U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday brought back a piece of American nostalgia with a serious purpose: the Presidential Fitness Test. Alongside it, he launched GetActive.gov/kids, a new federal website aimed at getting children moving again, as part of President Donald Trump's Make America Healthy Again agenda.
Kennedy kicked off the initiative at the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City, New Jersey, joined by more than 75 children, Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), and WWE stars including Paul Levesque (better known as Triple H). The kids did fitness exercises alongside the adults, a scene that felt both retro and urgent.
The Presidential Fitness Test, which measures strength, endurance, speed, and agility through exercises like running, push-ups, and pull-ups, was first introduced by President John F. Kennedy in 1961. It was a staple in schools for decades before being discontinued in 2013 under President Barack Obama. HHS said schools across the country are expected to start using an updated version this fall, with age-appropriate standards.
GetActive.gov/kids will offer resources for parents, schools, and communities to help children build healthier daily habits and stay active. It's a digital tool for a digital-age problem: kids spending too much time on screens and not enough on playgrounds.
Childhood Obesity In Focus
Kennedy didn't mince words about why the test is coming back. In a Monday interview on Fox News's Jesse Watters Primetime, he said the test will include sprints, pull-ups, push-ups, and other challenges. And he painted a grim picture of America's youth.
"Our children are now the sickest children in the world," Kennedy said. He described American children as among the most obese globally, backing it up with numbers: childhood obesity has risen from 3% in 1960 to roughly 20% today. About 40% of U.S. adults are obese, and roughly 70% are overweight or obese. Kennedy also pointed a finger at modern diets, noting that around 70% of Americans' calories now come from ultra-processed foods.
This isn't new territory for Kennedy. He's been a vocal critic of ultra-processed foods and high-sugar products as part of his Make America Healthy Again agenda, arguing that diet is a major driver of the country's chronic disease burden.
HHS added some sobering stats: nearly 1 in 5 children in the U.S. is overweight or obese, and 77% of young Americans are ineligible for military service, with poor health and physical fitness among the top reasons. That's a national security concern as much as a health one.
Broader MAHA Push
The fitness initiative is just the latest health-focused rollout under Kennedy's leadership. In recent months, the Trump administration launched Moms.gov to expand maternal health resources, and HHS announced more than $700 million in mental health and addiction funding under broader public health initiatives.
Kennedy said restoring daily physical activity is critical to reversing the long-term health decline among American children. Whether the Presidential Fitness Test can do that remains to be seen, but it's a start—and a reminder that some old ideas might be worth revisiting.
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