[Physical education in Israeli middle schools--a time for action!]

Since levels of physical activity markedly affect body composition, sedentary lifestyles in children are a major cause of the current epidemic of childhood obesity and its accompanying co-morbidities. School-based physical education is considered an important means for increasing physical activity in children and is believed to contribute a substantial proportion of the physical activity recommended for health purposes.

To evaluate, using direct observation, the level of physical activity during physical education classes in middle-school age children in Israel.

Twenty non-obese healthy children (10 male, 10 female) participated in the study and their level of physical activity during physical education class was assessed using the System for Observing Fitness Instruction time (SOFIT) method for direct observation.

During the 45-minute physical education class 5.3+/-0.94 minutes were found not to include any activity. Students had 18.4+/- 1.2 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA, walking plus running, 39%). Male students had significantly more MVPA minutes than female students (22.03+/- 1.64 vs. 14.76 +/-1.04 minutes respectively, p < 0.002). The average time spent in vigorous activity (more intense than jogging) was 6.2+/-0.8 minutes. Females had significantly less minutes of vigorous activity compared to males (4.54+/-0.51 vs. 7.89+/-1.34 minutes, respectively, p < 0.03). Six male students (60% of the male students) and none of the female students (0%) were at least moderately active = 50% of the physical education class time.

Our results demonstrate that physical education classes in middle schools may not achieve the recommended levels of physical activity. In our struggle to reduce childhood obesity and promote health, improving physical education classes is of essence.