Opinion

A modern Presidential Fitness Test can help America's struggling children

With the U.S. turning 250 years old in 2026 there is no better moment to reinstate a modernized Presidential Fitness Test

By David Bernstein Fox News

Published April 11, 2026 8:00am EDT

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President-elect John F. Kennedy highlighted the importance of a physically fit and healthy America to remain a strong nation in his Sports Illustrated article "The Soft American". Decades later, the physical and mental health of Americans are far too often neglected, putting our great nation’s future at risk. An unhealthy population is not only an unproductive population but one that lacks a positive morale and the general well-being that allows us to thrive in our daily lives — at home, at school and at work. We owe it to our children to dedicate the necessary resources and design and implement the appropriate initiatives to address the concerning health trends we are witnessing.

As an orthopaedic surgeon, I see the health benefits of routine exercise firsthand for general well-being and overall quality of life. But we are falling short. Today, greater than one in five U.S. children and teenagers are obese, while only about 25% are getting the recommended daily dose of physical activity. In addition, the prevalence of mental and behavioral health conditions among adolescents continues to increase at an alarming rate, up by 35% from 2016 to 2023. This is........

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