Aerobic fitness is important for mental and physical health, but the latest annual test of California 5th, 7th and 9th graders showed that many are struggling in that area. The state is pouring additional budget funds into school programs in an effort to reverse the trend.

The test is given on a yearly basis to students in the fifth, seventh and ninth grades to assess their physical fitness. The latest scores indicate that more than two-thirds of the 1.4 million youths who took it failed to meet the minimum health standards for percentage of body fat, abdominal strength and flexibility.

Three-quarters of the students tested were unable to complete all six of the tasks, such as sit-ups, push-ups and stretches, required to achieve a passing grade on the fitness exam.

Almost half of the ninth graders tested were unable to run -- or even walk -- a mile within the time allotted.

Jack O'Connell, Superintendent of Public Instruction, said the numbers are an indication of a growing trend among young people toward sedentary lifestyles and poor nutritional habits that have resulted in an epidemic of childhood obesity.

He called for a ramped-up effort to improve physical fitness programs in the schools, and measures to ensure compliance with the state's minimum requirements. Currently, students in elementary schools are supposed to be scheduled for at least 200 minutes of physical education for every 10 school days. Students in middle school and high school are supposed to have 400 minutes of P.E. for every 10 days.

But not all schools comply with those requirements, and the state's enforcement is weak.

California's latest budget includes extra funding to the tune of $40 million to pay the salaries of additional gym teachers for K-8 grade schools. There's another $500 million earmarked for additional supplies, equipment and teacher training for physical education, as well as visual and performing arts.

Teachers will receive extra training in such areas as nutrition, exercise and sports.

Kids of certain ethnic backgrounds tended to do better or worse on the tests than their counterparts of other ethnicities. For example, only about 15 percent of Samoan American students and 21 percent of Latinos met all six fitness benchmarks.

Japanese American students did much better, with close to 45 percent achieving passing scores on the test.

In general, kids who lived in the suburbs outperformed those who resided in urban areas.

Students who perform well on physical activity tests also tend to do better on academic achievement tests, O'Connell pointed out.