How many of you could skip gym if you had a choice? If you would do you have a reason? Did you know that the obesity rate in America has tripled in the past 30 years? If the obesity rate is getting higher and higher why should kids get the option to opt out of gym? Well, they shouldn’t. If we’re getting more and more unhealthy each year gym is a must.

Most kids if given a chance would skip gym. According to the Palm Beach Post Florida kids got the option to opt out of gym. They got a waiver that their parents could sign getting them out of gym. 43 percent of them turned in their waver. 80 percent of them were sixth seventh and eight graders. In total 15,000 kids opted out of their gym class. As seen in Florida, if kids were given the option to opt out most would take it.

With obesity becoming a bigger problem in America kids need to get into shape. In 2010 the CDC (Center of Disease Control) conducted a “Top Health Risks for Young Adults” On the list was obesity. The CDC found that only 36 percent of teens get exercise outside of a gym class. If teens don’t get gym how are they going to exercise? If they don’t exercise what’s going to happen to the obesity rate in the next 30 years?

Many people argue that gym is only based on skill not effort. This is not true. Here at EMS we all know that we get graded on how hard we try each day not how many baskets we make. Others argue that kids that aren’t athletic don’t want to play with kids that are better then them because they might feel left out. I suggest that we put these kids in a separate gym class so they can build up their skills and try to get better at sports. If these kids are in classes with kids that feel the same way they may want to participate more. Kids also say that they need to take electives so they have to skip gym but, maybe we could have some electives after school so kids aren’t missing gym.

I have to admit myself that kids are getting very lazy, even I’m lazy sometimes. With all the video games and other new technology, kids don’t get outside much. Gym helps kids get that exercise they need and yes, even for some, its fun. If I were to get the option, personally, I wouldn’t opt out. But, this is because I actually enjoy gym. This may not be the case for someone else though, so if we have a gym class for kids that don’t enjoy gym that much, maybe kids can start liking gym again. Without gym, the obesity rate will probably triple from what it is right now in the next 30 years. Without kids in gym they probably won’t get exercise. Not everyone every one is in after school activities so not everyone would get exercise if they opted out of gym. With obesity becoming such a problem in the United States kids need gym. If given the option don’t opt out.