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Health Status > Adolescents
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND OVERWEIGHT
Results from the 2003 National Youth Risk Behavior
Survey show that 62.6 percent of high school students regularly
participated in sufficient vigorous physical activity, and almost
25 percent participated in sufficient moderate physical activity.
Just over half (51.9 percent) performed regular strengthening exercises,
while 57.6 percent played on one or more sports teams. Nationwide,
55.7 percent of high school students were enrolled in a physical
education class on one or more days a week, although the percentage
is far higher in the younger grades (71 percent of 9th graders)
than in the older grades (39.5 percent of 12th graders). The percentage
of students attending daily physical education classes has dropped
from 42 percent in 1991 to 28.4 percent in 2003.
While 12.1 percent of high school students were
overweight in 2003, 29.6 percent described themselves as overweight
and 43.8 percent were trying to lose weight. Among all racial and
ethnic groups, males were more likely to be overweight than females
(17.4 versus 9.4 percent), while females were more likely than males
to perceive themselves as such (36.1 versus 23.5 percent).
In an attempt to lose weight or to prevent themselves
from gaining weight, 42.2 percent of students engaged in healthy
behaviors such as eating less food, fewer calories, or foods lower
in fat. In addition, 57.1 percent of students exercised for the
same purpose. Females were more likely to engage in such weight
control behaviors than males; 56.2 percent of females used food
as a way to control weight compared to 28.9 percent of males, and
65.7 percent used exercise compared to 49 percent of males. In contrast
to these healthy behaviors, 13.3 percent of students went without
eating for more than 24 hours in an attempt to lose weight, 9.2
percent took diet pills, powders, or liquids without the advice
of a doctor, and 6.0 percent vomited or took laxatives. Again, such
behaviors are more common among female students than males.
The HealthierUS
Initiative provides credible, accurate information
about physical fitness, nutrition, and prevention to help Americans
of all ages to make healthy choices.
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Bar Chart: Physical Activity Among High School students,
by Race/Ethnicity: 2003
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