FACTS
Teaching America’s Kids About A Healthy Lifestyle
Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds
OVERVIEW
Childhood obesity in the United States is an
epidemic. About one out of every six children and
1
adolescents ages 2 to 19 are considered obese. As
these obese children grow into adulthood, they have
a much greater risk than their healthy weight peers of
2
developing and dying from chronic diseases. By 2030,
51% of the population will be obese, with 11% being
severely obese, an increase of 33% for obesity and
1
130% for severe obesity. One important way to help
stop this rise in obesity – particularly childhood
obesity – and chronic disease is through strong
physical education programs and regular physical
activity throughout the day in our nation’s schools.
Children must be physically active at school and
learn how to stay healthy through exercise and a
healthy diet pattern. If lifetime physical activity skills
and healthy food and beverage choices are taught at
both school and home, children will have the optimal
3
foundation for healthy living. Research shows that
healthy, physically active children learn more
4
effectively and achieve more academically.
Beyond the impact on chronic disease, the obesity
epidemic places a significant burden on our society.
Nearly 21% of U.S. medical costs are attributed to
5
the treatment of obesity and estimates for treatment
6
of childhood obesity are approximately $14.3 billion.
Obesity and lack of physical fitness in America’s
youth also affect our national security. A recent
study showed that 25% of young Americans are too
7
overweight to serve in the military. Nearly 23 million
young adults do not meet the US Army’s weight
10
standards for enlistment.
CHILDREN NEED DAILY PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY
Obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular
disease (CVD), cancer, diabetes, and early death.
However, children are currently not getting enough
physical activity to counter the obesity epidemic.
Although cholesterol levels in kids have been declining,
10% of children still have levels comparable to middle8
aged adults.
• Unfortunately, even obese preschoolers are
showing some of the biomarkers related to
cardiovascular risk.9
•
Sedentary lifestyles are linked to 23% of all U.S.
deaths from major chronic diseases, and have been
shown to reduce life expectancy by nearly five
10
years.
• A recent nationwide survey of school principals
showed that kids are more likely to get the
recommended amount of recess and physical
education if they live in states or districts with
policies that call for more of those types of
11
activity.
• The presence of abnormal cholesterol in
adolescents is 20.3%, and unfortunately more
and more children are getting diabetes due to
1
obesity, poor diet, and physical inactivity.
• In 2013, the Department of Health and Human
Services released a report which showed that
increasing physical activity was the most
important component of reducing childhood
12
obesity.
• National guidelines recommend that children
engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity
13
daily. A recent study showed that only 6 states
require the recommended 150 minutes a week
14
of physical education. Since children spend
half their day in school they should get 30
minutes of their daily physical activity time
15
during the school day.
• There is strong public support for more physical
education in schools: 95% of adults believe daily
16
physical education should be mandatory.
However, a recent report revealed that physical
education time has declined across many school
districts since the No Child Left Behind Act took
17
effect in 2002.
• Only 3.8% of elementary, 7.9% of middle, and
2.1% of high schools provide daily physical
education or its equivalent for the entire school
18
year.
• More than 1/5 of schools do not require students
19
to take any physical education at all.
A comprehensive community-based intervention that
increased opportunities for physical activity before,
during, and after school successfully reversed
20
obesity in children. Regular participation in PE has
also been shown to reduce obesity rates in lowincome students, who are disproportionally affected
21
by the childhood obesity epidemic.
American Heart Association Advocacy Department 1150 Connecticut Ave. NW Suite 300 Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 785-7900 Fax: (202) 785-7950 www.heart.org/advocacy
FACT SHEET:
Teaching America’s Kids About A Healthy Lifestyle
Lifestyle
ACTIVE CHILDREN THRIVE
ACADEMICALLY AND SOCIALLY
Physically active and educated children are more
likely to thrive academically and socially. Through
effective physical education, children learn how to
incorporate safe and healthy activities into their
lives. Physical education is an integral part of a
comprehensive education and developing the whole
child in social settings and the learning environment.
Studies have shown that healthy weight children
have higher scholastic achievement, less
absenteeism, and higher physical fitness than their
22
obese counterparts.
•
•
•
Physical
PhysicalFitness
Fitness&&Achievement
AchievementTest
TestPerformance*
Performance*
•
Student Program to help schools implement
high-quality, evidence-based physical
education programs.
Improve state-level data collection that
allows school personnel to examine
measure and improve school-level
conditions for learning and parents and
guardians to know what kind of and how
much physical education their child is
receiving.
Provide professional development
opportunities for physical education
teachers.
Include opportunities for parents and
guardians to support their children in leading
a healthy and active life.
Provide equitable access to physical activity
opportunities for students with disabilities.
