NEW YORK, Jul 14, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Physically fit students in New York
tend to outscore their peers who are less fit on academic tests, city health and
education officials said.
An analysis of data from NYC FITNESSGRAM, a comprehensive fitness assessment of
New York City public school students, also shows that childhood obesity remains
prevalent in New York.
A report from the New York City health department and the department of
education found that nearly 40 percent of city students are overweight or obese.
The report found that during the 2007-2008 school year, students who scored in
the top 5 percent on their NYC FITNESSGRAM assessments outscored the bottom 5
percent by an average of 36 percentile points on standardized academic tests.
The findings suggest that 21 percent of kindergarten through eighth grade
students are obese and an additional 18 percent of the city's students are
overweight.
"When four out of 10 school kids are overweight or obese, the city has a
problem," New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said in a
statement. "We know that physical activity can combat obesity and its health
consequences. This report suggests that healthy, active kids also learn better."
The report is at
www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/survey/survey-2009fitnessgram.pdf.
URL: www.upi.com
Copyright 2009 by United Press International