With an increasing emphasis on higher and higher scholastic test scores, physical education classes are disappearing from the nation's middle and high schools and many elementary schools have done away with recess as well. As these programs fall by the wayside, childhood obesity is climbing to epidemic proportions.

As a result, the Centers for Disease control issued new guidelines two weeks ago. The research for these guidelines was published in the June, 2005 issue of the Journal of Pediatrics.

Kids need at least an hour a day of physical activity to ensure good health, according to the findings of a CDC-backed expert panel. The panel members said that they hope the new recommendations will serve as a wake-up call to parents, doctors, public health officials, and school administrators.

CDC panel co-chair, Dr. William B. Strong said, "Obesity is a significant problem in the young as well as the old." "If we don't do something to get children moving, we are going to have a phenomenal epidemic of obesity-related diseases 20 to 30 years from now." Strong’s research suggests that 8 to 11 year-olds get an average of about five minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day. A government-funded study recently showed that children typically get less than 25 minutes of exercise a week in school-based physical education programs.

Will we depend on our schools to bring exercise back to the academic experience or will we make sure our kids get enough exercise?