Report: More than half of PSS students at healthy weight

Fifty-eight percent of Public School System students are at a healthy weight, according to a new report released by PSS, while 15 percent of students are at risk of becoming overweight.

The 2007 Youth Risk Survey used the body max index, a measurement of height compared to weight, to gather data on 9,048 students in the school system from August 2007-June 2008.

In the entire school system, 20 percent of students are overweight while 7 percent are underweight.

High schools had the highest number of students at a healthy weight at 61 percent, while elementary schools, at 22 percent, had the highest number of overweight students.

According to the report, there have been several improvements in risk factors that lead to obesity, including the amount of time students participate in physical activity. Also, there was a slight decrease in the percent of students who choose unhealthy practices—such as vomiting, taking laxatives and starving—to lose weight.

Nearly 70 percent of PSS schools teach healthy eating practices like how to read food labels and choosing foods low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol. Half of schools do not sell candy or soda or fruit drinks that are not 100 percent juice. In addition, half of schools do not sell baked goods or salty snacks that are not low in fat.

Oleai Elementary School, according to the report, banned candy and other high sugar content drinks or ice candy. Four elementary schools—William S. Reyes, San Vicente, Gregorio T. Camacho and Sinapalo—integrated cooking demonstrations into their science, math, language arts, and social studies courses.

Eighty-three percent of schools teach students about proper physical activity and 80 percent offer intramural activities or physical activity clubs. Tinian Junior High and High School, for example, allows students before and after school access to physical activity resources like ping-pong rooms, tennis and basketball.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
55 percent at healthy weight
22 percent overweight
14 percent at risk of becoming overweight
9 percent underweight

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
60 percent at healthy weight
17 percent overweight
15 percent at risk of becoming overweight
8 percent underweight

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
61 percent at healthy weight
18 percent overweight
17 percent at risk of becoming overweight
4 percent underweight