Harvard School of Public Health
Steven E. Miller
Executive Director, Healthy Weight Initiative
Nutrition Department, Harvard School of Public Health
Nutrition Round Table // NECON
Senator Sonya Chang Diaz, Chair
Representative Alice Peisch, Chair
Joint Committee on Education
State House, Room 437G
Boston, MA 01233
Sept. 29, 2013
Dear Chairwomen Chang Diaz and Peisch,
The pending Senate Bill #246 and House Bill #478 (An Act Relative to Healthy Kids) could
significantly increase our children’s level of every-day physical activity, thereby reducing their
risk of becoming overweight and developing the associated chronic diseases later in life – or
even as children. Even better, the short-term win is that research shows that children who get
adequate physical exercise do better in school, better able to focus on learning.
Childhood obesity and diabetes are growing to epidemic proportions. One link to the increasing
number of children suffering from obesity and diabetes is lack of physical activity and sedentary
lifestyles. But obesity is not just about overeating. Researchers suggest that the childhood
obesity epidemic is largely the result of a decline in regular physical activity. To make matters
worse, many schools are cutting back on traditional physical education (PE) programs because
of budgetary concerns and competing academic demands, such as federally mandated
standardized tests under the No Child Left Behind Act. Massachusetts law requires Physical
Education (PE) to be taught in the public schools. However in 1996, the Board of Education
repealed regulations that had mandated minimum annual hours of instruction. In reality, PE is
one of the first programs to suffer when budgets are cut and over time many Massachusetts
school have reduced or eliminated physical education programs.
I know the impact of an active life-style not only from the research but also from my own
family. My own children always did better academically when they were participating in sports
teams. They did their homework more efficiently, slept better, and were more active in class.
The Healthy Kids Act will help ensure that quality physical education (PE) will be provided in
schools by requiring PE shall be taught as a required subject in all grades, that it is taught by
licensed and certified teachers, that there be no substitution of other instruction or activities
and that PE coursework shall be regulated under the National Association for Sport & Physical
Education (NASPE). In addition the bill requires that an evaluation of current physical education
standards, practices and the instruction provided to students in all grades and that the findings
for each individual school is reported to the Legislature.
Harvard School of Public Health
Steven E. Miller
Executive Director, Healthy Weight Initiative
Nutrition Department, Harvard School of Public Health
Nutrition Round Table // NECON
In addition to the PE components of the bill, the legislation also works to ensure that physical
activity is provided by requiring a minimum of 30 minutes a day of moderate to vigorous
physical activity to all students in K-8 grades. This may be through regular physical education,
physical activities, recess, classroom energizers, or other curriculum based physical education
activity program. It also requires schools to allow time in the curriculum for physical activity and
to incorporate these concepts throughout all subjects. Schools may not use physical activity as
a punishment nor withhold opportunities for physical activity as punishment and it encourage
schools to schedule recess before lunch.
In addition to the physical education and activity components the legislation looks to help
highlight best practices of schools across the State by establishes the Healthy Kids Award
program to reward K-12 schools that implement policies and practices that create opportunities
for students to be physically active and make healthy food choices throughout the school day. It
also looks to develop and maintain a nutrition and physical activity best practices database to
help schools learn from their peers.
Schools are potentially attractive settings in which to promote positive healthy behaviors
because students spend large amounts of time in the school environment. Although schools are
under increasing pressure to increase student scores on standardized tests, the recent dramatic
rise in the prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents in the United States suggests that
there is a pressing need for the nation’s schools to systematically and effectively promote
behaviors that will prevent the development of overweight children. Through expanded
physical education and physical activity in schools, the prospects for better health among our
young people will be significantly improved.
Thank you for your time and consideration for this critical legislation.
Sincerely,
Steven E. Miller
Steven E. Miller
Executive Director, Healthy Weight Initiative
Nutrition Department, Harvard School of Public Health
smiller@hsph.harvard.edu
617-686-1050
Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health
665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115 Tel: (617) 686-1050 Fax: (617) 432-2435 smiller@hsph.harvard.edu
Harvard School of Public Health
Steven E. Miller
Executive Director, Healthy Weight Initiative
Nutrition Department, Harvard School of Public Health
Nutrition Round Table // NECON
Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health
665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115 Tel: (617) 686-1050 Fax: (617) 432-2435 smiller@hsph.harvard.edu
Harvard School of Public Health
Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health
665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115 Tel: (617) 686-1050 Fax: (617) 432-2435 smiller@hsph.harvard.edu