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Tracking childhood obesity
Last school year, 33.8 percent of
South Dakota’s students were considered overweight or at risk
for being overweight. Tracking these trends is crucial to the
fight against obesity, and schools play a critical role in the
process.
Each year, schools across South Dakota provide information about
their students’ height and weight. The data is compiled in the
South Dakota Department of Health’s School Height and Weight
Report, which details the rate of children considered overweight
or at risk of being overweight. The data is very useful, at both
the local and state levels, when writing grant applications and
trying to secure funding to support physical activity and
nutrition efforts. It also tells us whether our joint efforts to
address childhood obesity are having an impact.
The voluntary program has been in effect since 1998.
Please consider collecting data on your students for this very
important report. All data is due to the South Dakota Department
of Health by June 15. Data is typically submitted
electronically. The Department of Health provides instructions
and sample forms for the data-gathering process. These are
available at
www.state.sd.us/DOH/SchoolWeight.
For more information, contact Kristin Biskeborn at the South
Dakota Department of Health, (605) 734-4551.
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