Latest news with #PresidentialPhysicalFitnessTest
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Ohio lawmakers propose physical fitness test in schools. How fat, obese are Ohio's kids?
Ohio lawmakers want to bring back the Presidential Physical Fitness Test to the state's schools. The proposal would require students in grades 1 through 12 to take an annual fitness exam modeled after the test, which started in 1956 under President Dwight D. Eisenhower and was discontinued in 2012. Ohio lawmakers say today's children need more physical fitness. "In a time when sedentary lifestyles, screen time, and childhood obesity are on the rise, this legislation sends a clear message: physical fitness is not optional, it is essential," said Elgin Rogers, D-Toledo, one of House Bill 322's sponsors. So how heavy are Ohio's children? Here's a look at the state's childhood obesity rates. The rate of obesity in Ohio is 18.3% for children ages 6 to 17, according to the State of Childhood Obesity report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, slightly higher than the national average of 17%. The study uses data from the National Survey of Children's Health in 2022 and 2023. Ohio ranks No. 17 in the nation for obese children, better than Wisconsin (No. 16) at 18.4% but worse than South Carolina (No. 18) at 18.1%. Topping the list is Mississippi, which has a childhood obesity rate of 25%, according to the report. Looking at childhood obesity rates for different age groups in the report, Ohio is No. 12 in the nation for obesity among high school students with a rate of 16.8%. The report uses data from 2019 for that statistic. For children ages 10-17, the obesity rate is 16.2%, 27th in the nation, using data from 2022. And for children ages 2-4 that participate in the state's Women, Infants and Children program, the obesity rate is 12.5%, using data from 2020, putting the Buckeye State at No. 42 in the nation in that age group. According to Harvard Men's Health Watch, a publication of Harvard Medical School, the fitness test has undergone many revisions over the decades. However, the version most people are familiar with consists of a one-mile run, pull-ups or push-ups, sit-ups, shuttle run and sit-and-reach. "The aim was to assess cardiovascular fitness, upper-body and core strength, endurance, flexibility, and agility," Matthew Sloan writes in the article. The test was discontinued in 2012 by President Barack Obama in favor of a different method, the Presidential Youth Fitness Program. The new program "modernized fitness education" by emphasizing student health, goal setting and personal progress. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio lawmakers eye physical fitness test return. Childhood obesity rates
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
WATCH: Mike Tyson reveals why he is backing the 'Congressional Fitness Challenge'
FIRST ON FOX: Schools around the country could soon be able to opt into the "Congressional Fitness Challenge," including legendary boxer Mike Tyson's own academy. House Concurrent Resolution 20, introduced by Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Ariz., would create a voluntary program that would allow students who successfully complete the challenge to receive a signed certificate from the speaker of the House, president pro tempore of the Senate, and the student's senator and congressman. "Listen, because we need to be in shape, man," Tyson told Fox News Digital in an interview. "We can't physically get into an army because we're out of shape. And that's embarrassing. So it comes across we're the most heavy, heaviest people in the planet. We're the fattest people in world, Americans," he continued. Specifically, Tyson noted 77% of Americans aged 17 to 24 would need a wavier in order to serve in the military, according to the Department of Defense. "It's just mental. It's just a shame, but it can be helped," Tyson said of the issue. 'Enough Is Enough': House Republican Touts Gop Effort To Pass Bill Cracking Down On 'Rogue' Judges Read On The Fox News App It would apply to students in K-12 public and private schools, groups that provide the testing to home schoolers, and members of Congress who hold a "community-based event" for the challenge, the current text states. According to the resolution, the benchmarks will be inspired by "historical" lines for the Presidential Physical Fitness Test, which was popularized under the Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson administrations in the 1960s. "So we got to make sure that they're physically fit. Now is the perfect time to be instituting this once again, because we understand President Trump through his Cabinet picks and through what his campaign promises have been with the America First agenda, where he wants to make America healthy again," Hamadeh said. The test itself would entail a mile-long run or walk, pull-ups or a flexed arm hang, curl-ups, sit-ups, shuttle runs, and sit-and-reach. Those who perform well would be divided into gold, silver, and bronze levels. The gold level would be in the top 85th percentile, silver would cover the top 75th percentile, and bronze would be in the top 50th percentile, the legislation states. Tyson added that actions like this give him hope for the future. "I think this is going to improve, and people are going to get better, and people want to get healthier. I just believe that," he said. Mike Tyson Talks Support For Fellow 'Fighter' President Trump Tyson is at the helm of Tyson Transformational Technologies Academy, a private school in Arizona that is part of the My