Tackle obesity to lower health costs
Childhood obesity is a national problem approaching epidemic proportions. This unprecedented rise in obesity directly correlates to the decrease in physical activity. Helping children adopt a healthier lifestyle now will give them a better chance to live a long and productive life. And given the attention to public health and health care services, healthier children will save $190 billion per year spent on treating obesity-related diseases. Left unaddressed, seven in 10 Americans will die from chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, obesity and hypertension.
Children who are physically well do much better in schools and avoid the chronic health consequences of a sedentary lifestyle. We are often over-medicating many younger children for illnesses and depression when research and common sense both clearly demonstrate that sweat is the most effective anti-depressant ever invented.
Physical education has been squeezed out of our schools, and it needs to be welcomed back in with open arms. Comprehensive physical education can give every child — regardless of background — an opportunity to learn healthy habits and get moving. The human body was made to move. Research shows that children who get a good healthy dose of cardiovascular exercise have better brain functions, test scores and sleep patterns and a better quality of life.
By the fourth grade, every child should know there are adverse consequences to a sedentary lifestyle and poor nutrition. God determines only part of your size, and the rest comes from living a healthy lifestyle. Scientific evidence demonstrates that both lifestyle and genetics can cause obesity, but new data suggests that diet and exercise can counteract the inherited risk.
About eight years ago, I founded the Congressional Fitness Caucus, which is a bipartisan group of more than 80 Members of Congress dedicated to increasing awareness about the danger of obesity and promoting the benefits of physical activity to overall health and wellness.
To strengthen physical education in our nation’s schools, I worked with my Fitness Caucus co-chair, Congressman Ron Kind, (D-Wisc.), to author the Fitness Integrated with Teaching (FIT) Kids Act. The bill, which was carefully crafted not to impose any additional financial constraints on schools, recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives and has the support of more than 40 health, education and physical activity organizations.
FIT Kids would help make sure that children are active during the school day and are taught to be personally responsible for their health. The legislation would help provide parents and the public with information about the physical education that students receive so that parents can compare it to recommended national standards. It would also examine the link between children’s health and their academic achievement, and recommend effective and innovative ways to get physical education back into schools to help our next generation lead an active lifestyle.
We have to start addressing this national crisis. There’s no way the federal government can get its arms around these future health care costs unless Americans start living healthier lifestyles today. While obesity leads to a life of chronic illness, we can change the course of our young people if they understand the importance of physical activity, diet, wellness and prevention. The more children we can encourage to have a regular regime of physical activity in their lives and take better care of themselves, the better off we will be as a society.
The obesity rates among children and young adults additionally threaten our future military strength. Just last month the “Too Fat to Fight” report was released by an organization of retired military leaders. Amazingly, it warns that more than nine million young adults, or 27 percent of all Americans ages 17 to 24, are too overweight to join the military. The study notes that up to 40 percent of a child’s daily calorie intake occurs at school.
The importance of getting children active recently has gained a lot of attention, including the launch of the First Lady’s program to end childhood obesity in a single generation. In whatever way we approach this problem, physical activity in children must be a priority. This will be difficult to achieve without integrating it into our schools where children spend a large part of their daily life.
If we are going to get serious about combating childhood obesity, we must involve everyone in this effort — especially our schools. We cannot afford the economic and societal costs of childhood obesity, and strengthening physical education in schools could be a big step in reversing the trend lines and saving lives.
U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Chattanooga), is serving his 8th Congressional term, and is currently running for governor of Tennessee. Mr. Wamp can be reached in his Washington, D.C. office at (202)225-2371.
