Get up, get up, GET UP!

Compared to the past, the obesity rate in North America has skyrocketed. Sure, people can put the blame on unhealthy foods, TV, laziness, whatever they can think of - but true fault lies with us. LACK OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN OUR DAILY ROUTINE IS WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. Luckily, the government has finally picked up on this, and has implemented DPA in our schools. Though the government's purpose for DPA is very positive, there are a few pros and cons to this program.

What are the pros? As mentioned earlier, and probably the most obvious, daily physical exercise will lessen obesity amongst kids all over BC. An even greater advantage that not many realize is the improvement in health, which has been damaged for those who consume McDonalds every other day, smoke (hopefully this doesn't apply to many), etc. DPA may sound like a whip on the back, forcing lazy children to get off the couch and run around until they've lost a few pounds, but that whip will eventually embed itself into our daily lives for the better.

Now onto the cons. DPA applies to ALL students between Kindergarten to Grade 12; that is a lot of people to take part in this, and a lot of people to monitor in their exercises. Correct me if I am wrong, but students receive a book to record their "activities" in. I quoted "activities" because there is no proof that one's list of activities are actually done; forty-five minutes of dance lessons could just be two hours chatting away on Facebook. As much as the government would love to have the ability to ensure that only the truth is recorded in that book, I'm quite certain that they have enough dilemnas to deal with on a daily basis.

So what's an effective way to enforce DPA? P.E. is currently mandatory up to Grade 10, so perhaps making it mandatory for the entire 5 years of high school will get more hearts pumping, though it will probably result in more frowns than smiles. If parents (or students) are willing to spend some money, classes outside of school could benefit greatly, but of course it requires money. Personally, P.E. has been my only physical activity in a long time, and I have a little weight problem, so I don't need to be convinced very much to do something active. However, my other problem is that I am deemed "lazy" - it's not that I do not want to be more athletic, I'm just too lazy to take my eyes of the TV. Luckily I'm not the only person in a situation like this; classes outside of school is probably the best option for me and others who need a boost of motivation to move around and get active.

For the most part, DPA will benefit kids tremendously.