President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition

The President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition (PCFSN), is an American government organization that aims to "promote, encourage and motivate Americans of all ages to become physically active and participate in sport". It is part of the Office of Public Health and Science, an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Prior to June 2010, it was called the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

History

• The President's Council on Youth Fitness was founded on July 16, 1956, to encourage American children to be healthy and active children, after a study indicating that American youths are less physically fit than European children, by then President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

• In 1963, President Kennedy changed the council's name to President's Council on Physical Fitness to reflect its role to serve all Americans.
• In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson created the Presidential Physical Fitness Award, name of which was later changed to President's Challenge Youth Physical Fitness Awards Program. In 1968, the council's name was changed to President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports to emphasize the importance of sports in life.
• In 1972, the Presidential Sports Award Program was created.
• In 1983, the United States Congress declared May as "National Physical Fitness and Sports Month".
• In 1996, the Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health was released. In 1997, the Council released its report on Physical Activity and Sport in the Lives of Boys.
• In June 2010, President Barack Obama renamed the agency the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, with a new emphasis on nutrition as an element of fitness. First Lady Michelle Obama announced the new commission's goal "to end the epidemic of childhood obesity in a generation" and also announced that the president had named, as the new co-chairs of the council, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and former Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes.
• On January 11, 2012, operators of the website for participants of the Challenge and Active Lifestyle programs learned that the website had been hacked resulting in the release of personal information of the participants. The President's Challenge website said it was down for "Site Maintenance – We're taking a little breather." On January 20, 2012, the website was modified to explain the hacking.
  • On January 27, 2012, The President's Challenge sent out emails to its participants saying that the website was functional as of January 24, 2012, and asked participants to reset their user passwords.

Awards

The Council publishes guidelines for awards that are given out. They are the Presidential Physical Fitness Award, the National Physical Fitness Award, and the Participant Physical Fitness Award. Additionally, there is the Health Fitness Test as an alternative, the Active Lifestyle Award for staying active, and the Presidential Champions Award for raising their amount of activity.

See also

• The President's Challenge

External links

• President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition official website