Kentucky middle and high school students are eating better, according to a Department of Education report. The Kentucky Youth Risk Behavior Survey compares public school students’ healthy living habits every two years.
About 4.5% fewer middle school students reported skipping a meal for more than 24 hours in order to lose or stop gaining weight.
This year’s survey also touted a more than 10% increase in students eating breakfast during the seven days adjacent to taking the survey - bringing the total to just over 40 percent. School Health Consultant Stephanie Bunge says this year’s results are a good sign for grassroots health campaigns.
I think there’s a lot of different community organizations and agencies across the state that are putting a lot of effort into childhood obesity and just student health in general, and I think these are really helping to make some changes within the behaviors of the students – especially related to their dietary behaviors," Bungee said.
The state did experience a small increase in the number of middle school students who reported being bullied. Bunge says the state will focus educational efforts on those results.
