Physical Education Must Be Made Mandatory in Schools

Physical Education should be mandatory to defeat the spreading epidemic of childhood obesity. Currently in the United States of America the only state in the country that requires physical education is Illinois. (Friedin, 2014) The current percentage of childhood obesity on America is staggering. With more than 31% of all adults and 28% of children over the obesity line something must be done to stave off further increases. (Friedin, 2014) Making physical education a required subject should help put an end to the current trends of being out of shape and overweight.

Physical Education is required to eliminate excess energy; therefore leading to higher focus and concentration in the class rooms. It is widely known that younger children have large amounts of excess energy. The problem with having tons of energy in school is that you lose focus on what you are working on and get distracted easily onto another topic. Physical education would curve much of that energy and enable the children to focus on the task at hand. From 1991 to 1996 over 73% of children in K-12 were diagnosed with some form of Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ADD/ADHD for short. (Morales, 2012) This is a staggering number of children with focus problems and the solution is simple, increased physical activity through PE.

Physical education should be mandatory because children will learn how to become a team or part of a team. Team work is essential in the work place and at home. The lack of team building in the classroom can be traced back to the lack of sports and teambuilding games used in physical education. (Erbas, 2013) Children need constant support to learn and understand what it means to be a part of something bigger than themselves and the only way for that to happen is to play in team sports and team oriented activities. There is a 63% decrease in extracurricular activities after school and this is believed to be caused by the obesity plague that is befalling all of the nation’s youth. (Morales, 2012)

1 in 3 kids in America are overweight or obese because they never learned the proper fitness techniques and activities. They are not supported enough and shown creative new ways to get active. Gym class doesn't have to be embarrassing, but rather a fun way to learn ways to embrace a healthy lifestyle.