I hated Dodgeball b/c as a chubbier girl, I was always a target for meaner boys, and they would really whip the ball at me (at my head!). I remember one time the ringing in my ear didn't stop until after I went home for the day. I would have liked more choices in P.E./gym when I was a kid. And I do *not* think that all games are good co-ed. That should be an option, but not a standard practice.
Kids are not fat b/c there is no gym at school. Kids eat crap and watch too much TV. Parents take no responsibility to teach kids about their health. Computer and video games have become too commonplace. We are raising a generation of fat kids with strong thumbs!

Ouch! As an avid gamer, and mom of an avid gamer, you've cut me to the quick! Actually, I find computer use and gaming cuts down on eating, because it's much harder to type/play and eat simultaneously!

That being said, physical activity that involves the whole body is essential, too. Of course! Just all things in moderation. I don't want to throw out my games or my computers... they bring me many hours of pleasure! I just need to add in more whole-body activity.

For the record, my son's metabolism rate is far higher than mine. He also gets more whole-body activity than I do. He apparently got it from his dad's side of the family. They eat literally whatever they want (lots of deep-fried and bbq stuff, too) and never gain an ounce. He eats healthy-ish (relatively few veggies, but no candy, cookies, soda... his choice) and he's a nice healthy weight for his height.

my 2 cents...

Kids will be kids, no matter what offcials ban, they will always find another way to get hurt...that is what being a kid is all about.

Why don't they just ban all activity outright (since it seems that is where this is headed) and have kids sit on their butts for the rest of their lives....God lord! its absolutley rediculous!

Rediculous, but a trend that doesn't appear to be stopping any time soon.

When I was a kid I used to love riding in the back dash board of our car. Unfortunately, my kids will never get to experience that--unless I want to become a law-breaker!

OMG!! ME TOO!! My sister and I used to fight over who got the back dash when we were little!!

A few thoughts here.

While I do not disagree with the overall hypothesis that we're quashing any sense of fun out of our children (and perhaps not being able to run around on a playground contributes to them running around in restaurants instead!), I do not think that PE the way it used to be--and still is, in many places--was a panacea, either.

Take Dodgeball, something my husband and I argue over constantly. That's nothing but school sanctioned meanness, and since there are a limited number of balls, in reality most of the students are standing around doing nothing. Tetherball, which I enjoyed though I was bad at it, isn't a whole lot better. You've got two kids playing a game for 10 or 15 minutes, and a line of kids waiting behind them. I also remember doing basketball drills in PE, which was like six kids throwing a basketball at a hoop and the rest of the kids--you guessed it--standing there doing nothing.

None of that is truly conducive to inculcating in children a love of physical activity. Nor is it effective exercise, as most of the children aren't actually doing anything most of the time.

It's far too easy to blame the schools. But they have our children only for a relatively small part of the day. It is up to us, as parents, to ensure that our children are physically active and have the opportunity to play like kids. While the death of physical education and recess undoubtedly has something to do with the burgeoning epidemic of childhood obesity, the family life of sitting at home in front of the television and driving to the corner store for more SunnyD has a heck of a lot more to do with it.

My son and daughter played school sports through college and continue to do so with adult recreation leagues ~ so you can probably guess where I stand on the issue!

Yes we parents do have responsibility. My oldest has a gym membership with DH and I and she's there 5 days week on the treadmill or bikes or walking track or swimming. My little ones aren't old enough for that yet but we do have a swingset and basketball hoop and trampoline that they play on. And yes the schools do have the kids for only part of the day. My oldest gets to school at 8:30 gets home at 4:15, has at least an hour of homework and then there's dinner, baths, and bedtime so making sure that she does get to the gym is a scheduling nightmare. I get flack from her teacher because I won't let her stay until 5:30 pm 3 times a week for tutoring because I'm trying to make sure she does get in physical activity. I do let her stay until 4:30 twice a week, but according to the teacher that's not good enough. I reminded the teacher that since she began tutoring that her grades have dropped and the teacher actually said it was probably from all the exercise I "make" her do. (I don't make my child go to the gym, she asked for a membership.) This is the same woman that is pumping junk food into my child. My kid may only be there with her for 7 hours but in that 7 hours she has an authority figure telling her that it's ok to eat this stuff (when I'm telling her it's not), and it's ok to just be a little active that exercise really isn't that important because they play outside on the playground. Now as a 10 yo watching all of her classmates eat this stuff and her teacher telling her to go ahead what do you think is going to happen. Yes we as parents are responsible, but the schools, the professional educators that are in charge of our children for 7-8 hours a day are just as responsible for our children when our children are in their care.

