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New Study: About 4 In 10 Escambia Students Are Overweight Or Obese
March 6, 2010
An annual survey just released shows that 37 percent of 11,790 Escambia County’s students are either overweight or obese.
The State of Florida requires the Escambia County Health Department to compile weight and body mass index (BMI) numbers for first, third, sixth and ninth grade students in each county.
BMI is a measurement of body fat based on height and weight and is used to screen for health problems resulting from an unhealthy body weight. The BMI for 18 percent of Escambia County students came in as “overweight”, while another 19 percent were labeled as “obese”. About two percent of students in the grades survey are actually underweight.
The numbers showed that almost 20 percent of sixth grade students in the county were overweight, while almost 24 percent of the sixth graders were obese — the highest percentages of any grade level in the study.
“While I think we’re seeing an impact of the efforts in our schools, we still have a long way to go,” said Escambia County Health Department Director Dr. John Lanza. “Making generational changes, as we are trying to do, can take 10-20 years or more. And yet, everyone can do their part to help Escambia change its culture about nutrition and physical activity. We need a county where good nutrition and regular physical activity are accepted as a normal part of our daily lives. With 37 percent of our students overweight or obese, every parent, grandparent, neighbor, and community leader needs to be a role model for good nutrition and regular physical activity.”
UniteEscambia’s Health Solutions Team is spearheading a community-wide commitment to increase physical activity and nutrition, with goals to reduce rates of children who are overweight or obese from 30% to 20% by 2020. The group is also working to increase by 14% the number of adults and children who are physically active and eat nutritious food by 2010.
UniteEscambia’s Health Solutions Team is chaired by former President and CEO of Health First Network Robin Herr and is made up of community organizations and businesses who impact or are interested in Pensacola and Escambia’s approach to healthy living.
The chart below show a more detailed look at the health survey results for each grade level.
Comments
28 Responses to “New Study: About 4 In 10 Escambia Students Are Overweight Or Obese”
William,
I love the idea of posting lunch menu’s. My kid doesn’t always bring whats going on home. You know, “They didn’t give me one”, I guess I lost it”. excuses, excuses. GOOD IDEA!
Hey What!; some of us have noticed that most Americans buy junk when they shop. Processed prepackaged foods that require a microwave oven. It seems the women we see in grocery stores who buy mostly staples are Latino women. Being poor isn’t the only factor on obesity, but unfortunately, the cheaper foods are the processed garbage, so they are more prone to its ill effects. But we are in a middle size city, so it may be a little different in urban areas versus rural, but judging by the rampant obesity in all walks of life, I doubt it.
I’ve noticed “food stamp” recipients several times buying all kinds of steaks, ribs, all kinds of red meat that I can rarely buy. I don’t buy chips or junk food, but I do agree with some that have said it’s more expensive to buy “healthy”. Have you priced grapes or tomatoes lately? They’re just too much along with most other fresh produce. We both work and are very careful with our money. We don’t drink, smoke, spend money on movies, etc.
Anyone ever notice what foods are bought by families that get food stamps!!! Nothing but Junk! A lot of lower income families are on government programs that help buy food! Maybe they should monitor what foods are being purchased! I think that is a huge part of this problem. The food habits all start from home. I don’t think some parents take the time to care what goes into their childs body…because it only food! Maybe they should require parents to take a nutrition class before being given any assistance.
As long as corn is a commodity crop subsidized to the hilt, products made from it are going to be cheap and that includes nearly every prepackaged process food product. So fast food is cheaper than other meals at better restaurants. There are indications that the severe rise in obesity and diabetes are both linked to our modern diet. Any doubts about this check out the DVD “Food Inc.” or better yet read Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan.
Parent with a brain it is not more expensive to eat healthy! An apple is cheaper than abag of chips! A homemade soup is cheaper than getting a pizza! It just requires a little planning. And duh, children will chosse chicken nuggets and pizza so why not quit serving those kind of foods so much. Have one day a week to serve junk. But keep it out of schools the the other days! I agree parents should think about what they are feeding their kids! They are killing them with food! But it is still parents and the schools who need to make changes! My family eats EXTREMELY healthy and many moms look down on me cause I won’t let them be kids and eat junk, but I feel I am providing healthy habits that will take them into adulthood. But that all goes down the drain when I may run out of something for lunches and my daughter goes to school and eats a chicken sandwich, or pizza or anything they offer is not really nutritious!
