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Kids play basketball at the Salvation Army Kroc Center in South Bend. (WSBT/Ted Land / February 14, 2013) |
An Indiana state lawmaker recently floated a bold idea on how to bring down Indiana’s childhood obesity rates.
Sen. Dennis Kruse (R-Dist. 14) filed a bill which would require students K-12 to attend thirty minutes of daily physical education.
The bill would also extend the school day by thirty minutes and require schools to report student health data to the state.
“I feel like everybody should be moving more because there are a lot of people that are not in shape,” said Kent Webb, a high school junior who was playing basketball at the Salvation Army Kroc Center, Thursday afternoon.
WISH-TV in Indianapolis reports that the extra gym class bill will not get a hearing and therefore won't go anywhere this year.
But it did spark a discussion among some families about whether children need more exercise.
“When we're able to actually do PE and exercise with the kids they perform better in the classroom,” said Major Bob Webster, who runs the Kroc Center.
For now, kids like Mars Howard, a fifth-grader, will have to keep to their usual fitness routine.
“We do a pattern,” he said, “music and gym and music and gym.”
Like most students in South Bend, he attends PE every other day.
