Sit-ups, pushups, a one and a half mile run, and the “sit-and-reach:” sound familiar?  If so, you are probably one of the millions of American students who have taken the Presidential Physical Fitness Award test. Introduced in 1966, the test rewards those with the greatest fitness with the coveted prize of a certificate signed by the president.

Today, the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports introduced an adult version of the test you can do yourself online.  Unfortunately, there is no certificate for adults, but you can find out where you rank amongst others your age and chart your progress towards better health.

The test measures aerobic fitness, muscular strength, and flexibility and is designed for people 18 and older who are in good health.  It also incorporates height and weight to calculate body mass index (BMI).

Melissa Johnson, the executive director of the council, said the development of the test is a response to scores of baby boomers asking whether there was a fitness test available today like the one they took as students.

It couldn’t come at a better time.  The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that nearly one-third of all adult Americans are obese (defined as a BMI greater than 30) and about two-thirds are overweight or obese (defined as a BMI greater than 25). 

Over the last 40 years, the prevalence of overweight and obese Americans has steadily increased among all ages, sexes, races, and educational levels.  In 1960, 44.8% of adult Americans fit the definition of overweight or obese. In 2004, that number had risen to 66%. 

While we at OhMyGov! are often skeptical of taxpayer-funded programs aimed at curing society’s ills, we applaud this initiative as we all bear the burden of obesity.  The NIH estimates that the annual costs of the epidemic are well above $100 million when direct health care expenditures and the indirect costs of lost wages and future productivity are considered.  Undoubtedly, it will take more than an on-line fitness tracking program to shrink the nation’s waistline, but it’s a step in the right direction that just might motivate sedentary Americans to start exercising.  After all, not everyone can become a contestant on NBC’s The Biggest Loser.

The online fitness tool, located at www.adultfitnesstest.com, complements an interactive eating plan based on the food pyramid developed by the Department of Agriculture.  Mypyramid.gov allows visitors to enter dietary information and receive an online evaluation by comparing your actual intake to nutritional guidance.  It also offers a menu planning component that aims to provide the kind of individualized guidance one would expect from a personal dietician.

Together, the Adult Fitness Test and Mypyramid.gov can level the playing field for average Americans who want to improve their health but can’t afford the services of a personal trainer or nutrition counseling.