Physical Education's Potential Impact on Overweight Based on Energy Expenditure

Background/Purpose: The prevalence of overweight/obesity among school-age youth in the United States remains high. Engaging in physical activity (PA) is a widely accepted approach toward preventing and treating childhood obesity. Schools have long been identified as important venues for the provision of PA, especially during physical education (PE). The purpose of this study was to quantify the potential caloric impact of quality PE (i.e., at 50% MVPA) on the estimated energy expenditure (EE) of individual students and intact classes under conditions (i.e., PE frequency, duration, intensity) recommended by NASPE and by current state education policies.

Method: Using nationally representative values of mean student body mass and PE class size, individual student (kcal/student/yr) and class (kcal/class/yr) EE calculations were estimated based on NASPE guidelines (150/225 PE min per week) and data from individual state PE policies extracted from the 2012 Shape of the Nation Report. Available data from states were averaged to generate USA values, represented by mean scores for 16 states (elementary school), 14 states (middle school), and 9 states (high school), respectively.

Analysis/Results: Compared to those in schools following USA state recommendations, children in elementary, middle, and high schools following NASPE guidelines would expend 1.56, 1.64, and 1.38 times more energy, respectively. This would result in a 10-year cumulative difference of 55,103 kcal for boys and 53,854 kcal for girls. There was large variability in EE estimates for classes among states and at the three school levels: elementary (743,264 kcal, Alabama – Missouri), middle (1,284,822 kcal, Alabama – North Dakota), and high school (1,352,483 kcal, Utah – Iowa). Estimated EE for classroom time was 44% of that spent in equivalent PE time. Over 10 years, for example, boys in schools following NASPE standards would expend 90,117 calories more than those in schools who had no PE at all (162,318 vs. 72,141 kcal/student).

Conclusions: PE has great potential for helping to control child and adolescent overweight, especially when conducted using dosages recommended by NASPE and by the 19 states that have PE minute requirements. Many barriers interfere with this potential; the most prominent being the lack of strong PE policies at state and district levels and the lack of accountability for schools to follow them. States and districts should implement ongoing surveillance systems to ensure PE is being conducted as recommended.