LACK OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND CHILDHOOD OBESITY 1

Impacts of the Lack of Physical Education and the Growing Childhood Obesity Rate
Shelby Elliott
Chesapeake College
Research Paper

















LACK OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND CHILDHOOD OBESITY 2 2






Abstract




It is known that not only in the United States but around the world that childhood obesity has
become an epidemic. Childhood obesity is one of the most pressing health threats facing the
United States today. There are many reasons to consider what is causing the rise in childhood
obesity. In this paper we will be discussing that as the requirements for physical education
decrease the childhood obesity rate grows. Physical Education has many benefits especially
for children, it teaches them lessons about their body that they can continue through their adult
life. As the requirements for physical education deplete children stop learning valued lessons
that will give them a healthier future. Children that suffer from obesity face many
complications both in health and in how they mentally think. There are contributing reasons to
why people believe that it is ok to take physical education away from children, but no reason
is good enough when it comes to helping a child live a long healthy life.









LACK OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND CHILDHOOD OBESITY 3



Physical Education was thought to be just another class that children have to take as part of the
curriculum, but physical education plays just as an important role in a childs life as every other
common core class does. The National Standards for Physical Education (NASPE) states that The
goal of physical education is to develop physically literate individuals who have the knowledge, skills
and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of healthful physical activity. (NASPE National Standards for
Physical Education) These standards and goals are supposed to be implemented in schools across the
country, but it seems that these standards are not being upheld. The amount of Elementary school
children that participate in Physical Education class has drastically decreased, which leads to serious
health risks in children. (Appendix 1)

Everyone wants children to grow into a better healthier version of themselves, so when schools
start to decrease the Physical Education requirements, they increase the chances that a child will have
childhood obesity. The prevalence of childhood obesity in elementary school children has
quadrupled between 1965 and 2000. (Cawley, J., Frisvold, D., & Meyerhoefer, C. (2012) Since the
year 2000 childhood obesity continues to rise, which raises a huge concern on why schools are still
taking away Physical Education. Some schools say that physical education class takes important time
away from the childrens other studies, even though it is proven that if children get a break where
they can be physically




LACK OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND CHILDHOOD OBESITY 4



active, it improves their overall grades. So if that reason is proven wrong, why do they still insist on
taking it away from children? This is a question that every school board should have to answer. If
over 32.6% of Americans between the ages of 6-11 are overweight, and over 18.0% are obese why is
physical education being put on the back burner. (Cawley, J.)

When children are at school they are watched over and taken care of, children grow physically,
mentally, and socially. Physical Education plays a huge role in shaping a well-rounded child. It cant
be assumed that if children dont participate in physical activity at school that they will get to
participate in it at home. Studies have shown that the percentage of children that participate in
physical activity out of school has drastically decreased. Children are spending more time using
media outlets for entertainment. (Sturm, R. (2004) With this decrease in physical activity also comes
an increase in bad eating habits. (Appendix 2) As this trend continues children start to become over
weight which leads to obesity. Considering these outside factors why would physical education
requirements in schools be decreasing?

Children are our futures, so we should help lead them in a way that will give them the greatest
opportunity to succeed in life, but by taking away physical education in schools be are drastically
changing a childs life. Children and adolescents that suffer from obesity are at risk of many
significant health problems both during their youth and as adults. Studies have



LACK OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND CHILDHOOD OBESITY 5



shown that overweight children are more likely than other children to have risk factors associated
with cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. These children are
also more likely to suffer from asthma, sleep apnea, and type 2 diabetes.( Daniels, S. R.,
Jacobson, M. S., McCrindle, B. W., Eckel, R. H., & Sanner, B. M. (2009) As these children
become adults they are more likely to stay overweight, which leads to complications and maybe
even a shorter life. This is a main concern of The American Heart Association when they talk
about obesity. They are afraid that the childhood obesity epidemic might shorten the lifespan of
the current generation of children. Health risks and problems are not the only thing children who
are overweight have to deal with on a day to day basis.

Children who are overweight or obese tend to also suffer from social and behavior
problems. It is proven that children who are overweight have low self-esteem, which leads to less
interaction with their peers. The sad truth is that being overweight becomes one of the main
targets of bullying. Bullying is life changing to a child, if someone is constantly mean and teasing
a child about his or her weight it is most likely to contribute to that child being depressed as they
get older, which can have serious consequences. In a recent national survey of overweight sixth
graders, 24 percent of the boys and 30 percent of the girls experienced daily teasing, bullying or
rejection because of their size. ( Stevelos, J. Obesity Action Coalition BULLYING, Bullycide
and



LACK OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND CHILDHOOD OBESITY 6



Childhood Obesity) Children who are overweight also tend to suffer from behavior problems.
Such as acting in ways they normally wouldnt just so they can become accepted by their peers.
As these children get older they are more likely to develop an early addiction to alcohol and
tobacco, which isnt good at any age.

Why is physical education requirements decreasing if it can lead to many life changing
events in the lives of children? As educators and future educators, why is it that children are
suffering because they are getting a lack of knowledge about their bodies and health that they are
required to be receiving? Physical activity is the first thing taken away from a child when they act
up, but this is causing more damage than someone may think. It is our job to help children
become better well rounded versions of themselves, but by taking away physical education we are
hindering that. Children are meant to be happy and care free, they shouldnt be worried if their
future might be shorter, or that they might get bullied because of their weight. If we instil in them
at a young age the importance of physical education then they are more likely to continue and
implement these lessons as they grow into adulthood. So if decreasing the requirements of
physical activity leads to a higher obesity rate in children, why do schools across the country
continue to do it? There is no reason good enough to answer that question, nothing is more
important than helping a child live a long happy life!




LACK OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND CHILDHOOD OBESITY 7



Appendix
1: Correlation between children who are active and those who are not active.









LACK OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND CHILDHOOD OBESITY 8




2: The amount of time children spend on media based activities outside of school.








LACK OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND CHILDHOOD OBESITY 9




References

Cawley, J., Frisvold, D., & Meyerhoefer, C. (2012). The Impact of Physical Education on
Obesity among Elementary School Children. Discussion Paper Series, 6807, 1-40.

Daniels, S. R., Jacobson, M. S., McCrindle, B. W., Eckel, R. H., & Sanner, B. M. (2009,
March 30). American Heart Association Childhood Obesity Research Summit. American
Heart Association Childhood Obesity Research Summit. Retrieved March 18, 2014, from
https://circ.ahajournals.org/content/119/15

NASPE National Standards for Physical Education. (n.d.). NASPE National Standards for
Physical Education. Retrieved April 3, 2014, from
http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/standards/nationalstandards

Stevelos, J. (n.d.). Obesity Action Coalition BULLYING, Bullycide and Childhood Obesity.
Obesity Action Coalition BULLYING Bullycide and Childhood Obesity Comments. Retrieved
March 18, 2014, from http://www.obesityaction.org/educational-resources/resource-articles-
2/childhood-obesity-resource-articles/bullying-bullycide-and-childhood-obesity

Sturm, R. (2004, December 15). Abstract. National Center for Biotechnology Information.
Retrieved April 1, 2014, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1323315/