State Releases Study Of Overweight Children
By: Import User
Updated: January 7, 2009
In more than 40 percent of Arkansas` school
districts, more than 40 percent of the children are either obese or
at risk of becoming overweight.
That`s according to a new study released today by Governor Mike
Huckabee.
Statewide, 38 percent of Arkansas` public school students are
either overweight or at risk for being overweight. Among students
entering kindergarten, 32 percent are overweight or at risk of
being overweight.
Huckabee said he would dispatch an additional six community
health education specialists to deal with the problem.
Arkansas Center for Health Improvement director Joe Thompson
said the results of the study indicate that children of every age,
gender, economic status and ethnic group are at risk of obesity.
The study showed a rapid increase in childhood obesity at every
school level, except for high school girls, who tend to lose some
weight at that stage.
