April 15th, 2025

Dear Readers,

Why isn’t physical education considered part of the core curriculum?

And I’m not talking about kickball.

With the increase in obesity compared to previous decades and the under-muscled epidemic facing our nation’s youth, it begs the question: What are we doing wrong?

Besides the fact that most food purchased in grocery stores has an ingredient list as long as the Magna Carta, many people don’t truly know how harmful these foods can be.

In moderation, most of these highly processed foods aren’t harmful—a treat here and there never hurt anybody.

But are these foods really consumed only in moderation?

Studies show that people who eat mainly processed food tend to consume, on average, 600 more calories than those who do not.

Many are unaware that these foods are designed to make you eat more.

They are hyper-palatable, meaning they taste excellent, and they have been engineered in laboratories to be easy to consume and highly addictive.

Coupled with the fact that many people do not work out regularly, this is a recipe for disaster.

People are not taught the importance of physical health.

After a certain age, students are no longer required to participate in physical education—an activity that, frankly, isn’t even a reliable metric of overall physical fitness.

While I’m all for playing games and having fun, activities like Capture the Flag do not sufficiently promote physical fitness, at least not for older students.

There should be a much more concerted effort to equip students with the knowledge, habits, and skills that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.

What could be better than a focus on health and wellness?

I’m not suggesting that every student needs to be a health nut, but they should have a basic understanding of which foods are nutritious and which are not.

They should learn about both macro- and micronutrients and gain a relatively advanced comprehension of cardiovascular and strength training.

Not every student has to become a powerlifter, bodybuilder, or marathon runner, but if they are taught these skills and habits, they will grow up healthier and brighter.

Every school should require students to take—and pass—a health and fitness course every year.

What might this class entail? It should include comprehensive nutritional information and workout regimens, as well as practical applications such as regular visits to the gym, track, or kitchen.

The gym would be used to practice proper movement and form; the track would help students push themselves and perfect their motion; and the kitchen would be the place to apply the nutritional knowledge they have just acquired.

This comprehensive approach to health education isn’t just about reducing obesity or combating the effects of processed foods—it’s about empowering future generations with the understanding that health is a lifelong investment.