advocacy paper

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Introduction
Quality daily physical education should be a part of the elementary school curriculum. Students need to be physically active in order to live a healthy life. The school system is a place where children are guaranteed to get physical activity since all children have to go to school. The advantages of physical education.
Supporting Information
Students get the most out of their education when they are able to do it every day they are in school. The National Association of Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) (2003) recommends that elementary schools provide 150 minutes per week (30 minutes a day). According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) (nd) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2011) children and adolescents between the ages 6-17 years should receive 60 minutes or more of physical activity on the daily basis. Schools only recommend that children participate for half of the recommended daily activity. A study conducted by researchers recorded children’s activity level during the school day; the report showed an average of 81.4 min/wk of PE and 19.4 min/period of recess. The same study conducted collected data that showed that only 1 in 5 schools met the national recommendation of at least 150 minutes of physical education (Turner, L., Chaloupka, F. J. & Slater, S. J., 2012).
Having physical education on the daily basis would raise activity levels and therefore help lower health risks. The CDC (2014) reported that in 2011 approximately 17% of children and adolescents are obese. Being overweight or obese can lead to high blood pressure, sleep apnea, early onset of diabetes, more strain on your heart (which can lead to heart problems), joint problems, and can make children a target ...

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...andomized controlled trials. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 39, 792-798. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2004.017707
National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE). (2003). What constitutes a quality physical education program. Retrieved from http://www.shapeamerica.org/advocacy/positionstatements/pe/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&pageid=4704
National Institutes of Health (NIH). (July 13, 2012). What are the risks of overweight and obesity? Retrieved from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/obe/risks.html
Turner, L., Chaloupka, F. J., & Slater, S. J. (2012). Geographic variations in elemenrary school-based physical activity practices. Journal of School Health, 82, 307-310.
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). (nd). How much physical activity is needed? Retrieved from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/physical-activity/amount.html.

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