Resources - Physical Activity

Updated June 2010

Table of Contents

Publications

State Legislatures Magazine

• PE Makes a Comeback (December 2007)
   An article from NCS's State Legislatures magazine highlighting the benefits of PE, including physical activity and academic achievement.

• The P.E. Advantage (February 2006)
  An article from NCSL's State Legislatures magazine looking at state's laws regarding PE.
• What's for Lunch? When's Recess? (December 2005)
  An article from NCSL's State Legislatures magazine highlighting the measures being taken to reduce overweight and obesity in schools, including state action through legislation.
• Exercising Choices (July/August 2004)
  An article from NCSL's State Legislatures magazine that discusses the ways in which parents and schools can help children to make healthy active lifestyle choices.

Legisbriefs

• Physical Activity Guidelines (February 2009): An NCSL Legisbrief looking at strategies and policies for states to encourage physical activity.
• State Workplace Wellness Initiatives (June/July 2007): An NCSL Legisbrief highlighting state wellness initiatives as they relate to the workplace. 

Web Pages

• Childhood Obesity -- 2009 Update and Overview of Policy Options: An NCSL Web page providing information regarding obesity and its risks and costs, as well as a chart of relevant legislative approaches considered or enacted in 2009, state legislation on childhood obesity policy options in 2009, and summaries of other relevant 2009 legislation.
• Wellness Overview: Overview of NCSL's wellness resources
• State Wellness Legislation: Includes state wellness legislation related to insurance premium discounts, group rate discounts, tax credits and more.
• Diabetes Health Coverage Legislation: Includes state laws mandating diabetes health coverage.
• Diabetes General Legislation: Includes state laws related to diabetes other than health coverage legislation.

• Women's Health and Diabetes: Quick facts for women about diabetes.

Other Resources

• Promoting Healthy Communities and Preventing Childhood Obesity: Trends in Recent Legislation - (2010) This NCSL report documents 2009 legislative actions on nutrition standards and physical education in schools, changes in the built environment that encourage more walking and bicycling, and more.
• Healthy Community Design: Bringing Physical Activity and Healthy Foods to Communities - (2009) In this NCSL report, discover program and policy options policymakers can use in designing and building more healthy communities that benefit residents' health and well-being.
• Shape of the Nation Report: Status of Physical Education in the U.S. (2010) - The Shape of the Nation Report provides a current picture of physical education (PE) in the American education system. Incremental improvements have been made in the last few years in the number of states that now require PE (17% increase) and student assessment in PE (26% increase). However, the Report shows that more states now allow waivers and exemptions from PE classes (77% increase) and no progress has been made in providing daily physical education in all grades K-12.
• State Indicator Report on Physical Activity, 2010 (May 2010) - The State Indicator Report on Physical Activity 2010 has been published by the CDC. It provides information on physical activity behavior and policy and environmental supports within each state. Physical activity, essential to overall health, can help control weight, reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve mental health.

• National Physical Activity Plan (May 2010) - The Plan was recently released by the National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity. The plan represents the nation’s first comprehensive effort to increase physical activity. Initiated by the CDC and developed by numerous public and private organizations across the country, the plan provides the framework for policy leaders and organizational decision makers to support changes that will improve physical activity and health for all ages and abilities. The plan was released as part of "Moving America Day" at a national event at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

• The Association Between School-Based Physical Activity, Including Physical Education, and Academic Performance  (April 2010) - A report from the CDC's Division of Adolescent and School. The report indicates that school-based physical activity may help improve students’ grades and test scores and positively affect other factors that influence academic achievement. The report also concludes that adding time during the school day for physical activity does not appear to take away from academic performance.

• Fitness, Food and Finding Solutions: Approaches to Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Treatment (January 2006) - An NCSL Research and Policy Report providing information on how policy makers are striving to promote opportunities for physical activity and healthy food choices in schools, workplaces and communities.

• Percentage of Adults Who Reported No Leisure Time Physical Activity (2001) - An NCSL Postcard describing why physical activity is important in the prevention of chronic diseases and diplaying the rate of physical activity among adults in the United States.

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