President Donald Trump signed an executive order to revitalize the Presidential Fitness Test and the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition for American schoolchildren.
The president’s order in part “prioritizes and expands children’s participation in youth sports and active play, promoting the physical, mental, and civic benefits of daily movement, exercise, and good nutrition,” a portion of the order states, per White House.gov.
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Trump made the announcement during a Thursday White House event where he was joined by LIV golfer Bryson DeChambeau, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor, and Paul “Triple H” Levesque, the WWE’s Chief Content Officer.
Trump’s order also establishes the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition which will be tasked with finding ways to mitigate obesity among children in the U.S.
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DeChambeau was picked to lead the council and the president also said that San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley and Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will also be on the council.
Trump’s order will also require the council to create “school-based programs that reward excellence in physical education and develop criteria for a Presidential Fitness Award.”
What is the Presidential Fitness Test?
The backstory:
The Presidential Fitness Test goes back to 1956 when President Dwight Eisenhower established the President’s Council on Youth Fitness because Americans worried their physical strength was inadequate compared to Europeans, FOX News reported.
However, over the years, the Presidential Fitness Test was criticized due to its narrow approach because it didn’t consider individual strength and physical makeup for the evaluations.
According to FOX News, the Presidential Fitness Test lasted through the 2012-13 school year when President Barack Obama retired it in favor of the Presidential Youth Fitness Program. The Presidential Fitness Test was replaced by the FitnessGram, which took a comprehensive approach to student wellness.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by White House.gov, which details the executive order and FOX News. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.
