Experts share your concerns. The recent reports about inactive youths and rising rates of obesity and diabetes may bring this question to the forefront.

In the last 10 years the number of high school students taking PE has gone from 42 percent down to 29 percent. Illinois is the only state to require daily PE through high school. Others like your own state have a two-year PE program.

Studies show that physical inactivity in the teen years leads to the same sedentary lifestyle later in life. And later is when rates of heart disease start to rise.

Activity and exercise during the younger years is linked with similar behavior in the middle years. Middle-aged adults who are active suffer less heart disease. Daily PE throughout the high school years may be the next heart disease prevention program.