Do PE classes lower the BMI of Children?
In an article posted by the Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and..., PE classes enabled marked improvement in the general health of its child participants.
They showed improvements in their bone mineral density, aerobic capacity, blood pressure and flexibility.
But there was no change in the BMI (Body Mass Index) of the students.
So can a 30 minute Physical Education class help kids lose weight?
By and in itself it cannot--weight reduction requires both exercise and lower daily food and calorie consumption.
"PE and physical activity are tremendously important, but this research shows PE doesn't change BMI. So while the overall health benefits are established, PE shouldn't be looked at as a central component of any obesity strategy," he said, adding that many researchers speculate that poor eating habits and other lifestyle factors are other causes that must be addressed.
Dr. Kevin Harris, a pediatric resident at British Columbia Children's Hospital, said researchers examined 13 trials consisting of time periods between six months to three years in which pre- and post-BMI measurements were measured.
The research included 10,000 children, of \which the majority were enrolled in elementary schools. Not one study showed BMI reduction in relation to those students who had more duration of PE time, compared to those who didn't have as much.
Is it a fair conclusion to say that PE classes are good for children by only using BMI as the sole measuring stick?
No, clearly not.
This begs the question, so what’s the real purpose of PE classes?
In my opinion, PE classes, although providing a minimum of activity, are meant for kids to learn how to move their bodies, get more comfortable with physical activity, and just have a little fun. It’s a place where they learn to enjoy physical activity that should continues as they mature into adults
Are improvements in bone density, aerobic capacity, reduced blood pressure, and increased flexibility important?
Of course!
Should PE classes be discontinued or limited because the children’s BMI didn’t change?
I don’t think so.
What do you think? Should children be required to take PE?
Should valuable time for their reading, writing, and arithmetic be substituted for their PE classes?
If you have children, how do they feel about their PE classes?
It’s an important and timely subject, because
After all, it’s about a healthy lifestyle!
Tags: bmi, children, class, education, exercise, fitness, health, obesity, physical, school
10 Comments
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Comment by Mark Salinas on June 30, 2008 at 6:33am - A very important subject that does not receive enough attention. Activity and nutrition are obviously the key for a healthy individual of all ages. Although a 30 minute session isn't necessarily going to be a solution, it does promote a healthier lifestyle. My oldest daughter lacks much motivation when it comes to physical activity . We are trying to install a healthy thought process and each step forward brings hope. That being said I do feel that the PE classes are outdated and need to be revamped with a stronger format. Currently my daughter takes a fitness class at LifeTime Fitness two evenings a week that is spot on with the format! I wish some of these PE instructors would take note and implement a similar program. Excellent post!
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Comment by Gabrielle Shafer on June 30, 2008 at 7:05am - I think that physical education is just as important as reading, writing and math....We have this amazing machine that we inhabit for all of our life and we need to know how to properly take care of it with proper nutrition and exercise and even though everything starts at home the kids need to be able to have that reinforced at school as well! I agree with Mark, excellent post!
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Comment by Alyssa on June 30, 2008 at 9:35am - Physical activity helps people focus. It seems to me that the rise in ADD has coincided with the drop in PE and extracurricular activities at school. I wholeheartedly agree with Mark, however, that PE classes need to be revamped. They should be fun for everyone, not just the star athletes and popular kids. And it should show kids that fitness can and should be enjoyable!
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Comment by Lisa Nelson on June 30, 2008 at 1:48pm - I think the main point of a PE or fitness class for children is to instill in them a love for physical activity and that they grow to make activity a part of their lives for the long term. If schools do not make PE mandatory, then schools are showing children through action that physical activity is not important. Actions speak louder than words!
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Comment by David on June 30, 2008 at 3:38pm -
I think all our members added important comments, and one's that I tend to agree with. PE will tend to help kids for the long-term, and Mark correctly points out that no matter what, some children--and adults--need that little bit extra to be able to be more fit and healthy.
I recall gym mostly fondly--although I wasn't that good at football and basketball.
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Comment by Susanna on June 30, 2008 at 7:37pm -
PE is essential. Focusing solely on BMI was silly. I concur with the other comments. My niece, who does not like sports, is a bit ambivalent about PE, but it is the only physical activity she gets. I asked her what she thought would happen if they took PE away. She said a bunch of kids would get fat - pretty insightful.
Thankfully, she has it for one hour each day.
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Comment by SpinDiva on July 1, 2008 at 5:24am -
Well, I agree with everyone here.... you all said exactly what I would have said. Without PE kids are left to learn about physical activities from Mom & Dad which isn't always good but even when Mom & Dad are physically active and knowledgable about nutrition, teens are not always willing to learn from parents because, what do we know, we're just parents right?
My daughter plays volleyball at our gym and swims sometimes, other times she exercises on her own. But she is not exactly motivated on her own so I'm not sure how much she gets out of her workouts. I think is she was exercising with a group of her own peers she would be more motivated and have reason to be more competitive.
I say keep PE but don't use it as crutch for the child--it's just education and sometimes not all that great!
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Comment by Live Well on July 1, 2008 at 8:03pm - PE is absolutely necessary in school! Perhaps the problem lies within the teacher of each class. All of my PE teachers were interested in helping us be active. My elementary PE teacher constantly taught us names of muscles and their functions. It's in PE where good nutrition should be taught. In high school if you played on a sports team, you weren't required to take PE as an actual class (which was fine since our practices were 2 1/2 to 3 hours every day).
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Comment by Susana on July 2, 2008 at 9:47am - I totally agree that PE is definitely part of children's life. It should be done in school since parents are busy working to support the family. Or they don't have the knowledge to teach what it is correct. But fitness and healthy lifestyle starts at home with a good nutrition. In my opinion, parents need to do some changes in their eating habits. I know there is a lot of peer pressure nowadays about eating junk food. So the sooner the better.
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Comment by DreaD on July 19, 2008 at 9:16pm - PE is important because it teaches children how to interact with others. PE is powerful because it can give a child great self-esteem or lower it. However, that only provides a choice. Children must exercise and they must eat quality foods. A growing child's intake will vary so as long as they have the benefit of exercise to burn off those calories, the better off they will be. PE gives children focus. Parents should only add to the benefits of PE by talking to them about exercise.
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