Stories & Videos
Here are some student & teacher stories related to our work (operating under a range of affiliated names), as well as videos on physical education & activity in schools, school-based fitness assessments, and legislative hearings (links open in a new tab):
Jesús, high school student in PHP program who loves PE
Example: GoNoodle in-classroom next-to-desk music video exercise
FitnessGram® PACER “beep test” fitness assessment description & footage
Key hearing on school recess bill, Arizona House of Representatives, February, 26, 2018
(approx. 1.5 hours; start at 42:00)
Oped
Did you see our oped with Heritage Foundation?
Counteracting stereotypes about conservative vs progressive perspectives on health, education & public policy, this nonpartisan opinion piece, A COVID-19 vaccine won’t save us, but improving our health can, was co-authored by Healthy Future US’s Scott Turner and Heritage Foundation’s Lt. Gen. Thomas Spoehr (Ret.). (It was published in the Washington, D.C. “conservative counterpart” to the Washington Post—the Washington Examiner.)
This article describes how our worsening health is literally a threat to national security. Our bad health BOTH disqualifies many potential recruits for our all-volunteer military AND undermines the federal budget—the sole funding source for our national defense. On the other hand, there is significant potential bipartisan support for improving children’s health through schools, using proven strategies—as demonstrated in Arizona.
News

Teachers encouraged by early results of Arizona law requiring more recess.
Kelly Doyle, Cronkite News, Arizona Republic, February 16, 2019.
Article on front page of Phoenix Republic section of the Arizona Republic, February 16, 2019; also ran on March 6, 2019 on the front pages of the Mesa Republic, Chandler Republic, Gilbert Republic, Tempe Republic and Scottsdale Republic.
Report: Arizona kids more fit than U.S. kids, but U.S. is pretty sorry
Renata Clo, TV Channels AzFamily 3 & CBS 5, January 1, 2019.
Local TV news coverage on January 2, 2019, which included the main independent station & the CBS affiliate; with excerpts from interview with Scott Turner on the 2018 US Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth.
Arizona’s governor and the state and national press loved our recess bill!:
New law requires more recess for elementary schools in Arizona
Charlie Lapastora, Fox News, April 11, 2018.
Recess makes a comeback in public schools
Valerie Richardson, The Washington Times, April 10, 2018.
References
Note: additional references are found in the latest slide deck, under the relevant slide.
Andes, L., Cheng, Y., Rolka D., Gregg, E., Imperatore, G., et al (2019). Prevalence of Prediabetes Among Adolescents and Young Adults in the United States, 2005-2016. JAMA Pediatrics, 174(2). Published online December 2, 2019.
Bailey, A., Hetrick, S., Rosenbaum, S., Purcell, R., Parker, A. (2018). Treating depression with physical activity in adolescents and young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Psychological Medicine, 48, 1068–1083.
Biener, A., Cawley, J., Meyerhoefer, C. (2017). The Medical Care Costs of Youth Obesity: An Instrumental Variables Approach. NBER Working Paper No. 23682, JEL No. D62,I1,I14,I18. Accessed December 16, 2019.
CDC (2020). National Diabetes Statistics Report. USHHS.
Corbin, C., Kulinna, P., & Sibley, B. (2020). A Dozen Reasons for Including Conceptual Physical Education in Quality Secondary School Programs. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 91(3): 40-49.
Crump, C., Sundquist, J., et al (2016). Physical fitness among Swedish military conscripts and long-term risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Annals of Internal Medicine, doi:10.7326/M15-2002.
DeHeer, H. (2014). Fit Kids at School: Executive Report Part 1.
DeHeer, H. (2014). Fit Kids at School: Executive Report Part 2.
Fryar, C. et al. (2020) Prevalence of Overweight, Obesity, and Severe Obesity Among Children and Adolescents Aged 2-19 Years: United States, 1963-1965 Through 2017-2018. National Center for Health Statistics, CDC.
