President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition

The President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition (PCFSN) is an advisory committee whose mission is to educate and empower Americans to live a healthy lifestyle which includes regular physical activity and good nutrition.1

President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the President's Council on Youth Fitness on July 16, 1956 after learning that American children were less fit than their European peers. Vice President Richard Nixon chaired the Council, which included cabinet secretaries as members. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy expanded the focus of the council to include all Americans and renamed it the President's Council on Physical Fitness.

Further changes came with President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966. He included sports and changed the name to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. By this time the council had three main focuses: daily moderate physical activity for disease prevention and health, strenuous activity with stretching and strength training for fitness and health benefits, and sports participation with an emphasis on sportsmanship.2

President Barack H. Obama expanded the Council's mission in 2010 to include nutrition and renamed it the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition.3 The Council is now mandated to expand national interest in regular physical activity, sports, fitness, and nutrition; coordinate public and private programs that promote these interests; expand availability of information concerning these interests; and include all Americans, but especially children, youth, and at-risk populations.4

One of the PCFSN programs is the President's Challenge that was created in 1966 as a fitness recognition program for school-aged children. The program has grown to include the areas of physical fitness, active lifestyle, and health fitness. Annually, the three schools from each state, which have the highest percentage of their students win the Presidential Physical Fitness Award, are awarded the State Champion Award. Additionally, the schools with the highest quality physical education programs may also be recognized by the National School Demonstration Program.

A more recent program, The Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) includes all ages. Adults win the PALA after being physically active for 30 minutes a day (or 10,000 steps on a pedometer), five days a week, for 6 out of 8 weeks. Children and youth win the PALA in the same way but with 60 minutes of physical activity a day (or 11,000 steps for girls and 13,000 steps for boys).5

In September 2010, the Million PALA Challenge was launched by a joint initiative of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition and the First Lady Michelle Obama's Let’s Move! campaign. Challenging a million Americans to earn their PALA award, Michelle Obama led the way by earning hers that fall. A year later, over 1.7 million Americans had earned the PALA award.6 The success of the challenge was celebrated at the Nickelodeon Worldwide Day of Play on September 24, 2011 in Washington, D.C.

During the Worldwide Day of Play, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the next phase of the PALA, the PALA+.7 This new award maintains the same physical activity requirements and adds a nutrition challenge of adding one new healthy nutrition practice each week to help combat obesity.

The President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition also supports the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Healthy People 2020 Initiative, the Department of the Interior's America's Great Outdoors Initiative, and the Joining Forces program for military service members and their families.8 Besides partnering with Federal departments, PCFSN also has key partnerships with science organizations, such as the American Heart Association, the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, and the American College of Sports Medicine.9

Partnerships with private corporations and foundations include the General Mill's Wheaties National Championship competition for State Champion schools, the “Coke Step With It Program” promoting pedometers, the “Got Milk?” Soccer Shootouts, and the Kellogg “Kids in Action” guide.10

In 1983, the month of May was designated the National Fitness and Sports Month, now known as the National Fitness, Sports and Nutrition Month. The PCFSN maintains a website to support May celebrations and their ongoing programs. They also publish the quarterly PCFSN Research Digest, a gathering of scientific information, written in layman terms, concerning physical activity, fitness, and exercise.11

The PCFSN consists of up to 25 volunteers who are appointed by the President for a two year term. They are led by a Executive Director and are located in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's Office of Public Health and Science in Rockville, Maryland.12

• 1. “Mission Statement.” President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition. < http://www.fitness.gov/about-us/what-we-do/mission-statement/ > 30 Sep. 2011.
• 2. “President's Council Overview.” President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition. < http://www.fitness.gov/about-us/what-we-do/council-overview/ > 30 Sep. 2011.
• 3. Ibid.
• 4. Op.cit., “Mission Statement.”
• 5. Op.cit., “President's Council Overview.”
• 6. Lindsay, Erin. “First Lady Michelle Obama Celebrates the Success of Million PALA Challenge at Nickelodeon's Worldwide Day of Play.” The White House Blog. September 25, 2011. < http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/09/25/first-lady-michelle-obama-celebrates-success-million-pala-challenge-nickelodeon-s-wo > 30 Sep. 2011.
• 7. “PALA+, activity + nutrition.” President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition. < http://www.fitness.gov/ > 30 Sep. 2011.
• 8. “Federal Partners.” President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition. < http://www.fitness.gov/about-us/key-partnerships/federal-partners/index.html > 30 Sep. 2011.
• 9. “Science Partners.” President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition. < http://www.fitness.gov/about-us/key-partnerships/science-partners/index.html > 30 Sep. 2011.
• 10. Op.cit., “President's Council Overview.”
• 11. Op.cit., “President's Council Overview.”
• 12. Op.cit., “President's Council Overview.”