KENNEWICK, Wash.—Many of us have been talking about the shocking study that revealed the Tri-Cities population is one of the most obese in the country. NBC Right Now asked the question, if many adults aren't practicing healthy fitness and nutrition habits, where else can kids turn?
One answer is the classroom. Sunset View Elementary School in Kennewick uses a grant to help fuel their students. The students BMI's are calculated to determine if they are at a healthy weight. They learn about and are tested on nutrition and fitness. Their results are then sent home to their parents.
"Now we're sending home reports that say this is where your kid is at. They didn't make it in the push-ups. They should be working on upper body strength," says Paul Sinclair, PE Specialist.
But Sinclair says the schools can only teach so much. The Benton Franklin Health District agrees and says there are few reasons why the waists of many children in our community are increasing.
"One is that families aren't eating meals together as often. Frequently it's easier to serve something that's not as healthy because it's fast," Dr. Army Person, Benton Franklin Health District.
Person says both parents and the schools need to teach children to move more and make healthy food choices.
The Kennewick School District hopes to make it even easier for their students by adopting the "5210 Every Day" program next year. It says to eat five or more fruits and vegetables, two hours of less of screen time, one hour or more of physical activity, and zero sugary drinks.
