Parents, educators fight childhood obesity in San Gabriel Valley
Cecile Gregoriades/KPCC
Ariana Gomez is one of the participant in the water polo program.
About one fifth of all children in Los Angeles are overweight. Parents and educators in West Covina have decided to team up to fight the trend. Kids get free water polo classes at Nogales High School and parents take a nutrition class.
Nationwide, an estimated 15 percent of children and adolescents are overweight. But in Los Angeles, the situation is grimmer, according to a statewide physical fitness-testing program from L.A. Health Services.
Fifth, seventh and ninth grade students attending public schools in 2001 found that 21 percent of students in Los Angeles County were overweight and an additional 19 percent were at risk for becoming overweight.
To fight this trend, a team of parents and educators in the San Gabriel Valley have come together to launch a new community fitness and education program for at-risk students. Kids participate in a team sport at no cost, but in exchange, parents have to attend a nutrition class.
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