[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 60 (Tuesday, April 27, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E685]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               FITNESS INTEGRATED WITH TEACHING KIDS ACT

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                               speech of

                             HON. RON KIND

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 21, 2010

  Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the 
bipartisan Fitness Integrated with Teaching (FIT) Kids Act, H.R. 1585, 
legislation I authored with my colleague, Representative Zach Wamp. 
Throughout my time in Congress, I have taken a special interest in 
ensuring our nation's youth live healthy, active lives. The FIT Kids 
Act focuses on getting physical education back into schools and has the 
support of over 50 organizations in addition to bipartisan support in 
the House.
  With one in three children in this country being classified as 
overweight or obese it is clear that childhood obesity has reached 
epidemic proportions. Our kids are living increasingly sedentary lives, 
not enjoying the wonders of the outdoors or being active. As opposed to 
going outside, they stay indoors, sit in front of the television and 
play video games. In Wisconsin alone, 25 percent of children watch 
three or more hours of television a day and 20 percent play video games 
or use a computer for means other than school work three or more hours 
per day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that 
children participate in 60 minutes of physical activity daily. Since 
kids spend a majority of their time at school, it is clear that schools 
must be involved as we work to get kids moving.
  This is especially true when it is considered that for children ages 
9-13, an age that kids should be at their most active, 61.5 percent 
don't receive any physical activity outside of school hours. Even more 
disturbing, only 3.8 percent of elementary schools, 7.9 percent of 
middle schools, and 2.1 percent of high schools provide daily physical 
education and 22 percent do not require students to take any physical 
education. The rise in childhood obesity correlates with the removal of 
physical education from schools over the past two decades and a decline 
in routine physical activity.
  Of all the deaths from major chronic diseases, 23 percent are linked 
to sedentary lifestyles that today begin in early childhood. This is 
backwards; we need to ensure that our nation's youth learn the merits 
of living active lifestyles starting at an early age, not how to live 
inactive lives. It is true that you can't have a healthy mind without a 
healthy body. Study after study have shown that active children perform 
better on tests and are more focused and driven during the school day. 
With the advance in technology and the changing society we live in, it 
may be true that today's kids will never be as active as they were in 
the past. However, we can provide them with quality physical education 
that will teach them the immense benefits to living an active life 
beginning at an early age.
  The FIT Kids Act will get kids moving during the day again and help 
them learn how to live healthy, active lifestyles. The bill will 
provide information to parents and communities on the amount of 
physical education being offered in schools measured against the most 
recent national recommendations. Also, it will require that school 
districts provide parents with information on healthy living because 
schools can only solve so much of this problem. This information 
increases awareness of entire families and communities about 
opportunities for physical activity and how best to live healthy lives. 
Providing parents and caregivers with this information is imperative to 
ensure that they are making healthy choices at home.
  In addition to providing information to parents and communities, the 
bill enacts a National Research Council Study on the types of physical 
education offered in schools and various and innovative means that 
schools successfully employ physical education in order to get students 
active. Additionally, there will finally be a comprehensive study 
regarding the relationship between cognitive development, academic 
achievement and physical education and fitness. The cost of the study 
will be minimal and the benefits substantial. While some studies have 
indicated that physical activity and education lead to better academic 
achievement, including a study most recently conducted by the CDC, the 
study in this bill would provide definitive evidence of the importance 
of movement and exercise to cognitive development and future 
productivity.
  Lastly, this bill will make available to state education agencies and 
local education agencies best practices on innovative physical 
education and physical activity policies and programs at the state and 
local level while identifying common challenges in implementing 
physical education and barriers for meeting the DC recommendations for 
physical education.
  I am so proud that the FIT Kids Act made it to the floor today. With 
all of the great things the First Lady has been doing to stop childhood 
obesity and all of the historical private and public partnerships that 
are currently being formed throughout the country, the timing is 
perfect for us to address the lack of physical education being provided 
in schools. I want to give a special thanks to my colleague, Zach Wamp, 
for all of his tireless work supporting this bill. I would also like to 
thank Chairman Miller for his devotion to the concepts and goals of the 
FIT Kids Act. The American Heart Association, the National Association 
for Sports and Physical Education, the American Diabetes Association, 
and the National Football League with their Play 60 campaign, all 
support the FIT Kids Act and advocated for its passage.
  And, last but certainly not least, I want to thank Richard Simmons. 
For nearly four decades, Richard has helped millions of Americans lose 
weight, tirelessly working with overweight adults, teaching them to 
adopt a lifestyle of balance, moderate eating and exercise. Most 
recently, he has changed his focus from adults to children, traveling 
to over 200 schools last year. A leading advocate for the FIT Kids Act, 
Richard has praised the bill at schools, on television, and at speaking 
events around the country. His successful grassroots campaign in favor 
of the bill flooded congressional offices with letters urging support 
of the bill. As we pass the FIT Kids Act today, it serves as a 
testament to Richard's tenacious advocacy to make our children healthy 
again.
  The benefits of getting physical activity back into schools are so 
great that it is something we need to come together and commit to. 
Routine physical education is a proven way to lower children's body 
mass index, increase students' attention and attentiveness during the 
day, and improve kids' academic scores. Let's pass this bill to ensure 
that we don't continue spending $147 billion annually on obesity 
related medical expenses or have more of our population suffer from 
chronic diseases, harming their quality of life and economic output. We 
need to commit to providing children with the foundations and knowledge 
to make healthy choices and live active lives; the FIT Kids Act puts us 
on the path toward doing this.

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