Originally published December 7 2005
California children improve fitness slightly, but officials want better results
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The Mercury News reports that 25 percent of California children passed the state physical fitness test, a slight improvement over previous years, but not enough to please state health authorities.
Despite new programs designed to make California's schoolchildren healthier, only about one in four of them ran, curled, stretched and lifted enough to pass this year's state physical fitness test.
``Kids just don't get the physical activity that they used to,'' said Susan Aldrich, who is coordinating a ``Healthy Start'' grant in six downtown San Jose schools and hopes to create a teen health council at San Jose High.
Video games and instant messaging have replaced kickball and bike riding as favorite activities.
Many schools -- particularly those under intense pressure to raise standardized test scores -- have moved away from rigorous physical education classes so they can spend more time on academics.
And in some school districts, the physical education teacher only works part time, or travels from school to school.
``A silent epidemic of obesity and poor nutrition is endangering our children's health and their ability to learn,'' said Jack O'Connell, the state superintendent of public instruction.
The test assesses six major fitness areas, including aerobic capacity, percentage of body fat, abdominal strength and endurance, trunk strength and flexibility, upper body strength and endurance, and overall flexibility.
More than 1.3 million students were tested in 2005, the sixth year the test has been given.
But only 25 percent of students in grade five, 29 percent in grade seven, and 27 percent in grade nine achieved the fitness standards for all six areas of the test.
The results were better in Santa Clara County, particularly among high school freshmen: 35 percent of the county's ninth-graders met six of six fitness standards, as did 26 percent of fifth-graders and 33 percent of seventh-graders.
But at San Jose High Academy, which serves a less affluent population, only 13.2 percent of freshman met all of the physical fitness standards.
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