To make a real difference, school PE should promote active lifestyle, walk to school

We found that specific PE requirements had a modest association with 8th-grade girls' physical activity, but there was virtually no association between PE laws and weight change in boys or girls.  Existing laws were designed to make kids attend PE, which is exactly what they did, and not much else. 

Students walk to school in Columbia, MO

Does this mean we should ditch PE requirements altogether?  No, just the opposite.

PE reform isn’t about making kids show up to gym class – it’s about redesigning PE, and other parts of students’ education, to promote an active lifestyle in a way that all students will enjoy.  This “whole-of-school” approach was the heart of an Institute of Medicine report led by the MSD Center’s Dr. Bill Kohl.  PE should involve more than dodgeball in gym class.  It should promote different types of activity throughout school, including walk/bike-to-school programs, recess, and activity breaks within class.