HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP

MEDIA RELEASE

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Representative Wuchner Announces Children's Health Initiative

Frankfort , KY- As childhood obesity rates continue to climb throughout our Commonwealth, State Representative Addia Wuchner (R-Florence), State Representative Tom Burch (D-Louisville), and Senate President Pro Tempore Katie Stine (R-Southgate), unveiled legislation to curtail this epidemic at a press conference held today.

Co-Sponsored by Representatives Wuchner and Burch, House Bill 34, "Healthy Kids Act 2008," sets forth physical activity guidelines for all elementary public schools by the 2009-2010 school year. The seventh and eighth grades would be phased in by the 2010-2011 school year. Each individual school would be permitted flexibility to design and implement 30-minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity that would be considered part of the instructional day. Activities could be completed in 10-minute segments and incorporated into classroom based programs. Elementary schools are currently required to provide 30 minutes of recess; House Bill 34/Senate Bill 17 would assure moderate to vigorous physical activity during that time.

"If we want to empower and encourage individuals to make good health decisions, we have to start with the youngest generation," said Representative Wuchner, a registered nurse. "The numbers of overweight and obese children should be an alarming crisis to all of us. The health of the children of this Commonwealth and our vision of moving Kentucky forward requires that we unite our efforts to address the critical issues related to overweight, obesity and physical activity."

Representative Burch stated, "We h ave a high instance of obesity in our young people as well as our older, and we need to address this problem.  In order to address this problem, we have got to include exercise and good nutrition in our school curriculum.  We also have to educate parents on proper nutrition for their children in order to eliminate the obesity problem."

Senate Bill 17, sponsored by Senator Stine, mirrors many of the provisions outlined in House Bill 34, including requiring all public schools to include 30 minutes per day or 150 minutes per week of structured, moderate to vigorous activity each day. The implementation date for these physical activity programs, preschool through eighth grade, would be no later than the 2008-2009 school year. The activities would be permitted to include a combination of classroom-based activities, structured recess, and other structured physical activities.

Of her legislation, Senator Stine said, "We have studied this issue enough to know that the time has come to make a firm commitment to save our children from this epidemic and improve the quality of life for the next generation of Kentuckians."

During the press conference, Representative Wuchner, Representative Burch, and Senator Stine were joined by colleagues from the House and Senate, community leaders, business leaders, professional associations, and educators who endorsed their legislation. The following individuals were among those endorsers:

•  Dr. Baretta Casey, Immediate Past-President, Kentucky Medical Association, and UK Center for Rural Health

•  Tonya Chang, Kentucky Director of Advocacy, American Heart Association.

•  Stewart Perry, Chairman, American Diabetes Association.

•  Dr. Randy Crist, Associate Professor of Exercise and Sports Science, Eastern Kentucky University .

•  Joan Buchar, Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky .

•  Bryan Sunderland , Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.

Added Rep. Wuchner, "This legislation would does not replace good parenting and healthy decision making, but ensures during the six to eight hours our children are engaged in learning, they are provided the daily opportunity for moderate to vigorous physical activity."

Following the press conference, Louisville 's Hite Elementary Heart-Throbs Jump Demo Team, under the direction of Ms. Joy Heines, performed an energetic and entertaining routine.