| Hongkou takes aim at obese school students |
| Last Updated(Beijing Time):2006-02-18 11:45 |
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Health authorities in Hongkou District will promote trials on a weight-control plan for obese primary and middle school students this year, following a successful trial in two schools last year. If all goes well, the project will be launched throughout the district.
Currently, about 19 percent of students in Hongkou are obese, surpassing the city's average by 4 percentage points. Health officials say it is imperative to take action, especially for teenagers aged between 8 and 16.
The Hongkou District Center of Disease Prevention and Control issued a weight-control project in 2004 and chose Changqing School and Xinshi School for the primary trial.
A total of 324 obese students from Changqing School went through the strict weight-control plan while 127 Xinshi School pupils were exempt from taking part in the plan as a comparison team.
"It was a one-year plan starting in September 2004. Health officials, school authorities and the family were all involved," said a Changqing School official surnamed Chen.
The center's doctors and officials laid out concrete guidelines on physical examination, diet intervention and health education for students and their families. Teachers and parents were required to ensure that the students were executing the plan.
"The school canteen was given menus to make special dishes for these students and parents were told to provide healthy food at home," Chen said. "Every student had to make a note on their daily exercises."
Health officials insist that most obese students know the importance of physical exercise and healthy diet but few of them follow such a regime. Proper intervention is essential for weight control, as seen by the results of the trial.
About one third of obese students in Changqing School got rid of 5 to 10 kilograms during the project, while only one Xinshi student succeeded in losing weight by himself.
Happy with the results, Hongkou health officials plan to involve more obese students in the project.
"We are making plans to promote the same trial in more schools this year," said Yang Ping, Hongkou CDC's director. "After two years of the trial, we will work out a comprehensive and practical weight-control plan for the district government to promote in all schools." |
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