Obesity is a growing epidemic in the United States and it is said that seventy eight percent of Americans are not reaching basic activity level recommendations. As time goes by, technology increases and children are persuaded by different marketing techniques to play with electronics. Before the Xbox 360 and PSP, children would get entertainment from playing games and partaking in sports and other physical activities. Times are changing; however, and the dependency on electronics for entertainment is steadily increasing, which is causing physical activity level to decrease. By forcing children to take a physical education class, we are forcing children to learn healthy life skills, which is something beneficial to everyone. Exercising for a minimum of thirty minutes a day can do wonders for a child. Exercising helps release built up energy and it also releases endorphins, which are said to make people feel better and happier. Exercise also promotes better general health for all the body systems, especially the heart. Heart disease it the number one killer in America so anything schools can do to help promote healthy hearts and lifestyles is going to be beneficial to students. I think requiring students to take a Physical Education class every year should be mandatory unless the student is involved in some other sport or after-school physical activity or if the student is physically disabled. As obesity continues to be a problem in the country, we need to work together to teach children healthy habits as early as possible. By requiring physical activity in schools starting at the elementary level and continuing through high school, schools will be promoting healthy lifestyle habits that will hopefully be long-term and continue into adulthood.