Sixty-six percent of American adults are overweight or obese, and a new study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health says it is only going to get worse. They predict the figure will be 75 percent by 2015. A report last year by the Cities, Counties and Schools Partnership cited that nearly 30 percent of children and teens (ages 6-19) were overweight or obese--twice as many as 10 years earlier. Overweight adolescents have a 70 percent chance of becoming overweight or obese adults, according to the U.S. Surgeon General's Office. Excessive weight increases the risk of health problems ranging from heart disease and Type 2 diabetes to high blood pressure, and several forms of cancer. For generations, schools essentially addressed the issue through physical education classes. The current state of fitness and activity among American children, however, has slipped further from that concept than many realize. On this subject, public schools are often asked to shoulder a disproportionate share of the burden, and many schools find that the quantity and quality of the physical education that they do provide is called into question. In this article, the author discusses the importance of a good and high quality physical education program that teaches children the value and joy of an active, healthy lifestyle--not just for the moment, but for the rest of their lives.