Annie is 5th fastest freestyler in the state, and Abbie is #8 as well as the 7th fastest at backstroke. The also play on softball and lacrosse teams, ski, waterski, snowboard, hunt, etc.
Posted on 03/17/2005 12:48:43 PM PST by lowbridge
Best States For Healthy Kids
March 17, 2005
(WebMD) Connecticut is America's top state for raising healthy kids, while Alaska ranks lowest on a list compiled by Child Magazine.
Of course, it's possible to raise a fit child anywhere. No state has a monopoly on health, but some may make it a bit easier to achieve, the survey shows.
Not that long ago, the list might have looked somewhat different. Connecticut rose to the top with school-based measures that took effect last July, says the magazine.
Still, food and fitness aren't just important at school. What happens at home and in leisure time also help shape children's health habits, for better or worse. The magazine took that into account, too.
Most states could stand to get better. "Just one state requires P.E. for all students daily, only one in four specifies a reasonable physical education class size, and only two-thirds teach elementary school students about nutrition," says the article.
Best, Worst States For Healthy Kids
The top five states were: 1. Connecticut 2. New York 3. Vermont 4. Massachusetts 5. Missouri At the bottom of the list were: 46. Kansas 47. Mississippi 48. Nevada 49. Nebraska 50. Alaska
States were rated by a panel of health, fitness, and nutrition experts for the magazine. Judging was based on more than a dozen criteria, including school requirements and recommendations for physical education and nutrition classes, playground safety, youth sports participation, and the number of fast-food restaurants.
Why Connecticut Won
Connecticut impressed the judges with a new state law requiring students in kindergarten through fifth grade to get daily physical activity at school (physical education classes or recess). Connecticut encourages 60-90 minutes of physical education per week for kindergarten through third-graders, and 80-120 minutes per week for fourth through sixth graders, says the magazine.
Connecticut law now also requires schools to sell low-fat dairy products, water, and fruit whenever kids can purchase other foods, says the article. That gives kids more nutritious options to choose from.
Beyond that, five Connecticut schools have totally swapped junk food and soda in their cafeterias for healthier items such as yogurt and fruit. A dietitian working on the pilot project, which started last fall, told the magazine she hasn't heard any gripes about it from students.
Why Other States Stumbled
States slipped further down the list if they didn't require physical education or nutrition classes, or if their playgrounds were unsafe. Other shortfalls included low levels of youth sports.
In the lowest-ranked state — Alaska — only high school students are required to take physical education, and those classes usually aren't taught by certified P.E. specialists, says the magazine. Alaska's playgrounds in state parks also weren't in good shape, according to the article.
Then there's Mississippi (No. 47). That's the state with the highest percentage of heavy high school students, says the magazine, citing a government study of 32 states. Around 15 percent of Mississippi students are too heavy and another 15 percent are on the verge of being overweight, says the magazine.
The Rest Of The Rankings
Here's how the other states rated: 6. Maine 7. West Virginia 8. Wisconsin 9. Arkansas 10. Illinois 11. Montana 12. Georgia 13. California 14. Rhode Island 15. Texas 16. New Jersey 17. Oregon 18. Minnesota 19. Colorado 20. Florida 21. Utah 22. Maryland 23. Indiana 24. Washington 25. Michigan 26. Hawaii 27. South Carolina 28. Louisiana 29. Pennsylvania 30. New Hampshire 31. Kentucky 32. Virginia 33. Ohio 34. New Mexico 35. Oklahoma 36. North Carolina 37. North Dakota 38. Delaware 39. Tennessee 40. Arizona 41. Iowa 42. Wyoming 43. Idaho 44. Alabama 45. South Dakota
The survey appears in the magazine's April issue.
Connecticut impressed the judges with a new state law requiring students in kindergarten through fifth grade to get daily physical activity at school (physical education classes or recess)
States slipped further down the list if they didn't require physical education or nutrition classes, or if their playgrounds were unsafe. Other shortfalls included low levels of youth sports.
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What a fraud. The list is compiled depending on the handouts, regulations, and programs given out by state governments. Not by the actual health of the kids in each state.
Move out here! For the chilrun... :)
Oh here comes the Nanny State, to save us from those evil monkey bars.
Phys ed is a joke. I live in NY. It's a joke.
I have a theory, It's because we are just more vain here and we can all afford Gym membership.
Annie is 5th fastest freestyler in the state, and Abbie is #8 as well as the 7th fastest at backstroke. The also play on softball and lacrosse teams, ski, waterski, snowboard, hunt, etc.
Good point. I was wondering how New York could rank so high, but I guess they talk a good game. And why does recess make some states higher on the list? Don't all schools have recess?
This list is better labeled Nannyest State to Least Nannyest State.
I am real suspicious ov the Vermont ranking.
Texas is #15?
I thought the liberals told us that Texas was one of the worst hell-holes to raise a kid because of all the refineries that dirty our air and all of the burgers, BBQ, and tacos we eat.
I'm glad John Kerry, Algore et.al have been proved wrong.
That's 'cause we let our young'uns play in traffic, and run with scissors, and eat crayons.
And iff'n they gets old enuf, we MAKE 'em drink corn likker, smoke Pall Malls and shoot stuff.
Considering the credentials of the reviewing physician (see below), I don't know why you're so damned annoyed, but, hey, whatever floats your boat.
Brunilda Nazario, MD
Medical Editor
Brunilda Nazario, MD, is responsible for reviewing WebMD news and feature stories and graphics to ensure their medical accuracy. She joined WebMD in 2002.
After obtaining her medical degree at the University of Noreste School of Medicine in Mexico, Brunilda Nazario, MD, completed her residency in internal medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City and a fellowship in endocrinology and metabolism at the University of California in Irvine. Her fellowship involved research of vascular peptides and their interaction, for which she received the Merck Fellow Award in 1994. After her fellowship, Nazario joined the faculty of the University of California in Irvine. Later, she joined the faculty at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. She also had a private practice in Santa Fe, N.M.
In 1995, Dr. Nazario accepted a position as a consultant in endocrinology, focusing on hypertension, lipid and diabetes management, nutritional and weight management, and endocrine gland disorders. She also worked with many women suffering from reproductive endocrine issues such as polycystic ovary syndrome, hirsutism, basic infertility management, and menopausal management with special focus on osteoporosis. She was invited to be a consultant for the Therapeutic Options for Menopausal Health in 1999 and 2000 and the Council on Hormone Education in 2002. Recently, special interest in lipid disorders has led to her involvement in the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine Lipid Disorders Training Center Program.
Dr. Nazario is board-certified in both internal medicine, and endocrinology and metabolism. She is also affiliated with numerous organizations including the American college of Physicians, The Endocrine Society, and the American Diabetes Association for Health Professionals.
Why does there always have to be monkeys?
LOL, pall malls. None of them durn filters to mess up the health benefits!
This is complete BULL$HIT!.. They didn't look at the health records of kids in the states, just at the government programs in the state that they FEEL will make kids healthy!
I have yet to see a teenager that works on the family farm in Kansas weigh in at 350lbs with 60% body fat.... but can walk down the street in NYC and point out a few! What complete BS.
What is that? That freaky thing?
New Yorkers have more locks on their doors, and more police than people from Utah, so I guess New York must be a safe place to live.
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