On Monday, September 10, 2007, the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (ACHI) posted school Body Mass Index (BMI) assessment results at www.achi.net.
Results for each school that reported data to ACHI are included in school-level and district-level profiles. These reports describe the extent to which the school and district are being affected by the obesity epidemic.
Statewide results, also posted on the achi.net Web site, indicate that Arkansas continues to hold the line on the progression of childhood obesity. Although the number has not increased significantly over the previous year, results show that nearly 38 percent of the state's children are still overweight or at risk for becoming overweight.
In response to new state legislation (Act 201), BMI assessments will be conducted this year for all students in grades K, two, four, six, eight and ten. Parents who do not want a child to be assessed must notify the school in writing.