MINNEAPOLIS, March 10, 2010 - Do you care about the growing childhood obesity epidemic in Minnesota? Please contact your legislators and urge them to pass bills (H.F. 3115/S.F. 2753) that that would create statewide standards for physical education, encourage physical activity during recess, and establish the healthy kids awards program.

Take Action Now! Urge your lawmakers to support these bills.

The MMA supports increased physical activity in schools as a strategy to help reduce the state’s obesity rates. The MMA supports these bills because physical education in Minnesota schools has been cut in recent years. Minnesota is now one of only three states in the nation that does not have statewide standards for physical education.

Physical fitness during the school day has been shown to enhance academic performance and physical education teaches children lifelong habits about how to be physically active.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that elementary students receive 150 minutes per week of physical education and that older students receive 225 minutes per week.

Since 1980 the percentage of young people who are overweight has tripled.Obesity is expensive in terms of lives and dollars with an estimated 25 percent of health care costs in the United States attributable to this preventable disease. Obese children have a higher likelihood of becoming obese adults, which contributes to many life-threatening diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension.