A new effort is underway to encourage children to be physically active and to stay in shape. The effort is launched by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education. Missouri’s representative is Michelle Iglehart, a physical education teacher at Spring Branch Elementary School in Independence. She says the responsibility to keep kids active falls on both the schools and parents. Missouri rules require that students have at least 50 minutes of physical education each week. But, she says that is only a fraction of the time that children should be engaged in physical activity. The Association recommends an hour a day of activity. Iglehart says there are many reasons for decreased activity and increased obesity among young people – including the obvious, which is that many kids are not outdoors getting exercise. She recommends parents limit the time kids spend in front of the TV, using computers, or playing video games.
