Mandatory P.E.; Will it Really Solve the Problem?

For the first time in years, schools are considering imposing an extra mandatory class on students with the hopes of solving a deadly problem; however, it could be causing more problems rather than diminishing it. A statistic recently released by the Kaiser Family Foundation, has stated that in America, 31.3% of 10-17 year olds are either obese or overweight. To combat this issue, The President’s Council on Physical Fitness has introduced a proposal that would require every high school in the United States to have a daily and mandatory physical education class in order to promote healthy lifestyle choices. Very few states require P.E. daily for high school students; however, many states are considering adopting the proposal. Doing so seemed like a great way to combat the growing problem until I thoroughly researched the topic and found that the negatives outweighed the possible positives. Calvin Christian adopting the proposal created by the President’s Council on Physical Fitness regarding mandatory daily P.E. classes would be a huge mistake due to the negative effect on student’s physical and emotional health, the likelihood of an increased budget, and the possible cut of valued classes.
School is meant to be a safe and secure learning center for students physically and emotionally; however, mandatory P.E. might take away some of that safety. By making P.E. mandatory, students will be forced to put their lives in possible danger daily. It is often thought that P.E. is a positive way to promote healthy lifestyles; however, that is not the case in today’s average P.E. class. According to WebMD, “the number of P.E. injuries has risen 150% from 1997 to 2007. During that time period, it is estimated that 405,305 injuries caused by ph...

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...festyle habits. Another solution would be to offer more healthful lunch foods. Healthy living doesn’t only involve exercising, it also involves eating right. Finally, schools should give students the option to take a daily P.E. class all school year round. That way, students who feel the need to exercise can take the class and those who would rather take another class can do so. We can also work together to make P.E. more effective by spending more time on exercises rather than certain sports and activities that require little activity. By putting these ideas into play, it will give unhealthy students the opportunity to turn their lives around in a positive way that won’t majorly impact the school budget, negatively impact student’s health and emotions, or cause classes to be cut. Let’s work together to end this serious problem in a way that will benefit everybody.