CHILDHOOD OBESITY STUDY
Monday, June 19, 2006
Wichita County now has a reason to jump on the national bandwagon of fighting childhood obesity. The city/county Health Department received a grant last year to evaluate about 1,500 students in Wichita County. Results show between 18 and 22 percent of those evaluated are overweight or obese and the Health Department says it is time something was done to change that.
The city/county Health Department surveyed 4th, 8th and 11th graders in Wichita County and found the students diet and exercise habits are not always up to snuff. Between 14 and 38 percent of those evaluated drank no milk the day before the survey and 39 and 41 percent didn`t eat any vegetables. 20 to 24 percent did not exercise and between 23 and 34 percent of all students surveyed feel they weigh too much altogether. This is why the Health Department wants to offer programs that will help fight obesity. Health Department employees say having this data in hand is the first step toward doing just that.
The Health Department has a commitee specifically designed to pursue grants for new programs. The three school districts that participated in the study were Wichita Falls, Iowa Park and City View ISDs.
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