Hogstrom, G., Nordstrom, A., & Nordstrom, P. (2014). High aerobic fitness in late adolescence is associated with a reduced risk of myocardial infarction later in life: a nationwide cohort study in men. European Heart Journal, 35, 3133-3140..
Kaiser Family Foundation (2012). The Role of Medicaid for Adults with Chronic Illnesses. Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured.
Katz DL, Cushman D, Reynolds J, Njike V, Treu JA, Walker J, et al (2010). Putting physical activity where it fits in the school day: preliminary results of the ABC (Activity Bursts in the Classroom) for Fitness Program. Preventing Chronic Disease, 2010; 7(4):A82. http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2010/jul/09_0176.htm. Accessed December 16, 2019.
Kolbe, L. (2019). School Health as a Strategy to Improve Both Public Health and Education. Annual Review of Public Health, 40:443-63.
Mackey, A., Finn, A., et al (2015). Neuroanatomical Correlates of the Income-Achievement Gap. Psychological Science, 26(6): 925-933.
Mandsager, K., Harb, S., Cremer, P., Phelan, D., Nissen, S., Jaber, W. (2018) Association of Cardiorespiratory Fitness With Long-term Mortality Among Adults Undergoing Exercise Treadmill Testing. JAMA Network Open, 1(6):e183605.
May, A., Kuklina, E., Yoon, P. (2012). Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among US Adolescents, 1999-2008. Pediatrics, 129(6): 1035-1041.
Mission: Readiness. Council for a Strong America (2020). Letter to Acting Secretary Miller, Department of Defense.
Nilsen, S. (2022). Trauma-Informed Educational Practices in the PreK-12 Classroom Environment: An Overview of Research-Based Programs and Resources. Presented at Summit on School Safety, Security, and Trauma-Informed Practices, February 7, 2022.
O’Donnell, M. (2017). Universal Access to Health Promotion – A Sustainable Strategy to Reduce Health Disparities, Improve the Health of an Entire State, and Accelerate the Evolution of Health Promotion. Art & Science of Health Promotion Institute.
Reeves, J. (2016). US Department of Education Grant Performance Report, PR/Award # Q215F120160, Sunnyside Unified School District, Tucson, AZ.
[Note: this is the official report to the US Department of Education on University of Arizona’s Partners for Healthy Promises federal PEP-Grant-funded project in the Sunnyside Unified School District, 2012-2015.]
Sallis, J., McKenzie, T., Beets, M., Beighle, A., Erwin, H. & Lee, S. (2012). Physical Education’s Role in Public Health: Steps Forward and Backward Over 20 Years and HOPE for the Future. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 83: (2):125-135.
Tabak, A., Herder, C., Rathmann, W., Brunner, E.J., Kivimaki, M. (2012). Prediabetes: A high-risk state for developing diabetes. Lancet, 379(9833), 2279-2290.
Trost, S. & van der Mars, H. (2010) Why We Should Not Cut P.E. Health and Learning in Educational Leadership, 67(4): 60-65.
Ward, Z.J. et al. (2019). Projected U.S. State-Level Prevalence of Adult Obesity and Severe Obesity. New England Journal of Medicine, 381:2440-2450.
Waters, H. & Graf, M. (2018). The Costs of Chronic Disease in the U.S. Downloaded November 2, 2021 from milkeninstitute.org.
Willett, W. et al. (2006). Prevention of Chronic Disease by Means of Diet and Lifestyle Changes. Book chapter in Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries, 2nd ed. The World Bank, Oxford University Press, New York.
Zhuo et al, (2014). The lifetime cost of diabetes and its implications for diabetes prevention. Diabetes Care, 37: 2557-2564.
Social Media
We are not currently very active on social media, but here are some links to partners:
Facebook link to our partner Arizonans for Recess & School Wellness
Facebook link to our partner Arizona Health & Physical Education
For Twitter users, please connect to our partner, Arizonans for Recess & School Wellness