Does Having PE Classes in Schools Prevent Child Obesity?

Annie Olsen
Drake
Monday 7:30 PM
11-14-16

Abstract:
To begin the process of exploring the idea for this research paper is whether physical
education classes in schools help prevent children from becoming obese. The proposition thats
proposed is to keep physical education classes in schools to help prevent children from becoming
obese. Glancing at our age people are becoming more obese due to being obese when growing
up.
Introduction:
By the time a child reaches the age of five years of age the child is able to attend school,
whether it be a private or public school based on the choice of the parents. Schooling is immense
in childs life and every child appears to attend school. A child begins school with going to
kindergarten first and ends their schooling with graduating by the time of becoming a senior in
high school, K-12 are the major years of educations. In those 13 years of schooling students have
a specific time in elementary school and a required class in junior high and high school called
Physical Education known as P.E. for short. Students will spend most of their time being at
school or doing school work; thus being little to no physical activity. The only physical activity
that a student is getting is within that period of having P.E. Students not only focus on their
physical education, but other subjects of studies too. One must ponder if physical education in
schools essentially prevent students from becoming obese?
The Active and Heathy School Program:
Choices happen on a daily bases, and a choice that comes with being human is whether or
not to stay healthy. If chosen to live the healthy lifestyle and taking the proper care of the body
means for a healthy mind set, and if the choice was not to stay healthy risk factors may occur.

Physical education is led to be outdated by AHS. AHS is known as The Active and Healthy
School; a program that is distinctively categorized to modify the culture and environment of a
school to benefit students making the choice to be healthier. According to the most recent
National Health and National Examination survey data, one third of American young people are
either overweight or obese. 80% of these young American people will become overweight and
obese when they become adults and because of that it will lead to many risk factors. These risk
factors include leading to having increased cardiovascular disease, elevated lipid concentrations,
high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and greater risks of developing type 2 diabetes. (Stephen
Ball, 2015, pp. 224-235) AHS collects information to show a study of the students. Students tend
to spend all their time at school which takes a vast influence in behavior; this being that schools
dependent on physical education (P.E) to have the students up and moving. The studied proved
that P.E. wasnt doing the trick and that more and more students have become overweight and
unfit than ever. The approach that AHS had taken was a new multifaceted method that included
physical activity, nutrition education, healthy lifestyle education and parental involvement that
was more affective than the tradition methods of physical education. (Stephen Ball, 2015, pp.
224-235) A economist by the name of John Cawley of Cornell University had evaluated
information on students from government surveys dating back to 1991 concluding that some
schools where ignoring the laws and by ignoring the laws, these certain schools had not met the
state requirements. Cawley and his colleagues also proved through their research that the amount
of time states required for physical education classes had not effect teens weight or having the
risk of obesity. Another 26% of schools in the country fail to comply with state regulations for
PE. (Hellmich, 2006, p. 08d) If the schools are failing to complete their state regulations, one

would think to get rid of the PE program and replace it with having physical activity where a
student can learn how to prevent becoming obese.
Obesity Facts and Consequences:
A study that was done by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys showed
that one fifth of our entire nation is dominated by obesity in the years of 2011-2014. (Na, 2016,
pp. 34(4), 8-11) Obesity as well as overweight has had the definition changed over time as a
source said but what obesity is defined as an excess of body fat (BF). (Sahoo, 2015, pp. 187-192)
Childhood obesity contains numerous components of diseases that have a result of disproportions
of energy intake and energy expenditure. Energy expenditure is an amount of energy someone
needs to help the body function. Excessive occurrences of obesity in children are linked with
psychological, cardiovascular risk, asthma, chronic inflammation, diabetes, orthopedic problems
and liver disease. Physical activity behaviors has a role on children being obese as well, meaning
a childs school, home, and neighborhood has an impact on being why they are obese.

Bibliography
Hellmich, N. (2006). More time in PE doesn't add up. USA Today.
Na. (2016). Obesity, Diet and Mortality Trends: There is Work to Be Done. Running &
Fitness, 34(4) 8-11.
Sahoo, K. S. (2015). Childhood Obesity: Causes and Consequences. Journal of Family
Medicine & Primary Care, 187-192.
Stephen Ball, J. K. (2015). Active and Healthy Schools. Physical Educator, pp. 72(2),
224-235.