Press Release:
Health department releases student obesity statistics
PENSACOLA – The Escambia County Health Department today released student Body Mass Index data showing a 1% decrease in the total number of students who are obese and a 2% increase in the total number of students who are overweight.
“While I think we’re seeing an impact of the efforts in our schools, we still have a long way to go,†said Health Department Director Dr. John Lanza. “Making generational changes, as we are trying to do, can take 10-20 years or more. And yet, everyone can do their part to help Escambia change its culture about nutrition and physical activity. We need a county where good nutrition and regular physical activity are accepted as a normal part of our daily lives. With 37% of our students overweight or obese, every parent, grandparent, neighbor, and community leader needs to be a role model for good nutrition and regular physical activity.â€
Body Mass Index (BMI) data for 2009-2010 School Year, and a comparison with prior years, are:
Normal Overweight* Obese* Underweight
2009-2010 62% 18% 19% 2%
2008-2009 62% 16% 20% 2%
2007-2008 63% 16% 19% 2%
2006-2007 60% 17% 21% 2%
2005-2006 61% 16% 21% 2%
*In 2009, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) changed the term “at risk for overweight†to “overweight†and changed the term “overweight†to “obeseâ€.
Overweight and Obese Students by Grade Level
Percent Overweight by Grade Level
2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010
First Grade 14.2 13.9 14 14.5 14.1 15.6
Third Grade 15.7 15.4 15.8 15.4 15.9 16.6
Sixth Grade 16.8 16.9 18.3 17.2 17.6 19.8
Ninth Grade 15.7 17.6 18.6 16.3 17.5 18.2
Overall 15.6 15.9 16.6 15.8 16.2 17.5
Percent Obese by Grade Level
04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10
First Grade 15.8 15.9 15.8 13.5 14.1 14.3
Third Grade 18.9 20.4 19.1 20 20 18.1
Sixth Grade 20.6 25.3 25.6 24.2 23.7 24
Ninth Grade 19.8 20.3 22.1 20.1 20.9 21
Overall 18.7 20.4 20.6 19.4 19.6 19.3
Community-wide Commitment
Spearheading a community-wide commitment to increased physical activity and nutrition is UniteEscambia’s Health Solutions Team, which has as its goals to:
o Reduce rates of children who are overweight or obese from 30% to 20% by 2020.
o Increase by 14% the number of adults and children who are physically active and eat nutritious food by 2010.
UniteEscambia’s Health Solutions Team is chaired by former President and CEO of Health First Network Robin Herr and is made up of community organizations and businesses who impact or are interested in Pensacola and Escambia’s approach to healthy living. Mr. Herr is a retired business man with an extensive background and a passion for health and prevention.
Residents can learn more about this work – and opportunities where help is needed – at www.UniteEscambia.com and select Health.