In their extensive studies of the role of schools in preventing obesity, Mary Story, Karen M. There are indications that students who are severely overweight have a greater tendency to perform worse in school and are more likely to be placed in special education or remedial classes than students who are not. Therefore, more than a quarter of Mexican-American boys are obese these numbers are especially troubling and suggest a clear and abundant need to refocus our energy on teaching children about how they can literally change their bodies by making healthier food choices and engaging in regular physical activity. Research indicates that while obesity rates for Caucasian boys and girls are 14.3 and 12.9 percent respectively, the numbers for those same sub-groups of Mexican-American youth are 25.5 percent and 18.5 percent 3. Perhaps even more striking as it concerns this curriculum unit is the fact that the numbers of obese Mexican-American children (which represent the overwhelming majority of the student body at my school) are markedly higher than those of Caucasian children. Obesity is defined as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) above 30 2. In the United States, approximately 30 percent of adults, 16 percent of children ages 6 to 19, and 10 percent of children between the ages of 2 and 5 are obese 1. Obesity plagues both our nation's adult and youth populations. Feeding our Bodies, Fueling our Minds by Christina M.
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