Good News: Childhood Obesity Down in Philly School Kids

Finally. Good news about childhood obesity in Philadelphia.

CBS Philly reports that the results of the city’s annual student-weigh-in efforts at public schools show a five-percent drop in the number of obese kids in Philly schools. Every year, the school district tracks kids’ BMI by weighing and measuring about 120,000 Philadelphia students. Using data from 2006 through 2010, officials noticed a measurable decline in the number of kids who fell within the obese range.

It’s definite progress in a city with a childhood obesity rate that hovers about 20 percent higher than the national average. And it’s a welcome shift in light of recent research, which shows that obesity among school-age kids takes a serious toll on academic performance. Efforts like removing sugary drinks from school vending machines are credited with some of the success.

Read more here.