New Bills Proposed to Combat Childhood Obesity in Wisconsin

Thursday, January 18th, 2024 -- 9:01 AM

(Hope Kirwan, Wisconsin Public Radio) A group of state lawmakers is hoping to reduce childhood obesity in Wisconsin through new legislation.

According to Hope Kirwan with the Wisconsin Public Radio, the Speaker’s Task Force on Childhood Obesity announced the package of bills at a press conference at the state Capitol on Tuesday.

The proposals include a new requirement that students in kindergarten through 8th grade complete at least 180 minutes of movement during the school week. State law already requires physical education instruction three times per week for grades K-6 and once a week for 7th and 8th grades.

But state Rep. William Penterman, R-Columbus, said at the press conference that the current requirement does not mandate actual movement. “Instead of focusing purely on the academic section, perhaps on what is tennis, we’re going to actually get our kids playing tennis and moving as much as possible,” Penterman said.

Nearly 15 percent of Wisconsin children ages 2 to 17 years are obese, according to data from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Medicine and Public Health.

The data show rates of obesity continue to climb until middle age, peaking at 47 percent of residents age 55 to 64. “With obesity comes all kinds of inherent health problems,” said state Rep. Karen Hurd, R-Fall Creek, who chairs the task force. “So this is a situation that we want to address in our state.”

The task force also proposed creating a statewide nutrition incentive program for food assistance recipients. The program gives extra money to FoodShare recipients for the purchase of locally-produced fruits and vegetables from farmers markets, community supported agriculture programs and other retailers.

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