It is believed hat there are several factors that have contributed to the obesity epidemic that is affecting youths. Certainly a decline in intramural sports is one factor. One should look at the underlying trends that have contributed to this decline. Those trends are: (1) Personnel Issues--How many teachers and coaches have support of a viable intramural program as a part of their professional assignments? There has been a serious reduction in the number of teachers who coach interscholastic sports, and even more of a reduction of those involved in intramural activities; (2) Facility Issues--The problems in securing space (whether it is outdoor or indoor space) have become overwhelming. The number of demands on existing space, combined with legal and liability issues, have made "gym time" extremely difficult to reserve; and (3) Cultural Issues--As a society, Americans appear to be at the two extremes of athletic participation. Either children are playing on numerous competitive sport teams (often at the same time), or they are physically doing as little as possible away from the television or computer. There should be some effort to improve the cultural value on participation for the "fun" of it. In this article opinions of those who have considered the trends are discussed.