Child Obesity

Adolescent obesity

Less than twenty-four percent of ninth through

twelfth grade in Utah have P.E. once a day. That leaves seventy-six percent of Utah kids that have P.E. every other day or even less than that. Ferris Bueller School got more than 150,000 dollars of fitness equipment donated to the school fitness program. The school fitness center is only for eighth and ninth graders, and it is only for Ferris Bueller students only.

One girl in Utah cringed at the thought of disrobing in front of her other peers. In just twelve weeks she lost nine pounds in the school's self-directed exercise class.

More than one hundred thirty Utah schools-five hundred fifty nationwide-have teamed up with The National School Fitness Foundation. The American Fork-Based nonprofit provides schools with up to 220,000 dollars in high- tech exercise equipment and computer kiosks that track a students weight, heart-rate, and also the students body fat. Students who signed up for three consecutive semesters increased their strength by thirteen percent up to thirty percent. The students who also the three semesters reduced their body fat about an average of about five percent. The fitness center North of Logan is a godsend for kids such as Samantha Miranda, whose idea of exercise apparel includes a denim jacket and a pair of shorts pulled over a pair of jeans. Samantha Miranda said "I don't like running very much, but I'd like to loose some weight and build a little more muscle. I probably wouldn't get very much exercise if I didn't have this class." Says Samantha Miranda as she waits to workout on one of a dozen circuit-training contraptions. In some states you have to take P.E. to graduate any grade seventh grade through

twelfth grade.