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Wisconsin Bill Aims to Increase Physical Activity
posted by: Ruthie | December 10, 2013, 05:35 PM   


Between numerous changes to school lunch programs and First Lady Michelle Obama’s various healthy student initiatives, lawmakers and local schools are continuing to work toward programs that encourage healthy eating and exercise. In Wisconsin, Representative Chad Weininger of Green Bay is proposing a bill requiring elementary students to have at least thirty minutes of physical activity daily.

 

While Wisconsin’s current law requires physical education three times a week for an unspecified amount of time, Representative Weininger wants to extend this requirement for all students. The proposal is based on national recommendations by the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association and the Institutes of Medicine.


Similarly, according to data from the state Department of Health Services, one-quarter of Wisconsin adolescents are overweight or obese, while the national average is less than one-fifth. Representative Weininger’s bill aims to curb this trend and give students the opportunity to develop healthy exercise habits.

Nationally, physical education programs vary by state and district, however the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) recommends at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily for children. The national standards vary by state; for example, only six states (Illinois, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New York and Vermont) require physical education in every grade, K-12. Only 26 states (51%) require some form of student assessment in physical education. Fourteen states (27%) require schools/school districts to perform fitness assessments.

Click here
to see your states standards.

Click here to read the full NASPE report.

Do you think physical education should be a daily requirement? What does your school require? 
Comment below.

 

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Wisconsin
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