Youngsters need more, not less physical activity. America needs people with healthy bodies as well as minds. We need police who are both computer literate and physically fit. We need soldiers who can operate sophisticated weapons systems and who are also able to run a mile in full combat gear to throw a grenade into an enemy gun emplacement. We need corporate executives who can manage the high-tech workplace of the 21st century and still value the 19th century ideal of teamwork on the job.
Physical education is no panacea, but it is an important part of what makes a person whole.
We are flesh and blood, muscles and fat. The key to a healthy life is to keep all of this in proper balance. The key to a healthy nation is to develop both the minds and bodies of future generations of Americans - and not just one at the cost of the other. Copyright 1997, Gannett News Service. Reprinted with permission.