Historically, those who were fat and overweight meant they were more likely to survive malnutrition and infections. But now there are many health risks related to being overweight, some of them; cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, asthma and heart disease (Ebbeling, Pawlak, Ludwig 2002). Because of these health problems, the government is promoting programs in schools to reduce the obesity rate in the United States. Healthy People 2020 and SPARK (Sports, Play and Recreation for Children) are creating programs for teachers and families to educate themselves and get people to get up, go play outside and be active. SPARK is also working with the CDC to incorporate school health programs that teach students and teachers how to eat and maintain a healthy lifestyle. The CDC states that “health education provides students with the opportunity to acquire the knowledge, attitude, and skills necessary to make health-promoting decisions, acquire health literacy, adopt health-enhancing behaviors, and promote health. health of others (Centers of Disease Control and Prevention 2013). Health education addresses topics such as alcohol/drug use, healthy eating/nutrition, mental and emotional health, personal health and well-being, physical activity, safety and injury prevention, sexual health, tobacco use and violence prevention ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2013) SPARK not only incorporates health programs, but also offers many benefits to school programs that create fun activities for physical movement throughout the day. They offer programs such as physical education classes, classroom activities and recess, after-school programs, early childhood development for teachers, and recreational activities…middle of the road…for 24-year-olds. The SPARK team will continue to research new ideas and activations that appeal to children and teachers so that they can always be motivated to play with friends and get fit at the same time. SPARK strives to create a common goal which is to promote and teach children how to live a healthy lifestyle. Resources Ebbeling, C. B., Pawlak, D. B., & Ludwig, D. S. (2002). Childhood obesity: public health crisis, common sense treatment. The Lancet, 360(9331), 473-482. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013). Components of the School Health Coordination. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/cshp/components.htmSPARK Physical Education Curriculum. (n.d.). K-12 physical education programs and elementary school PE curriculum. Retrieved February 10, 2014, from http://www.sparkpe.org/physical-education/