Physical Education in America's Public Schools
Obesity and overweight among our country youth is a growing and troubling problem. The percentage of children ages 6-11 who are overweight has more than doubled in the past twenty years, and the percentage of teens who are overweight has more than tripled during the same period (Plaza, 2004). It is estimated that 15% of 6-19 year olds are obese and more than 10% of children 2-5 years old are obese (Zametkin et al., 2004). This is likely due to poor nutrition and low levels of physical activity. Contrary to conditions in the past, many children now stay inside after school and watch television or play video games instead of playing outside. Most students no longer ride their bikes to school or come home for lunch. Portion sizes in restaurants have grown and schools no longer provide enough healthy food options. These lifestyle changes are resulting in over 9 million children being classified as overweight, and African American and Latino children are grossly over-represented in these numbers (Satcher, 2005).
Children who are overweight or obese experience many symptoms which effect their learning in schools. Not only do weight problems lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, joint problems, asthma, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and diabetes, but children who are overweight miss as much as four times as much school as children of normal weight (Satcher, 2005). They are also more likely to suffer from back problems, negative body image and 94% of obese children have a sleep abnormality (Zametkin et al., 2004). Psychological problems are also more likely among overweight children and adolescents, especially girls. Increased levels of depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and behavioral problems have all been demonstrated among overweight children (Zametkin et al., 2004). Any and all of these problems are likely to effect children's ability to perform in school and therefore these are issues that schools must address.