Why is it people want to blame the schools for what is obviously a parenting issue? I work in a school in Santa Rosa County and the meals offered are far better than what I was offered as a kid. Most of the lunch offered to me in Escambia County was tossed in the trash. This was due to lack of choices. Salad is an option every day and many kids choose it. Veggies are offered, many kids choose them. Yes, kids are going to go for chicken nuggets and pizza much of the time but let’s think a about what they get at home. Because guys these kids that are fat mostly start school fat. These are kids who will tell you they watch TV and play video games all day. Most of their parents are fat. The food choices are the cheap fatty foods that many low income families can only afford. It is not cheap to make healthy food choices. The snacks sent by these parents are frightening. Soda pop and candy or chips. So before blaming the school for not enough PE or food available, start looking in the mirror for why your child is fat.
Diet drinks are not served in the lunchroom. Diet drinks are only in the vending machines out in the gym.
If you don’t want your child to have school lunches, then pack a healthy and nutritious lunch from home. You can even pack a “hot lunch”. It just takes a little bit of planning and shopping.
I have a granddaughter in Byrneville,first grade, she is 49 inches tall and weighs 47 lbs SOLID as a rock and she was considered overweight by the health dept. Well not only does she not get junk on a regular basis she is never still at home she gets tons of exercise, not a couch potato!!!!
I would like to know who set the standards for weight????????
Just another way for the government to tend to our business and cause hate and discontent
It is the schools responsibility to make sure your child gets at LEAST 1 hour a day of exercise and /or activity in their physical ed class…that they may or may not have now days. Also, why in the world does northview even seve the pizza everyday…each school syatem has a regitered dietician that plans the school menu, you should have a meeting with her or at least interview her on why this is served everyday. Schools should serve only nutritional lunches while the children are in the schools or you should send your childs lunches everyday. They will eat something that’s there. A good, old fashioned peanut butter sandwich on wheat bread, frozen yogurt, baby carrots, almonds, salads made with greenleaf or/or romaine lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc with a vinagrette dressing are some choices i used to send with my kids EVERYDAY (I fixed my kids lunches EVERY single day from the time they were in k5 till they graduated)…they were not ashamed to bring their lunches to school. They said the teachers would come to the table everyday and say…..what did your mom send today? She send you good lunches. She also told me the other kids were in awe of my kids lunchboxes and would even say, i wish my mom would fix my lunch. The kids usually hate the school lunches here in the Alabama schools. Our schools also don’t offer the pizza hut pizza. I think the pizza is served bacause the school HAS to be getting money out of the sales. I believe it is the right of the students in ANY school to be have to take a physical ed class, but it’s up to the parents to offer better lunch choices (even if it means getting up a little earlier in the am to fix it yourself), or start the night before, but it’s also up to the parents and the school system to get together and work this lunchroom stuff out….I would say out with all junk food and get that dietician back on track. I saw where a student put that all they had to drink at northview was diet drinks…..they are worse for you than a regular drink. At AC Moore and RP in atmore, they have milk and juice (i think they should take away the chocolate milk there, it’s loaded with sugar. The place where better food choices should be started, other than at home is when the child enters K5, if we don’t start it there, they will just be doomed by the time they reach high school….
At Northview when you get in line the fruit and salads are the first thing the kids see when they get their plates. There is alway apples, sometimes oranges and bananas there for them to pick up. There is alway garden salads and then a bigger salad for them to choose from. Everyday we have some sort of vegetables that goes with our “hot meal”. We can not make the kids go through the line and choose the “hot meal”. That is not our responsibility.
