Designate physical education as a core academic subject.

According to a recent article published by the Institute of Medicine, children who are more active show greater attention, have faster cognitive processing speed, and perform better on standardized academic tests than children who are less active. This information, along with the already overwhelming data on health concerns linked with childhood obesity, more than support the need for physical activity to be brought back into schools. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nearly 15 percent of U.S. kids are obese, with two-thirds of adults falling into the category. If the Department of Education designates physical education as a core academic subject it would not only draw attention to this issue but it would allow schools to appropriate funds as necessary.