The New York State Physical Education Learning Standards for K-12 students were transformed into a survey administered to a sample of teachers of physical education (N = 261), ascertaining their ratings of their knowledge, ability/skill, education/training, and attitudes on the importance of future professionals receiving training to teach according to the standards. Participants were mostly female (64.8%, n = 169), White (94.3%, n = 246), and taught in New York state (54 %, n = 141). Most teachers were not teaching 120 minutes in elementary school and 90 minutes per week in secondary school (52.5%, n = 137), yet were in schools offering physical activity outside of physical education class (81.6%, n = 213). Nearly all (96.6%, n = 252) reported they do have a role to play in responding to the nation's obesity epidemic, while 73.6% (n = 202) rated their action steps in this regard as good or excellent. Barriers to teaching quality physical education were: amount of class time for instruction; amount of weekly time for instruction; amount of respect held for the field of physical education; and, level of student motivation and participation for grades 9-12. There were numerous significant correlations between teachers taking action steps to respond to the obesity epidemic and their obtaining higher scores on the survey measuring their knowledge, ability, education/training, and attitudes on the importance of training in the standards. The significant predictors of teachers taking action steps to respond to the obesity epidemic were higher ratings of health status, fewer years teaching, smaller school size, higher student socioeconomic status, lower rating of ability/skill for the personal health and fitness standard, higher rating of attitudes/importance for the resource management standard, and a higher rating of the school for taking action steps. Most schools were offering additional physical activities beyond physical education, as encouraging news; however, more schools need to adhere to recommended levels of physical education teaching. Most importantly, teachers were taking action steps to respond to the obesity epidemic, as illustrated in rich qualitative data. Collectively, the data suggested the importance of raising the status of physical education as a profession, given how it may represent an important point of intervention into the obesity epidemic. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]