Let’s face it: Oklahoma has a childhood obesity problem. And Elevate Student Health can be a part of the solution.

We consistently have one of the highest rates of childhood obesity in the nation, nearly 19% of 10-17 year olds were obese in 2018-2019. Children with obesity are more likely to develop chronic health conditions such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, lower self-esteem, and self-reported lower quality of life1.

Physical inactivity and poor nutrition are two of the greatest behavioral risk factors for obesity, yet only 26% of Oklahoma high school students are physically active at least 60 minutes per day. Additionally, 22% of students drink one or more cans, bottles, or glasses of soda daily2. Most children spend developmentally critical years at school for six hours per day for over nine months of the year, consuming as much as half of their daily calories there3. As such, schools have a tremendous opportunity to improve the health of their students.

There are a variety of loopholes in current wellness environments at schools, including:

Non-Meal and After-School Foods - While meals provided to children during the school day are regulated, snacks provided for special celebrations like birthdays, sold after school at concession stands, or used as fundraisers typically are not.
Guaranteed Physical Activity for All - Though physical education must be offered to students at all levels, it is only required at the elementary level at an average of 60 minutes per week at minimum.
Consistent Access to Safe Water – Though it is required that water be made available during meal service, many students do not drink tap water from school drinking fountains because of water quality and safety concerns.

That’s why in partnership with the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET), we have started an education and policy campaign called Elevate Student Health to improve the health of Oklahoma youth through comprehensive physical activity and nutrition policies in schools. Students in the Youth Action for Health Leadership (YAHL) program will lead the way educating Oklahomans about the need for comprehensive policies and speaking to School Board members and principals to garner support. Elevate Student Health will work closely with school districts to provide them support in updating their wellness policies and resources to effectively implement the policy like posters that promote physical activity and nutrition. Together we can elevate the health of all Oklahoma students for a better and brighter future!

Alex Handfinger

Sr. Account Manager, Elevate Student Health
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References

Obesity rates for Youth ages 10 to 17. The State of Childhood Obesity. (n.d.). https://stateofchildhoodobesity.org/children1017/.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, March 19). Childhood obesity causes & consequences. Childhood Obesity Causes & Consequences. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/causes.html.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, February 15). School Nutrition. CDC Healthy Schools. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/nutrition/schoolnutrition.htm