Study: Close to 30% of Travis students are overweight or obese

Nearly 30 percent of Travis County students would be considered overweight or obese, according to an analysis of recent school district data by the city of Austin. Health experts say childhood obesity puts children at risk for a variety of physical challenges, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, menstruation issues and respiratory and orthopedic problems. Austin Public Health, which analyzed data from the 2013-14 school year, released these key findings last week in the latest edition of the Travis County Medical Society Journal:

28.1%: Students, from third-graders to high school seniors across Travis County, considered overweight or obese as determined by their age and body mass index.

27.5%: Girls considered overweight or obese in the study.

28.5%: Boys considered overweight or obese.

31.7%: High school students considered overweight or obese.

31.5%: Elementary school students considered overweight or obese.

22.8%: Middle school students considered overweight or obese.

When the study compared school districts in Travis County, the data indicated a correlation between the percentage of students who were overweight or obese and the percentage of economically disadvantaged students in the districts.

9.6%: Students considered overweight or obese in Eanes, the district with the lowest obesity rate in the study of Travis County school districts. Eanes also had the lowest percentage of students identified as economically disadvantaged, just 3 percent.

38.1%: Students considered overweight or obese in Del Valle, the school district with the highest obesity rates. Del Valle also had the highest rate of students identified as economically disadvantaged, at 86 percent.

BRET GERBE 2007 Sixth-graders at Paredes Middle School play basketball during a physical education class. Nearly 23 percent of middle school students in Travis County are overweight or obese, Austin Public Health said in a study released last week.