1
Fitnessgram
Source: Hillman CH, Erickson K I, Kramer A F Be smart, exercise your heart: Exercise
effects on brain and cognition. Nat Rev Neurosci, 2008:9,58-65.
CHILDREN NEED QUALITY PHYSICAL
EDUCATION
The quality of a school’s physical education classes
is as important as their frequency if children are to
reap the full benefits of regular physical activity.
Quality programs based on national and state
standards that provide professional development,
adequate resources, and sufficient space for
physical education and activities are essential.
• Principals and physical education teachers need
adequate resources to do their jobs at a high
level. Just as reading, math, and science
teachers receive the professional development
they need, physical education teachers require
the same kind of support.
• Schools need adequate space and facilities to
conduct supervised, structured physical activity
and physical education.
THE ASSOCIATION ADVOCATES
The American Heart Association supports the
Fitness Integrated with Teaching (FIT) Kids Act and
the Senate version of the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act reauthorization, both of
which include physical education and activity
provisions that would:
•
Go, AS, et al. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics -- 2014 Update: A Report
From the American Heart Association. Circulation. Published online ahead of
print. Accessed January 8, 2014.
2
Cox ER. et al. Trends in the prevalence of chronic medication use in children:
2002-2005. Pediatrics 2008;122;e1053-e1061.
3
Cradock, AL., et al. Impact of the Boston Active School Day Policy to Promote
Physical Activity Among Children. American Journal of Health Promotion: 2014;
28(sp3): S54-S64.
4
Rausch, R. Nutrition and Academic Performance in School-Age Children The
Relation to Obesity and Food Insufficiency. Journal of Nutrition & Food
Sciences.2013
5
Cawley, J, et al. The medical care costs of obesity: an instrumental variables
approach. J Health Econ. 2012; 31(1): 219-230..
6
Hammond, RA, et al. The economic impact of obesity in the United States.
Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity: targets and therapy. 2010; 3: 285.
7
Cawley, J, et al. Unfit for service: the implications of rising obesity for US
military recruitment.2012. Health Econ; 21(11): 1348-1366.
8
Kit, BK., et al. Trends in serum lipids among US youths aged 6 to 19 years,
1988-2010. JAMA: 2012; 308(6): 591-600.
9
Messiah SE., et. al., BMI, Waist Circumference, and Selected Cardiovascular
Disease Risk Factors Among Preschool-Age Children. Obesity., December 8,
2011.
10
Veerman, JL., et al. Television viewing time and reduced life expectancy: a life
table analysis. Br J Sports Med:2012; 46(13): 927-930.
11
Slater S., et al., The Impact of State Laws and District Policies on Physical
Education and Recess Practices in a Nationally Representative Sample of US
Public Elementary Schools. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.
December 5, 2011.
12
US Department of Health and Human Services. Physical activity guidelines for
americans midcourse report: Strategies to increase physical activity among youth.
Available at http://www.health.gov/paguidelines/midcourse/pag-mid-coursereport-final.pdf. Accessed on January 16, 2014.
13
DHHS. 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Available at
http://www.health.gov/PAGuidelines/guidelines/default.aspx
14
McCullick, BA., et al. An analysis of state physical education policies. Journal
of Teaching in Physical Education: 2012; 31(2): 200-210.
15
Institute of Medicine. Educating the Student Body Taking Physical Activity and
Physical Education to School.2013. Available at
http://www.iom.edu/~/media/Files/Report%20Files/2013/Educating-the-StudentBody/EducatingTheStudentBody_rb.pdf. Accessed on January 22, 2014.
16
National Association for Sport and Physical Education. Parents’ views of
children’s health and fitness: A summary of results. 2003.
17
Siedentop, D. National plan for physical activity: Education sector.
18
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. School Health Policies and
Programs Study, 2012. 2012. Available at
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/shpps/2012/pdf/shppsresults_2012.pdf#page=39.
Accessed on January 17, 2014.
19
Cawley, J., et al. The impact of physical education on obesity among elementary
school children. J Health Econ 32(4): 743-755.2013.
20
Economos, CD., et al.Shape Up Somerville Two-Year Results: A CommunityBased Environmental Change Intervention Sustains a BMI z-Score Decrease in
Children. Prev Med.2013.
21
Hollar, D., et al. Effect of a two-year obesity prevention intervention on
percentile changes in body mass index and academic performance in low-income
elementary school children. Journal Information: 2010; 100(4).
22
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Association Between SchoolBased Physical Activity, Including Physical Education, and Academic
Performance Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2010.
AHA/HPFS/1/2014
Provide states with grants under the newly
consolidated Successful, Safe, and Healthy