Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: Schools ‘Discourage’ Students’ Physical Activity, Healthy Eating
Kennedy said 77% of American youth cannot qualify for military service as he promoted the updated test and urged healthier habits.
- On Monday, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. joined U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks at the Newton YMCA in Iowa to promote youth fitness and relaunch the Presidential Physical Fitness Test.
- Kennedy claimed discontinuing the program under President Barack Obama contributed to a "physical fitness crisis," citing data showing up to 20% of American children suffer from obesity and 77% of youth cannot qualify for military service.
- Miller-Meeks secured $2.79 million in community funding for the Newton YMCA, which hosted demonstrations emphasizing the test is not about competition but about encouraging "outdoor activity" as a standard for health.
- A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study suggested states currently lack infrastructure for large-scale testing, while protestors outside the YMCA expressed concerns regarding separate health policy decisions affecting disabled residents.
- The fitness event occurs amid rising measles cases in Iowa and national scrutiny regarding the administration's childhood vaccine requirements, though Kennedy focused on nutrition and physical activity rather than these broader controversies.
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RFK, Jr., and U.S. Rep. Miller-Meeks tout Presidential Fitness Test
A new state law makes the new version of the Presidential Fitness Test a required part of P.E. classes. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., joined Iowa Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks in Newton yesterday to promote the test. “I can remember doing these,” Miller-Meeks said. “I’m not the biggest kid, so I […]
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: Schools ‘discourage’ students’ physical activity, healthy eating
NEWTON — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in Iowa Monday schools discourage students from physical activity and are poisoning them with unhealthy food — issues he said federal and state policies are…
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: Schools 'discourage' students' physical activity, healthy eating
Newton YMCA CEO George Sorensen. left, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks speak at a press conference at the Newton YMCA on Aug. 17, 2026. (Photo by Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch) NEWTON — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in Iowa Monday schools discourage students from physical activity and are poisoning them …
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