Kudos to Henrico County Public Schools for incorporating heart rate monitors into physical education classes to help better educate students about how exercising affects their body — all in an effort to fight childhood obesity.
And kudos to state legislators, the Richmond Sports Backers, and Henrico Schools for finding new ways to fight children’s obesity and making it a priority.

The students love it, said Bonnie Conner-Gray, an educational specialist for health, physical and driver education for Henrico County Public Schools, describing the program to members of a legislative panel studying ways to reduce childhood obesity.

What works to reduce childhood obesity is getting the attention of Virginia legislators and others.

The study panel that Conner-Gray testified before this year is expected to propose several policy changes, including one that would require schoolchildren to get 150 minutes of physical education per week.

Childhood obesity is also the focus of a Tuesday conference coordinated by Richmond Sports Backers, the group that organizes popular races such as the SunTrust Richmond Marathon.

“I don’t think anything is more important than the physical activity,” said Del. John M. O’Bannon III, R-Henrico, who chaired the study panel that will submit recommendations to the General Assembly.

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In Richmond City Schools, my daughter gets P.E. once a week. This is not enough — 150 minutes a week sounds more like it. Thank goodness her teacher knows how important exercise can be to learning and just overall health in a child. She has her students run or run-walk the gravel track at the school about 4 days a week.