Pre-K-12

One in every four Utah students grades K-8 is overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. That is enough students to fill 124 elementary schools or 2,067 classrooms.

With obesity on the rise among children, schools have become the ideal place to teach students about physical activity and nutrition. Former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher identified schools as a key setting to prevent and decrease the prevalence of overweight and obesity. Schools can provide many opportunities to engage children in healthy eating and physical activity and to reinforce healthy diet and physical activity messages. All of these healthy habits combined can also produce better overall mental health, self-esteem, and academic success.