Texas children participate in exercises at the Jump Rope For Heart event at Moss Haven Elementary School.
Credit: Getty Images
Nearly half of elementary age kids in the city are overweight, and a new report shows that school physical education classes could be the problem.
More than half of schools are not in compliance with the state law for physical education, according to a report by the American Heart Association, NY1 reports.
The report is based on a survey of 272 city schools.
While the American Heart Association recommends that students spend 30 minutes per day in gym class, six out of every 10 schools responded that they only offer physical education just one or two days per week. The state currently only requires daily gym class for kindergarten through third grade.
Schools are challenged by limited space, budget and staffing, according to NY1.
The Department of Education stated that it is committed to student health and has taken a number of initiatives to make it a priority.
