Childhood Obesity, Nutritional Deficiencies, Lack of Adequate Exercise and Poor Academic Performance Link Study Needed in Illinois

  In the state of Illinois, there are 740,200 children ages 18 and under living in poverty (State Health Facts, 2008). In Springfield School District 186 located in Sangamon County, 62.9% of its students are low income as reported as participants in the free and reduced lunch program (Illinois Interactive Report Card, 2009). Academically, the district does not meet the Annual Yearly Progress standard for its students in reading and mathematics, due to low student test scores. We therefore hypothesize that with the greater portion of its students living in poverty and all that poverty entails: poor nutrition, poor diet habits, lack of money for nutritious foods, lack of access to nutritious foods, that there is a link between poor nutrition and poor academic performance
          The importance of studying the link between childhood obesity and learning would be to establish interventions that could be replicated. Interventions such as an education and training component using such tools as the Internet and blogging, launching nutrition and cooking classes; the establishment of school fruit and vegetable gardens, having access to fresh fruits and vegetables; and the instituting of in-class physical activity for all students.=================================================
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