• Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 35+ years.  The percentage of children aged 6-11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 20%.  Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12-19 years who were obese increased from 5% to 20.5% over the same period (CDC, 2017).  Currently Ohio has the 16th highest childhood obesity rate in the United States where 33.1% of youth in Ohio are overweight or obese.  Ohio's current obesity rate for adults ranks 11th in the United States at 33.8% (StateofObesity.org, 2017)

    Physical Education is an integral part of the overall education for every student and provides one of the few opportunities for every student to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence necessary to lead a physically active lifestyle.  A high-quality physical education program promotes an active lifestyle, improved health, motor skill development and better cognitive performance. 

    Daily physical education for all students is recommended by numerous national associations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, the National Association for State Boards of Education, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Heart Association, and is also noted in the Healthy People 2020 document.

    A student who becomes skilled and knowledgeable in physical education is more likely to become a healthy adult who is motivated to remain healthy and physically active throughout his or her life.
     
    Physical Education can provide the following benefits:

    1) Improved Physical Fitness
    2) Skill Development
    3) Regular, Healthful Physical Activity
    4) Support of Other Subject Areas
    5) Self Discipline 
    6) Improved Judgement
    7) Stress Reduction
    8) Strengthened Peer Relationships
    9) Improved Self-Confidence
    10) Experience Setting Goals