Findings

Congress finds the following: (1)According to a study from Education Week and the Journal of the American Medical Association fewer than 4 in 10 elementary-aged children achieved the recommended guidelines for physical activity (60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous activity) and television viewing (less than 2 hours per day of television screen time). As children get older, their prevalence of sedentary behavior increased. (2)During the 1950s, the United States began experiencing a physical inactivity crisis. The issue garnered sufficient attention that the Eisenhower Administration expressed concern about the United States meeting its Cold War military manpower needs. In response, the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports was established in 1956 under the name of the President's Council on Youth Fitness. Today, only one state (Illinois) requires daily P.E. for grades K–12. (3)A 2009 study published in a supplement to the International Journal of Obesity found no association between particular segments of the diet and subsequent weight gain. Another key point from the study is that obesity is a complex, multifactorial issue that can be caused in part by genetic susceptibility, behavior, and level of physical activity. (4)The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states the fundamental rule of weight management is to consume less calories than one expends. Studies have shown one way to limit the number of calories a person consumes is by controlling portion size. (5)According to Time’s Health and Family, foods that are not inherently healthy can still be eaten, but they should only be consumed in moderation. A 1999 study found that flexible dieting was associated with less overeating and lower body weight then strict dieting. (6)The correlation between physical activity and longevity is well documented. According to Exercise is Medicine, sponsored by the American College of Sports Medicine, regular, moderate physical activity reduces the risk of heart disease by 40 percent, lowers the risk of stroke by 27 percent, reduces the incidence of high blood pressure by almost 50 percent, reduces the incidence of diabetes by 50 percent, can reduce mortality and the risk of recurrent breast cancer by almost 50 percent, can lower the risk of colon cancer by over 60 percent, can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease by one third, and can decrease depression as effectively as medications or behavioral therapy. (7)A 2005 review published in Obesity Reviews found that increasing physical activity participation and decreasing television viewing should be the focus of strategies aimed at preventing and treating overweight and obesity in youth. The authors compared estimates of the prevalence of overweight among school-aged youth in 34 countries and examined associations between overweight and selected dietary and physical activity patterns. (8)According to Full Service Restaurant Magazine, several chain restaurants now offer their customers the option of smaller portions of customer favorites. T.G.I. Friday’s, for example, offers the Right Portion, Right Price menu while California Pizza Kitchen has a Smaller Cravings program. (9)As told by the New York Times, McDonald’s restaurants in September 2012 began posting calorie information on the large menus inside their restaurants. McDonald’s also lists items that have 400 calories or less in its Favorites Under 400 menu. (10)According to Reuters, in 2010, Panera Bread became the first national restaurant chain to voluntarily post calorie information on their menus. Subway restaurants have also voluntarily made their calorie information accessible to the public. (11)Reported by the New York Times, non-alcoholic beverage companies such as PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper Snapple, and Sunny D are revamping vending offerings and posting caloric information on the front of every can, bottle, and pack. In addition, these companies have removed full-calorie soft drinks from the nation’s schools and continue to provide consumers with calorie information, a variety of choices, and smaller portions.