Issues about paternalism with public health

 Hi all!

    We all know about the 30-minute to an hour-long period that we spent in elementary, and maybe middle school where we were required to exercise as part of our curriculum. However, as we transitioned into high school, started to lose that period during the day. As a result, some of us started to lose that critical exercise that can be so beneficial to our health. Even the younger kids, nowadays, are starting to lose out on some of that time due to requirements about other subjects like mathematics or English and reading. 

    As a result of the pandemic and life going online, or distance from one another, many kids did not have any time during the day when they were doing physical activity. 

    "The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that children between ages 6 and 17 engage in one hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day" (link)

    "Physical education is chronically underfunded, and Black and Latino children typically lose out the most" (link)

    "The percentage of overweight children and teenagers nationwide has tripled since 1980" (link)

   Florida law demands "90 minutes a day for reading, and local administrators pushing for 60 minutes of math" (link)

    

    Many children and teenagers are simply not getting that recommended daily exercise amount. Additionally, the source of exercise that they

had when they were younger is no longer able to supply or help them anymore due to funding issues. So what is the solution? It's easy: paternalism. The government or some other higher governing authority has to step in to ensure the health of the youth, especially those in disadvantaged situations. The nation's overall health will decrease with the decline of the physical health of the youth. It sets precedence for the years to come. Will that precedence be a continuation of the increase in the percentage of obesity or will it be one where we flip the switch and start advocating for the youth.