Yes, we do have a Pizza Line that serves pizza, breadsticks, hotpockets, chips, Little Debbies, Powerade, apple juice, orange juice, and icecream. Again we can not make them choose to go through the lunch lines and get the ” Hot Meal”. Parents make a trip to look at the lines. There is alway some sort of vegetable to choose from and on Wednesday we have fried or baked chicken with steamed or creamed potatoes, with mixed greens or green beans,or a garden salad and a roll for the kids to choose from. Or they can choose a bigger salad to eat instead.
William maybe you could get with the schools and get a menu for the lunches. It goes on a 3 week schedule. Then you could post it at the beginning of the week. That way the parents would know what the kids had to choose from each day. Just a suggestion.
NHS student are you referring to the nasty lettuce with a boiled egg in it. Hahaha where are the veggies? And I believe I said, a real meat and veggies. And love there is no nutrient in iceberg lettuce. This is no fault to the ladies who prepare the lunches. These women get what is sent to them. Call downtown and ask why Northview gets the junk.
actually “lucymoore” northview has salads and fruit at the front of the lunch line and yogurt along with everything there to drink is diet
my son said salad is at the end of the line and doesn’t know it is there until he already has a plate of something else. You would think this would be in front.
Go to northview Pizza, hamburger, fries, process meat. Why can’t our kids have a real meat everyday. And a fresh veg.
I agree that parents should monitor the food their child eats and put limits on it. And to prepare healthy meals and teach children the right foods to eat to fuel their bodies. This is very important, but how can anyone say that it is not the schools responsibility to make sure the child eats a healthy lunch and gets activity when they are required to be at school for almost as many waking hours than they are at home!!
People need to quit talking about how the kids these days are fat and start doing something about it! It starts in the home. I believe occasional sweets are ok, but we need nutients from fruits and veggies to live. Parents and teachers need to not reward children with candy! Parents and schools need to prepare healthy meals for their children! Oh and by the way just because it is called a chef salad doesn’t mean its healthy!! If it is made with iceberg lettuce it contains little nutrients and if the kids cover it in dressing that is NOT healthy! Just because they serve boiled carrots its not healthy if they add sugar so the kids will eat them! And a grilled chicken sandwich is not healthy because the chicken is processed and made into a patti! Fruit is not healthy when it comes out of a can with tons of added sugar!! And my daughter only has PE 2x a week!! Get real about what we are feeding our kids and then changes will be seen!!!
Bratt Momma,You said a mouthful!!!!If you want your children to eat better,set an example.Cook for them at home.If you don’t like to cook,TOUGH! You are a PARENT.It is YOUR job to take charge of your childrens nutrition.So they get fast food-type mals at school,make sure that they get better stuff at home…..and TURN OFF the stupid games andT.V. and ship ‘em OUTSIDE!!!!! It will not kill them to get fresh air and sunshine.Quite the contrary,it will help their bodies utilize certain vitamins PLUS give them some much needed exercise.You probably won’t win parent of the year but so what.You are a PARENT not a buddy!!!!If your child is overweight,it is not the schools fault!
Ultimately, it is the parents’ responsibility to teach their children to make healthy food choices and get plenty of physical activity. It is NOT the job of the school to make sure your child eats healthy food or gets exercise. The school’s only responsibility is to offer healthy meals for the students. If the kids choose not to eat what the school provides, then the parent has the option to send a lunch with their child.
Also people need to quit blaming TV and video games for their child’s weight. If you are a parent, start acting like one!!! You should tell your kids how much time they can spend in front of media, not the other way around. Stop being a lazy parent, looking to blame everyone else, and quit trying to be your child’s buddy. Make some decisions that they may not like, but are best for them!!!
Just FYI My child got a letter home saying she was at risk and overweight. My child’s BMI is 15% When I call to tell them they had made a mistake, they told me that is because she is really Over average in height. So naturally some of the % will be for this reason a small amount of children are not fat just tall for their age. I have a problem with them placing her in that category because when she is old enough to read this I’m afraid she will start thinking she is fat and I’ll have another problem on my hands.
