Some people believe that adding more physical education (PE) lessons in schools is the best solution to the rising problem of obesity. While I agree that this would help children, I disagree that it is the best overall solution. This is because obesity affects all ages, not just schoolchildren, and its main causes are poor food quality and a lack of sports facilities in cities.
Adding more PE lessons could certainly help children stay active and form healthy habits. However, this approach does not address the problem among adults, who make up the majority of overweight people. For example, a busy parent who works long hours will not benefit from extra school sports. Therefore, focusing only on schools ignores the rest of the population.
The most important factor in controlling weight is food. As the saying goes, “you are what you eat.” Sadly, in developed countries such as the USA and Canada, it is almost impossible to eat high-quality, organic food without spending a fortune. Governments and local producers should make healthy food more accessible and affordable. In addition, the rush of big cities leaves people no spare time to eat slowly and consciously. As a result, many choose a fast snack over a healthy lunch, which leads to weight gain and digestion problems.
Sport also plays a great role in our health, but the environment itself must encourage people to exercise more. Big cities need bike paths and accessible sports facilities. We can clearly see the difference between American citizens, who usually go to work by car, and Europeans, who often use bikes. Only when the environment changes will society’s mentality change as well.
In conclusion, the main reason for overweight is deeper than a lack of PE lessons in schools. The best we can do is to look deeper into the problem and take broader action. Improving food quality and making healthy eating easier, together with better sports accessibility in cities, would have a much bigger impact than simply adding more PE lessons in schools.