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Recently the First lady of America, Michael Obama, launched a nation wide campaign to fight obesity in schools. To implement this initiative, she along with the school authorities and the health ministry, has planned to introduce healthy eating in schools. This means the canteens and the cafeterias will go under a major revamp where food is concerned.

For many parents this is a dream come true. Most of the children growing up today are prone to obesity and other weight related problems from early childhood. Given our fast lifestyles, we have no option but to go in for fast food and foodstuffs that are high in preservative content. This skews our health badly. And sadly many of us don’t even realise this until it is too late. Therefore, this is a great initiative and something that many schools authorities and parents will vouch for.

While schools do agree that kids need to eat healthy food, they do not think physical education classes are important. What an irony! Even though a recent report stated that there are have been improvements in the psychical education classes facilities offered to the kids, schools are lenient in letting kids choose something else over them.

Generally it is seen that the students choose band practices or cheerleading classes. Although one might argue that cheerleading is a form of great exercise which involves full body movements and dance, it is not exactly psychical education.

Many girls, who go in for cheerleading, think that they need to have a certain type of body which is suited for cheerleading. This might affect their health greatly as it may mean extreme diet sessions etc. This is then not a form of exercise but a way of ruining ones body entirely.

On the other hand, students who opt for band practises may not do any physical exercises at all. Most of the time they would be sitting and playing their instruments. By no means is one asking the students to quit what they love doing. Instead, it is argued that they should allow a bit of an exercise routine in their lives too.

Giving importance to PE classes doesn’t mean that one should neglect their choice of activity which is cheerleading or band. It is just that as a growing child, one needs overall physical exercise. This helps not only in physical but also mental health. It helps to increase concentration levels, build and increase levels of stamina. In short, it helps the kids sustain much longer, be it any kind of activity. But unfortunately, schools don’t get this.

They do not see the reason to make PE classes an important part of the curriculum. Sports and other activities are important too but one can easily bunk the PE classes. Maybe there should be a new campaign to make the PE classes a permanent with the students. It is good if they can sweat it out and burn those extra calories they pile up from the cafeterias within the school.