Despite years of assumptions by local health providers that San Benito County battles an obesity epidemic amoung its youth, recent data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that more and more local fifth graders weigh in at healthy weights.
The most recent indicators collected by the California Department of Education show the percentage of San Benito County 5th grade students who achieve or exceed the Healthy Fitness Zone for the body composition portion of the annual California Physical Fitness test are above state averages. According to the data, 46.5 percent of girls and 38.1 percent of boys rank within what is considered a "healthy fitness zone." Indicators include students' Body Mass Index (BMI) and ability to perform basic physical activiteis, such as running and stretching.
Reasearch shows that maintaining a healthy weight is important for children and adolescents. Obese and overweight children and adolescents are at risk for multiple health problems during their youth and as adults. Obese children and adolescents are more likely to become obese as adults. Obese and overweight youth are more likely to have risk factors associated with cardiovascular diseases, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Type 2 diabetes. Staying at a healthy weight helps prevent and control multiple chronic diseases and improves quality of life. Do you know of any actitvities that are hekping San Benito County kids stay healthy? If so, tell us what you've seen and share your stories about keeping kids healthy. For detailed results of recent studies, state data, and promising practices, visit the Community Dashboard.