Health News
- 12 Ky. Schools Recognized For Efforts To Improve Student Health
A dozen Kentucky schools that participate in the Healthy Schools Program have been recognized for creating a culture of health and wellness in their classrooms. Ja'nel Johnson reports for WKMS, Murray State University's radio station. This is...
- Leaders In Health Care And Education Meet On Child Obesity And What Can Be Done About It, And Not Just In The Schools
By Al Cross Kentucky Health News Children who are physically active are likely to be better learners, but not enough Kentucky schools seem to put that knowledge into practice, speakers suggested at last week's Kentucky Summit on Childhood Obesity...
- Community-based Solutions To Childhood Obesity Show Signs Of Progress Elsewhere; Will Kentucky Pick Up On Them?
By Molly Burchett Kentucky Health News For decades, researchers reported with alarm the increasing trend of overweight children in America, with one in three kids on the way to developing Type 2 diabetes. Across the country, action has been taken to address...
- Covington Schools Show 'fitness Rocks' By Lowering Body Mass, Lifting The Bars Of Nutrition, Wellness And Academic Achievement
Sparks are flying in Covington Independent Schools. The schools' Fitness Rocks program, which combines fitness and wellness activities in an after-school program four or five days a week to create a healthier community for students, is the reported...
- All Students At Many Kentucky Schools Will Get Free Lunches, Regardless Of Household Income
All students in as many as 102 of Kentucky's 174 school districts will get a free lunch every day starting next month. Kentucky is one of three states to be chosen for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Universal Meal Service pilot program,...
Health News
Less than a third of school districts in Ky., which has high child-obesity rates, are in program to increase physical activity
Fifty-four of Kentucky's 173 school districts have joined a national initiative to increase physical activity in schools, and school officials hope other school districts will soon join in.
County school districts that have joined the initiative are Anderson, Barren, Boone, Bourbon, Bullitt , Butler, Daviess, Estill, Fayette, Franklin, Fort Knox, Graves, Grayson, Greenup, Hancock, Hardin, Hart, Henderson, Henry, Hopkins, Jefferson, Jessamine, Kenton, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Logan, Madison, Morgan, Nelson, Ohio, Oldham, Owen, Perry, Pike, Rockcastle, Rowan, Spencer, Trigg, Warren, Wayne, Whitley, Wolfe and Woodford.
Independent school districts in the program are Ashland, Bardstown, Beechwood, Berea, Caverna, Covington, Glasgow, Newport, Russell and Williamstown.
The Catholic schools in Louisville that have joined are Holy Spirit School, Notre Dame Academy and St. Gabriel the Archangel. Saint Pius X in Northern Kentucky has also joined the program.
Jamie Sparks, director of coordinated school health for the Department of Education, said in the release, "I would encourage other districts in the state to follow suit and bring Let's Move! into their schools."
Let's Move Active Schools is a program that encourages schools to create active environments to get all students moving; helps promote physical activity before, during and after school; and encourages parent and community involvement in helping students become healthier, says a state Department of Education press release.
Kentucky has one of the highest childhood obesity rates in the country, 18 percent, and 35.7 percent of those aged 10-17 are considered either overweight or obese, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
The program, part of First Lady Michelle Obama's effort to fight child obesity, also offers support to teachers as they work to align their physical activity programs with program expectations."Let's Move helps schools create active environments that get students moving every day and supports their success in school," state Education Commissioner Terry Holiday said.
Children need at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Studies show that students who get regular physical activity do better in school. Because kids spend so many hours at school, it is considered a great place to make sure they are getting the exercise they need.County school districts that have joined the initiative are Anderson, Barren, Boone, Bourbon, Bullitt , Butler, Daviess, Estill, Fayette, Franklin, Fort Knox, Graves, Grayson, Greenup, Hancock, Hardin, Hart, Henderson, Henry, Hopkins, Jefferson, Jessamine, Kenton, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Logan, Madison, Morgan, Nelson, Ohio, Oldham, Owen, Perry, Pike, Rockcastle, Rowan, Spencer, Trigg, Warren, Wayne, Whitley, Wolfe and Woodford.
Independent school districts in the program are Ashland, Bardstown, Beechwood, Berea, Caverna, Covington, Glasgow, Newport, Russell and Williamstown.
The Catholic schools in Louisville that have joined are Holy Spirit School, Notre Dame Academy and St. Gabriel the Archangel. Saint Pius X in Northern Kentucky has also joined the program.
Jamie Sparks, director of coordinated school health for the Department of Education, said in the release, "I would encourage other districts in the state to follow suit and bring Let's Move! into their schools."
- 12 Ky. Schools Recognized For Efforts To Improve Student Health
A dozen Kentucky schools that participate in the Healthy Schools Program have been recognized for creating a culture of health and wellness in their classrooms. Ja'nel Johnson reports for WKMS, Murray State University's radio station. This is...
- Leaders In Health Care And Education Meet On Child Obesity And What Can Be Done About It, And Not Just In The Schools
By Al Cross Kentucky Health News Children who are physically active are likely to be better learners, but not enough Kentucky schools seem to put that knowledge into practice, speakers suggested at last week's Kentucky Summit on Childhood Obesity...
- Community-based Solutions To Childhood Obesity Show Signs Of Progress Elsewhere; Will Kentucky Pick Up On Them?
By Molly Burchett Kentucky Health News For decades, researchers reported with alarm the increasing trend of overweight children in America, with one in three kids on the way to developing Type 2 diabetes. Across the country, action has been taken to address...
- Covington Schools Show 'fitness Rocks' By Lowering Body Mass, Lifting The Bars Of Nutrition, Wellness And Academic Achievement
Sparks are flying in Covington Independent Schools. The schools' Fitness Rocks program, which combines fitness and wellness activities in an after-school program four or five days a week to create a healthier community for students, is the reported...
- All Students At Many Kentucky Schools Will Get Free Lunches, Regardless Of Household Income
All students in as many as 102 of Kentucky's 174 school districts will get a free lunch every day starting next month. Kentucky is one of three states to be chosen for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Universal Meal Service pilot program,...