Student Obesity Rate Increases
A sedentary lifestyle and obesity are risk factors for many health problems and premature death. Since overweight children are more likely to become overweight or obese adults, maintaining a healthy body weight in youth may have positive impacts on physical and mental health, as well as reduce downstream health care costs. This indicator measures the proportion of students in fifth, seventh and ninth grades with an unhealthy body composition (overweight or obese) using the California Department of Education (CDE) Physical Fitness Test. It also measures the weight status of adults.
How is San Bernardino County Doing?
TREND
In 2019, an average of 42.6% of San Bernardino County students in the grades tested were overweight or obese (had an unhealthy body composition), compared to 39.7% statewide. This is an increase from 2018, when 41.1% of students in San Bernardino County were considered overweight or obese. Of the San Bernardino County students with an unhealthy body composition in 2019, 23.0% were considered to be far outside the healthy range (“Needs Improvement – Health Risk” or obese), while the remaining 19.6% were designated as “Needs Improvement” (overweight).
NEARLY 7-IN-10 ADULTS ARE OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE
Percentage of Adults Overweight or Obese in San Bernardino County and California, 2012-2021
MORE THAN 1-IN-4 CHILDREN MAY BE OVERWEIGHT FOR THEIR AGE
Percentage of Children Considered Overweight for their Age in San Bernardino County and California, 2021
ALMOST ONE-QUARTER OF CHILDREN HAVE TWO OR MORE SUGARY DRINKS IN A DAY
Percentage of Children who Drank Sugary Drinks the Day Prior to Being Surveyed in San Bernardino County and California, 2021
RACE/ETHNICITY DETAIL
At 60.7%, Pacific Islander students have the highest rate of overweight or obesity, while Asian students have the lowest rate (27.6%). The Equity Gap Score for student weight status is 3.6.
Equity Gap Score
3.6
WIDE VARIATION IN STUDENT WEIGHT STATUS BY RACE/ETHNICITY
Percentage of Students Overweight or Obese by Race/Ethnicity in San Bernardino County, 2019
7-in-10 Adults in San Bernardino County are Overweight or Obese
Sixty-nine percent of San Bernardino County adults are overweight or obese. In 2019, 34.5% of San Bernardino County adults were considered overweight and 34.1% obese; 28.4% had a healthy body weight. In comparison, 37.5% of adults in California had a healthy body weight.
Weight Status of Adults in San Bernardino County and California, 2019
Source: University of California, Los Angeles, Center for Health Policy Research, California Health Interview Survey (www.chis.ucla.edu)
GEOGRAPHIC DETAIL
Fontana school district had the highest proportion of overweight and obese students (49%) while Silver Valley school district had the lowest proportion of overweight and obese students (26%).
IN SEVERAL DISTRICTS, NEARLY HALF OF STUDENTS ARE OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE
Percentage of Students Overweight or Obese by School District in San Bernardino County, 2019