The Parent Report
WBZ's Doug Cope says Massachusetts has to cut the fat in more than one way.
Podcast
Obesity is a continuing issue among kids...and Massachusetts is not immune to the problem.
More than one-third of students in 80 Massachusetts school districts weigh too much says a study from the state department of public health. Doctor Lauren Smith at DPH says weight and height measurements of nearly 110,000 students from first, fourth, seventh and 10th grades were taken during the 2008-2009 school year.
Lawrence had the highest rate of overweight students at more than 46%, while Arlington had the lowest at 9.6%. Smith says weight problems can cause serious health problems down the road.
Smith says cities and towns need to combat the problem through a community-wide approach.
The study found that boys in all four grades were more likely than girls to be overweight.
