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Policies That Support Physical Education
In addition to policies that directly require offering physical educa-
tion in schools, other policies support physical education opportunities in 
schools. In 2004 the U.S. government issued a mandate, under the Child 
Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004, requiring school districts 
that receive funds under this act to establish local school wellness policies. 
These policies were to include provisions for physical activity and healthy 
eating, thus expanding schools’ responsibility for providing physical activ-
ity to school-age children. The enactment of this mandates made schools 
“the central element in a community system that ensures that students