Tom Harkin: “I agree with the concerns raised by the Senator from Pennsylvania. Since the 1970s, the percentage of obesity has more…”

“I agree with the concerns raised by the Senator from Pennsylvania. Since the 1970s, the percentage of obesity has more than doubled for preschool children ages 2-5 years and adolescents aged 12-19 years, and more than tripled for children aged 6-11 years. As you know, I have a particular interest in fighting the obesity epidemic and have been very supportive of programs that increase physical activity and good nutrition, especially in children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2000 that only 8 percent of elementary schools, 6.4 percent of middle/junior high schools and 5.8 percent of senior high schools offer daily physical education for the entire school year for students in all grades of the school.”