Arkansas Students Still Overweight

By law, the states public schools offer students healthier food choices. But a University of Arkansas Medical Science study shows obese kids still have a problem shedding those pounds. However, there are positive signs on the horizon. Obese or heavy, whichever way you want to phrase it, you can see it in Arkansas` schools. In fact, a U of A study during the 2004-2005 school year shows 38% of the states students are either overweight or at risk of being overweight. The good news, the numbers are identical from the previous year, which to some means the downward spiral is over. And Act 1220, the states childhood obesity law passed just 3 years ago, works. Mollyanne Lloyd, Dir. Nursing Fayetteville Schools: "Not as many kids come to me after lunch with a stomach ache." Lloyd says although students body mass indexes (BMI) remain high, nutrition plays a more significant role in their lives. Lloyd: "The cafeteria food has changed, they are offering more fruits and vegetables and they have done away with the real sugery deserts." The report does indeed show schools improving selections in their vending machines. The percentage of schools offering fruit and vegetable snacks in vending machines increased from 6% to 9%. 23% of schools offered skim or 1 percent milk in vending machines in 2005 compared with 15% in 2004. But the improvements don`t just end there. The report says its at the family dinner table, where parents like Steve and Kris DeLano, are adding to their kids value of healthier choices. Kris DeLano, Parent: "We do try when we eat at home to have as balanced a meal as we can." Data resulting from Act 1220 is only two years old. Some say its just too early to guage how well the legislation is working. You can access the study by logging on to www.uams.edu/newsbureau