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I am writing in regard to the Feb. 26 article "Shape Up, America: Schools Need to Deliver More Phys Ed."
Childhood obesity rates in our nation are among the fastest growing, adding costs to individual's health care as they age. Despite this fact, the nation's schools are spending a minuscule amount on physical education programs, according to the National Association for Sport and Physical Education's report. With the report's suggested 150 minutes of physical activity per week, the article notes that most children are not achieving this amount of activity due to sedentary lifestyles.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third of children and adolescents are considered overweight or obese. As a registered nurse and graduate student, I realize that obesity will continue to be a growing and rather expensive problem. In order to combat obesity-related complications, it is essential to change the behaviors of our youth. I believe that more money should be allocated to physical education in our schools in order to teach appropriate healthy behaviors and achieve a portion of the required physical activity during the school day.
LACEY J. TOOMEY
Brookline
First Published March 22, 2013 12:00 am
