45th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2002

REQUESTING THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION TO WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND OTHERS TO DEVELOP QUALITY PHYSICAL EDUCATION CURRICULA.

WHEREAS, obesity is an increasing epidemic among children nationally, as well as in New Mexico, and major contributors to this health threat are a decrease in physical activity and an increase in poor diets comprised mainly of high-calorie and high-fat foods; and

WHEREAS, in 1997, the centers for disease control and prevention reported that almost forty percent of youth received less than two hours of physical education a week, and, between 1991 and 1997, the percentage of children who participated in daily physical education classes dropped from forty-two percent to twenty-seven percent; and

WHEREAS, obese children are often excluded from social groups, suffer from low self-esteem and are at greater risk for developing anxiety disorders and depression in adulthood; and

WHEREAS, obesity is preventable, and regular physical activity reduces the risk of developing or prematurely dying from some of the leading causes of illness and death in the United States, such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer and arthritis; and

WHEREAS, children learn skills in primary and secondary school that they retain for life, and research suggests that if children are exposed to teaching techniques and curricula that encourage physical fitness and positive dietary habits, they are more likely to embrace an active lifestyle, perform better academically and enjoy greater self-esteem and mental health; and

WHEREAS, in the fall of 1997, the New Mexico state board of education adopted standards and benchmarks in physical education for all schools; and

WHEREAS, the fall 2000 report to the president of the United States entitled "Promoting Better Health for Young People Through Physical Activity and Sport" outlines daily physical education as a strategy to increase physical activity among youth;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the state department of public education be requested to work with the department of health and other interested organizations to develop strategies to enable teachers to implement quality physical education curricula and teaching techniques that will encourage students at all grade levels to learn healthy lifestyles and the skills necessary for lifelong participation in physical activity and fitness; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the state department of public education distribute a report of those strategies to public school superintendents; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the superintendent of public instruction and the secretary of health.