Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years, so at a time when children need activity more than ever, it is shocking to learn that most schools do not even require physical education class or recess for their students. Some activity is better than no activity, and overweight and obese children will just continue to gain weight if immediate measures are not taken.

Something just does not add up here: one in three U.S. kids is overweight or obese, but only six states – Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Illinois, and Iowa – adhere to standards from the National Association of Sports and Physical Education that require school children to participate in 150 minutes a week of physical education. Only three states – Delaware, Virginia, and Nebraska – have 20 minutes of mandatory elementary school recess a day.

This is another example of not doing something unless you’re required to. Of the group of schools surveyed, twenty-four states and 67 percent of school districts had no P.E. policies. Regarding recess, 64 percent of school districts had no policy at all. Researchers also found a significant either-or effect; schools that met the recess standards were less likely to meet the P.E. guidelines, and vice versa.

Maybe you’re not surprised to hear this news about so few schools requiring P.E. and recess. After all, hours are limited, and budget cuts put increased pressure on academics. Physical activity gets pushed to the bottom of the priority list for many districts.

Sandy Slater, an assistant professor of health policy and administration at the University of Illinois at Chicago, says it’s a mistake to overlook physical activity in schools because studies have identified a link between increased physical activity and academic achievement. “Increasing the amount of physical activity that kids have during the day is not necessarily going to hurt overall academic achievement,” she said.

Dr. Kristine Madsen of the University of California, San Francisco, suggests that “lack of physical activity may be a far greater health problem than obesity.”

So what is the solution? Should schools be required to offer P.E. class and recess on a national scale? Madsen proposes levying a tax on sugary beverages and junk food. “The solution is not limited to the local, state or national level but rather, the solution rests with decision makers at each level,” she said. “We must work together to advocate for our nation’s greatest resource – our youth.”

It’s hard to imagine a school day without gym class OR recess, but it seems to be becoming more common as most schools focus on the academic side of things to increase test scores and avoid budget cuts. Increasing academic achievement is noble, but physical activity is imperative to a child’s well-being and eventual healthy lifestyle.

Do you feel that schools should require P.E. class or recess? Or should it be the parent’s sole responsibility to see to it that their child gets some form of exercise each day? Do you believe that the amount of physical activity done in gym class even counts as enough exercise? We’d love to hear your personal opinions on this one!

Sources: healthland.time.com Childhood Obesity: Most U.S. Schools Don’t Require P.E. Class or Recess; cdc.gov Centers of Disease Control and Prevention: Child Obesity Facts