Obesity in Bellingham, WA a Research Proposal

The other 48 have their own standards and only 2/3 of them require, according to the 2010 report of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education. This report said that almost 2/3 of high school students do not get enough exercise and more than a third watch TV for at least 3 hours a day. The report recommends students to perform PE or at least an hour each day, 150 minutes a week for elementary-age students, and 225 minutes for middle and high school students. Washington State schools are required 100 minutes of PE per week in the first to 8th grades. However, they are not required daily recess or a report card for each school. It also recommends that PE classes be handled by certified and licensed PE teachers. But this is not always complied with. In 2010, parents sued the school board for allowing non-certified specialists to handle PE classes. The suit was settled out-of-court by assigning a specialist for students in kindergarten to the second grade. The settlement did not comply with the 100-minute requirement per week. The school board said the lack is compensated for by health lessons, field trips and after-school activities (Hotakainen). There is no simple, single or immediate solution to the obesity epidemic but the State, communities and parents can help make the healthy choice for themselves in many ways (CDC, 2011). #

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CDC (2011). Overweight and obesity. Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity: National Center for Chronic Disease, Prevention and Health Promotion.

Retrieved on April 13, 2012 from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/stateprograms/fundedstates/washington.html

-. Strategies and solutions. Retrieved on April 14, 2012 from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/solutions.html

- (2010). National obesity trends. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

CDC.gov. Retrieved on April 14, 2012 from http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html

City Data (2012). Bellingham, Washington. On Board Informatics: Advameg, Inc.

Retrieved on April 14, 2012 from http://www.city-data.com/city/Bellingham-Washington.html

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