Forty percent of our school age children are obese! They are CHILDREN, they need supervision to make decisions. When I was in school, we had a full staff of lunchroom personnel who COOKED our food and the only choice we had was to eat it or go hungry, as it should be today. Do we still have physical education in our schools today? By that, I mean, do the kids still “dress out” and play supervised sports? As in so many aspects of our government today, no one cares. What a shame, these older kids will battle obesity the rest of their lives!
lets look at the PE courses that are offered at all of the local schools…I don’t know what type of activity is required at the Fl schools, but I know the local Atmore elementary schools have a great PE program. Those kids are moving from the time they get into that gym until they leave. There are games and activities that are supervised by the PE teachers all day, everyday. I also know that when they reach middle school, the PE programs are a JOKE. If they don’t want to play, just go sit in the bleachers and do nails or hair, or sleep or whatever else they want to do (my children told me this and i have witnessed it personally)….I have also witnessed teachers cleaning the nice wood floor over there during the whole PE time because they have a game later that day, so the kids do nothing again on these days. Then, once they reach high school, if they have taken X amt of years of PE, they don’t have to take it, they can choose something else. I think this was part of my kids problems with weight, if they had of had a pe program all the way through high school, i feel like they would have done better. My children didn’t take PE past the 8th grade, because the system didn’t require it….just some thoughts, better food choices would be better too, but activity with better choices is what’s going to win this battle
Just during the time I’m in the lunch room each day I see kids throwing away a large portion of their food. I guess they don’t like the taste or it doesn’t appeal to them. This is even on hamburger/french fry days, etc. I know the kids have a certain amount of time they have to be quiet too (like the first 10 minutes) in order to concentrate on eating. I don’t know who else could “monitor” what the kids are eating. Where I work, the teachers are in the lunchroom every day and sitting to where they can see their classes, but this is sometimes the only time they have to sit down and also grab a little lunch for themselves.
Let’s look at the last three year trend when current ninth graders were sixth graders. In ‘06/07, 25.6% were classified as obese and in ‘09/10, this group is classified at 21.0%. That’s a 4.6% decrease for these students. And now for over weight for the group, the numbers decrease from 18.3% to 18.2% – not a significant change, but when compared to the decrease of obese group, it would be logical to assume that many of obese kids would now fall into the overweight category.
Just the opposite can be seen in the third graders to sixth graders in the same years as there is an increase of 4.9% and 4.0% respectively.
What does all this mean? On the surface it would appear that elementary schools are not doing P.E. in a meaningful way, or as pre-teens become more self conscious of their appearance due to puberty, they change their lifestyles. But either way, the school lunch program is not the problem, it is the parents.
I can’t answer for other schools, however my child is a student at Byrneville Elementary. Her BMI was in normal range after the testing. At Byrneville, the students are given a choice between two healthy options for the main course. Many times my daughter will come home telling me that she chose chef salad for lunch! Kudos to Byrneville for keeping the meals healthy.
we can thank the makers of video games!!! I have healthy food in my house(a low fat/very low cholestrol..for my health) but even eating this my child is overweight…bu he lives for the GAMES…Both of us TRY to lose weight & it is not working..but for the school to point out the “fat kid” (which is what happens after these screenings) then the bullying & making fun of comes into play….Is this supose to help a child w/his “self confidence”???
I don’t know exactly how school lunches are handled now, but I remember in the 1970’s at Ernest Ward, they began letting us choose between what was considered a “balanced, hot meal” OR one could choose a hamburger, French fries, and a milk shake. Hmmmmm guess which one was selected!
Given a choice, most kids are going to choose “fastfood” type food. I feel that the lunches at school should be a hot, well balanced meal. This may be the only REAL meal the child may get. Another option, have a mini parent education class on nutrition, then send the menu choices home. If one is on free or reduced lunch, basically gov. Assisted program, then have the free or reduced lunch be the “real ” meal. If schools want to serve fast food and the parents want it too… Then raise the price so that it is significantly higher priced than the best nutritional meal.
When I was in 1st & 2cnd grade, we had no choice of our meals. Lunchroom monitors walked around & made sure that we ate our lunch-having to try a little of all and eat most of what was on the plate.
Just a suggestion, because when given a choice , most of us would probably not pick what is best for us. We are the guardians of our young children and until they can make informed, educated decisions we should choose what is best for them and teach them proper nutrition .