Did you know?

Michigan adults have one of the highest chronic disease rates in the nation. The cost is enormous. The combination of poor diet and lack of physical activity results in more deaths than alcohol, firearms, infections, toxic agents, sexual behavior, motor vehicles and illicit drug use put together. The seeds for this problem are planted in childhood. Consider these facts about Michigan youth:

• Thirty-nine percent have elevated cholesterol levels compared to a national average of 25%.
  
• Jr. and Sr. high school children have four times the national average of "severely high" blood pressure.
  
• Over 7% (17% of African-American children) have high blood pressure.
  
• One-third are overweight (17-year-olds are almost seven pounds heavier than the national average).
  

A direct relationship exists between children's physical activity/fitness level and blood pressure, cholesterol and obesity. Recent statistics on Michigan youth show:

• Less than a third of tenth, eleventh and twelfth grade students are enrolled in physical education.
  
• Over 60% of high school students fail to meet the minimum national standard for physical activity.
  
• Over the last six years, rates of physical inactivity, obesity, hypertension and high cholesterol have increased.
  

Did you also know?

Quality physical education programs have been shown to:

• Enhance learning readiness
  
• Improve academic performance
  
• Enrich self-esteem
  
• Deter antisocial behavior
  
• Restrain drug and alcohol abuse.
  
• Reduce absenteeism
  

There is much promise to the field of physical education. But for the promise to be fulfilled, quality is required.