Sarbanes has introduced legislation to strengthen the Council

Washington, D.C. – Congressman John Sarbanes joined Mrs. Obama today at Bell Multicultural High School to launch the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, an advisory committee of volunteer citizens who will work to increase physical activity, fitness and sports in America.

Roughly 25 million children – or 1 in 3 kids – over the age of six are obese or overweight.  Obesity has been shown to lead to a host of health problems for our children, including diabetes and heart disease. It is estimated that our youth obesity crisis results in a 300 percent increase in national healthcare costs. Obesity and related health issues are a direct result of youth inactivity.  Twenty-five percent of American children do not participate in any free-time physical activity.  Ninety-two percent of our youth have no year round daily physical education or activity. 

“As video games and computers bring more and more children indoors, it is imperative that we encourage our children to be healthy, active individuals,” said Congressman Sarbanes.  “Increased physical activity is vitally important for our individual health and for the health of our society.”  Congressman Sarbanes has introduced the National Foundation on Physical Fitness and Sports Establishment Act (H.R. 4322); a bill to establish a non-profit foundation that will help the President’s Council raise additional funds from private sources.

This legislation will:
• Allow the Foundation to raise private funds to support relevant federal policies and programs.
• Make strategic grants in support of these goals.
• Increase public awareness of federal policies and programs to improve physical fitness.
• Establish a bi-partisan, eleven-member Board of Directors to oversee the Foundation.

The President’s Council was first created by President Eisenhower in 1956 and reorganized to address all age groups in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy.  The Council works with federal, state, and local agencies and with the private and non-profit sector to achieve national physical fitness goals.