I dunno GBMM, my experience with PE was much better. I guess individual schools handle it differently. I used to love gym. We had free-for-all months, where you could choose what you wanted to do...but HAD to do something. Either volleyball, track, baseball, weight room, gymnastics, or dance aerobics. Then we had a month of roller skating, which everyone enjoyed. The gym floor became a roller rink and the kids brought in records they wanted to play to skate to.

I never played dodgeball in school. We mostly played volleyball, baseball and cageball.

I do not know where you live but my kids go to school from 8 in the morning to 3 in the afternoon 7 hours. They may be home all night but most of that time is spent sleeping they are awake from 3 - 8:30 5 1/2 hours. During that 5 1/2 hours we are very busy - home work, dinner, chores, sport practices, bath etc. How can we not blame the schools. Our cafateria offers so much junk my kids NEVER have to eat a veggie while they are there. There is a vending machine down every hall with pop candy and chips. WHY? These things aren't allowed in the classroom. If they get something out of the vending machine during a break they have to cram it down their throats before next class. Once again bad eating habits. If they are eating all of these foods that are in no way healthy and can not run around on the playground and act like the kids they are where are they going to burn off these calories. One other thing to bring up, if they aren't buring the energy at the playground where do they burn it. In the classroom right. How many of us have heard teachers complain about kids being to excessive in class. Well DUH get rid of all the sugar and junk and let them play like kids maybe they will actually settle down in class.

Yeah , I agree, my girls are at school from 7:45-5:30-45 for the most part (single parent + full time job=10 hrs at school) and while school is only from 8:30-3:45 they do the before and after school thing there as well. And if it wasn't there they would be in daycare (except the oldest, she's too old).
I also thought the last part was funny because my 10 y/o's teacher makes the class run laps when, as a whole, they are out of control. Which I support 100% by the way!!

I don't think I've ever been somewhere school wasn't 8 hours a day, five days a week. That's what, 40 hours a week? And then you've got an equal amount dedicated to sleep...Which leaves the parent 8 hours on weekdays & 16 on weekends...Fifty-six hours opposed to 40. Even with homework, you've got a lot more time. And if you think it's OK to completely abdicate your authority during school hours, then obviously nothing I can say could possibly make a difference. Last I checked, though, I was my children's main authority figure even when they're away from me. If good nutrition is important to you, you'll either teach your child how to make the best choices from the offerings available (which is a joke if school food is what it was back when I was a student) or send something healthy with him/her and forbid the snack machines. I knew plenty of kids in school whose parents did exactly that...my mother didn't...And I'm the one here on a diet site, not them. Cause and effect, maybe?

YOU CAN SEND YOUR CHILD WITH A HEALTHY SACK LUNCH AND NO $$$ ~ IF THEY ARE HUNGRY THEY WILL EAT WHAT YOU SENT THEM ~ IF THEY ARE GONNA BE SNEAKY ON THIS, WELL THEN THEY WILL PROBABLY BE SNEAKIER LATER WHEN THEY START DRIVING, ETC ~ MUCH BIGGER ISSUES TO DEAL WITH!

I AGREE THAT KIDS NEED TO BURN OFF STEAM ~ BUT IT SEEMS LATELY THAT KIDS "DON'T WANNA" THEY HAVE "CONDITIONS"

EVEN IF YOUR CHILD'S SCHOOL HAS A COUPLE OF RECESSES A DAY AND A PE CLASS, THERE ISN'T MUCH TIME FOR THEM TO BURN UP CALORIES

PERSONALLY I THINK MUCH MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE AT HOME!!