Bay Shore Wellness Alliance

NASPE – Speak Out! Day

Bay Shore Wellness Alliance supports Physical Education and Activity!

One of our Alliance members attended 3rd annual advocacy event, Speak Out! Day, that took place on March 17th, 2011 in Washington D.C.

The New York Congressional Delegation met with congressional staffers of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D), Senator Richard Durbin (D), Congressman Paul Tonko (D-21) and Congressman Steve Israel (D-2). We were able to speak about:

Physical Act – to recognize physical education and health education as core academic subjects.

Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) – PEP program provides grants to local educational agencies and community based organizations to initiate, expand, or enhance physical education programs.

FIT Kids Act – supports and promotes quality physical education

-Health care spending share of federal revenue in 2009 grew to 54.2% (1)

-Physical activity levels continue to be poor across the nation (2)

-The Federal Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that 6-17 year olds participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day. (3)

-The institute of Medicine recommends that schools provide half (30 minutes) of the recommended daily activity. (4)

-NASPE recommends at least 150 minutes per week of elementary physical education and at least 225 minutes per week of middle and high school physical education.

-Only 3.8% of elementary schools, 7.9% of middle schools, and 2.1% of high schools provide daily physical education or the equivalent for the entire school year. (5)

-Students who have regular, quality physical education are more likely to be physically active after school and as adults.

-Close to 30% of all 17-24 year olds are too overweight to serve in the U.S. military. (6)

1.Martin, Lassman, Whittle, Catlin, Health Affairs Journal. 1/2011

2.America’s Health Rankings. 2010 Untied Health Foundation

3.Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, U.S.Dept. of Health and Human Services. Washington DC 2008

4.Preventing Childhood Obesity, Institute of Medicine. National Academies Press, Washington, D.C.. 2005

5.Lee, Burgeson, Fulton and Spain, “Physical Education and Physical Activity: Results from the SHPPS 2006”. Journal of School Health, 10/2007.

6.Too Fat to Fight, Mission Readiness, 4/2010.