Life My Power International Preparatory Academy, which has campuses in Florida and West Virginia as well. The academies plan on taking up the challenge. "I believe in this country and I believe we're going to get well and we're going to be in good condition. And we're gonna be able to go into the army and defend our country," Tyson said. Other athletes have come out in support of the resolution, including former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre and former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown. Nfl Legend Brett Favre Makes Prediction On Possibility Of International Super Bowl "Love this! So important for our Youth," Brown posted to X. "As a former pro athlete, one of us knows first-hand the doors that physical fitness can open— confidence, leadership, the drive to succeed. As a Member of Congress and former US Army Captain and Intelligence Officer, the other sees the broader picture – healthier kids mean a healthier, more prosperous America," Favre and Hamadeh co-wrote in an op-ed for OutKick in March. The resolution is co-sponsored by Republican Reps. Tony Wied and Martin Stutzman. "Right now, people are really focused on what foods have been going into their bodies and how come the obesity rate has tripled," Hamadeh said. "And it's a real problem in terms of a national security perspective. So the government has an invested interest in this. but also the American people do it themselves as well."Original article source: WATCH: Mike Tyson reveals why he is backing the 'Congressional Fitness Challenge'
Fox News
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
WATCH: Mike Tyson reveals why he is backing the 'Congressional Fitness Challenge'
FIRST ON FOX: Schools around the country could soon be able to opt into the "Congressional Fitness Challenge," including legendary boxer Mike Tyson's own academy. House Concurrent Resolution 20, introduced by Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Ariz., would create a voluntary program that would allow students who successfully complete the challenge to receive a signed certificate from the speaker of the House, president pro tempore of the Senate, and the student's senator and congressman. "Listen, because we need to be in shape, man," Tyson told Fox News Digital in an interview. "We can't physically get into an army because we're out of shape. And that's embarrassing. So it comes across we're the most heavy, heaviest people in the planet. We're the fattest people in world, Americans," he continued. Specifically, Tyson noted 77% of Americans aged 17 to 24 would need a wavier in order to serve in the military, according to the Department of Defense. "It's just mental. It's just a shame, but it can be helped," Tyson said of the issue. It would apply to students in K-12 public and private schools, groups that provide the testing to home schoolers, and members of Congress who hold a "community-based event" for the challenge, the current text states. According to the resolution, the benchmarks will be inspired by "historical" lines for the Presidential Physical Fitness Test, which was popularized under the Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson administrations in the 1960s. "So we got to make sure that they're physically fit. Now is the perfect time to be instituting this once again, because we understand President Trump through his Cabinet picks and through what his campaign promises have been with the America First agenda, where he wants to make America healthy again," Hamadeh said. The test itself would entail a mile-long run or walk, pull-ups or a flexed arm hang, curl-ups, sit-ups, shuttle runs, and sit-and-reach. Those who perform well would be divided into gold, silver, and bronze levels. The gold level would be in the top 85th percentile, silver would cover the top 75th percentile, and bronze would be in the top 50th percentile, the legislation states. Tyson added that actions like this give him hope for the future. "I think this is going to improve, and people are going to get better, and people want to get healthier. I just believe that," he said. Tyson is at the helm of Tyson Transformational Technologies Academy, a private school in Arizona that is part of the My Life My Power International Preparatory Academy, which has campuses in Florida and West Virginia as well. The academies plan on taking up the challenge. "I believe in this country and I believe we're going to get well and we're going to be in good condition. And we're gonna be able to go into the army and defend our country," Tyson said. Other athletes have come out in support of the resolution, including former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre and former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown. "Love this! So important for our Youth," Brown posted to X. "As a former pro athlete, one of us knows first-hand the doors that physical fitness can open— confidence, leadership, the drive to succeed. As a Member of Congress and former US Army Captain and Intelligence Officer, the other sees the broader picture – healthier kids mean a healthier, more prosperous America," Favre and Hamadeh co-wrote in an op-ed for OutKick in March. The resolution is co-sponsored by Republican Reps. Tony Wied and Martin Stutzman. "Right now, people are really focused on what foods have been going into their bodies and how come the obesity rate has tripled," Hamadeh said. "And it's a real problem in terms of a national security perspective. So the government has an invested interest in this. but also the American people do it themselves as well."
