Skyrocketing obesity among young children and the ways in which schools can help address the epidemic, as well as educating students about healthy lifestyles, is the focus of the newest edition of the State Education Standard, the journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education.
"The sheer number of overweight children and the detrimental health implications for their long-term well-being are staggering. Because healthy nutritional habits and lifestyles are formed early in life, schools have a profound obligation to provide comprehensive instruction about diet and physical activity. State boards of education have an important role to play in addressing the needs of the whole child so each student can achieve their full academic potential," said Brenda Welburn, NASBE Executive Director.
The percentage of children who are overweight has doubled over the past twenty-five years. During the same time, obesity rates for adolescents have tripled. The effects of this epidemic are imposing an appalling toll on individual health and economic vitality. Type 2 diabetes in children that was once rare is now commonplace. And the Surgeon General has estimated the economic impact of obesity at $117 billion annually. Given this crisis among school children, public schools have a vital role to play in keeping their charges as healthy as possible. The Standard is bringing this information and effective policies to the attention of education leaders at all levels.