By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkar/local-wkar-910970.mp3
LANSING, MI –
All of Michigan's elementary and middle school students may soon be required to take more physical education and health courses.
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The state has physical education requirements, but they are vague, says state Representative Joan Bauer.
"We also know that with the obesity problem in our state, we need to start addressing it at an early age," she says.
Bauer has sponsored legislation to require schools to adopt physical education and health curriculums aimed a younger kids. Michigan was recently ranked the tenth fattest state in the country. While that rank is an improvement from previous years, the percent of obese people is still rising. And nearly a third of all kids in Michigan are obese or overweight.
Representatives from the state Department of Community Health say they are beginning to see children with weight-related health problems that were previously only seen in 50-year-old adults.