadequate physical activity, and spending too much screen time all contributing to the obesity crisis. One of the effective solutions to reversing the trend of childhood obesity is to provide safe, affordable and accessible after-school health and physical fitness educational programs for all school ages across the nation.
Not only do schools offer unhealthy foods for children, but most do not offer the required amount of physical activity. Most adolescents fall short of the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommendation of at least one hour of aerobic activity every day. Only 18% of students in high school met that recommendation in 2007. All schools need to require some sort of a physical activity class. In 2009 only 33% took daily physical education classes. (CDC 2) Needless to say, schools play a very crucial role in the problem of childhood obesity. Physical Activity in schools could be a huge key in helping fix this problem.
Obesity in school-age children is a problem in North Carolina. “North Carolina is the 23rd most obese state in the United States for children www.eatsmartmovemorenc.com/Data/Texts/Quick%20Facts.pdf – 31.4% of youth in North Carolina are overweight or obese” https://www.healthiergeneration.org/...childhood_obesity/.../north_caroli... (Child Obesity Rate). There is a mandated physical education requirement for school-age children attending public schools in North Carolina. The North Carolina State Board of Education Policy Manual states “that every kindergarten through eighth grade student should be engaged in at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily” (Recess and Physical Activity). In spite of being clearly stated in policy and described in detail, many of the school-age children in North Carolina are still suffering from poor health. Based on the above information and recent research, the North Carolina State Board of Education needs to revise their policy on physical education. The new policy should state that school-age children in North Carolina “should participate every day in 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity that is enjoyable and developmentally appropriate”. By increasing school-age children’s physical activity to 60 minutes a day, the obesity rate of school-age children in North Carolina will reduce.
Finding a way to get students more active is a major concern for the American population. Elementary children in the United States are becoming less and less active each year. Since 1980, the childhood obesity rates, ranging from the ages of pre-k to pre-teenage have tripled in number— Six to eleven-year-old obese rates have more than doubled, going from an acute seven percent to outstanding seventeen percent. The rates
Obesity in school-age children is a problem in North Carolina. North Carolina is the 23rd most obese state in the United States for children – 31.4% of youth in North Carolina are overweight or obese. (“Child Obesity Rate”) There is a mandated physical education requirement for school-age children attending public schools in North Carolina. The North Carolina State Board of Education Policy Manual states that every kindergarten through eighth student should be engaged in at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily (“Recess and Physical Activity”). In spite of being clearly stated in policy and described in detail, the school-age children in North Carolina are still suffering from poor health. Based on the above information and recent research, the North Carolina State Board of Education needs to revise the policy on physical education. The new policy should state that school-age children in North Carolina should participate every day in 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity that is enjoyable and developmentally appropriate. By increasing school-age children’s activity to 60 minutes a day, the obesity rate of school-age children in North Carolina will reduce.
America's children are not getting enough exercise, and the health risks due to obesity are becoming epidemic in nature. Even First Lady Michelle Obama is supporting an initiative to help children become more active and to provide for exercise (at least 30-60 minutes per day) in all schools. Even limited amounts of exercise can have great health benefits. When humans exercise, the brain produces chemicals that help enhance mood, limit cravings for sugars, and contribute to healthier joints, muscles, the heart, and kidneys. In turn, this translates into more productive work time, the ability to sleep better, increase memory, and reduce dependence on medications. Children are so vulnerable to this health risk that if it continues, over 60% of graduating seniors will be clinically obese. Written by a medical journalist, the book is designed for the lay reader but has a number of documented scholarly sources.
As a child in elementary school, I always looked forward to one class and the was physical education. Being a little child, full of energy, I always wanted to run around and play a game of some sort. School districts are starting to cut these classes to make more time for the core classes, which are English, social studies, and math. One-third of students under the age of 17 are overweight, and 1/6 of the students, that are overweight are obese (Costanza par. 6). Cutting physical education classes are a big reason to blame for this. Many kid are not getting their recommended 60 minutes of physical activity in a day. Most kids get most of their recommended time of physical activity through physical education classes at school. So if physical
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC-Funded HIV Testing: United, States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Atlanta, Georgia 2014.
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the number of obese children ages 6-19 have tripled to 16% over the last twelve years. That is an alarming figure. One of the main causes is lack of physical activity. This may seem like an obvious cause, but it seems to be the one our youth have the most problems with. Physical education is being
There are only six states in the United States that require physical education in every grade, K-12 (National Association for Sport and Physical Education & American Heart Association, 2012). Those states include Illinois, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New York, and Vermont. The other 44 states either allow some form of waiver, exemption, or substitution from physical education classes or do not require physical education in every grade. By allowing waivers, exemptions, and substitutions, students are not meeting the national requirements for physical activity because their activity time is cut. The national recommendation for physical activity of school-aged children is 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per day (“Opposing Substitution and Waiver/Exemptions,” 2006, para. 3). It is estimated that 40% of children ages 18-24 do not get the recommended daily amount of exercise (Mears, 2010, para. 7). The lack of physical activity has led to growing obesity rates in the United States and there is an even bigger need for students to learn the knowledge and skills associated with living a healthy
According to researchers at Michigan State University's Institute, Children that are physically active perform better in school, have better attendance, and improved behavior in academic settings. Physically active children exhibit an array of benefits in schools such as forty percent higher test scores and fifteen percent more likely to go to college. Likewise, children with higher levels of physical fitness have higher grades. Students who are physically fit also recall nearly twice as much information than those who are not. This
If the movement of people, food, and manufactured goods can have such a negative impact on public health, should steps be taken to reduce these flows? What other options are there for lowering the spread of global diseases?
Infections disease prevention and control and communicable and infectious disease risks are important topics that every student nurse should be exposed to during the nursing program. The impact and threats that these infectious diseases cause an effect on society and global level should be studied. Also, the economic principles to nursing and health care that public health contributes to.