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Support FIT Kids Today for a Healthier Tomorrow
Congress took an important step in the efforts to ensure a healthier generation of school kids by introducing the Fitness Integrated with Teaching Kids Act (FIT Kids Act). The bill, introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressmen Kind (D-WI), Wamp (R-TN), and Inslee (D-WA), amends the No Child Left Behind Act to support quality physical education for all public school children. In 2004, more than nine million children and adolescents, ages 6 to 19, were considered overweight and an estimated 20 percent of American children are expected to be obese by 2010. Experts agree that a critical component to overcoming this epidemic is to get kids moving more and to teach them how to live healthy lifestyles. Yet, physical education is being cut back on in schools all across the country. The FIT Kids Act will address this decline, as well as ensure that children receive important health and nutritional information. Send your message asking for your representative's support today!

The following communication will be sent to the federal or state legislators that are matched to your home address:
As your constituent and an American Heart Association You’re the Cure Advocate, I wish to thank you for introducing the Fitness Integrated with Teaching (FIT) Kids Act of 2007 (H.R. 3257). As you know, we need to amend No Child Left Behind Act to encourage public schools to provide regular and quality physical education and activity for all students through the twelfth grade, and to hold them accountable for meeting national standards. The FIT Kids Act does just that.

Please enter your personal story here:
I am most concerned that we are facing a childhood obesity epidemic in this country. The Department of Health and Human Services’ forecasts that, three years from now, one out of five children and youth in the United States will be obese. Overweight adolescents have a 70 percent chance of becoming overweight adults, putting these young people increased risk for heart disease, stroke and other diseases later in life. Yet, as you know, schools are cutting back on physical education: from 1991 to 2003, enrollment of high school students in daily PE classes fell from 41.6 percent to 28.4 percent. I worry that this means that fewer children are learning about healthy lifestyles, and fewer are physically active during the school day.The FIT Kids Act will help ensure that schools work towards national standards for PE. It will make sure that parents know about the quality and quantity of physical education in their children’s schools. It will further ensure appropriate professional development for health and physical education teachers. And it will fund research and a pilot program to support effective ways to combat childhood obesity and improve healthy living and physical activity for all children. Through these measures, the FIT Kids Act is a comprehensive package for addressing childhood obesity.The FIT Kids Act is a critical step in arresting the childhood obesity epidemic. I am delighted that my member of Congress in the House of Representatives is a leader on this issue. Thank you again.

As your constituent and an American Heart Association You’re the Cure advocate, I urge you to cosponsor the Fitness Integrated with Teaching (FIT) Kids Act of 2007 (H.R. 3257), sponsored by Rep. Kind and Rep. Wamp. This bill amends the No Child Left Behind Act to encourage public schools to provide regular and quality physical education and activity for all students through the twelfth grade and hold them accountable for meeting national standards.