South Dakota Health

The following are facts about the population of South Dakota:

• 206,686 children live in South Dakota
• 12% of children are overweight
• 6.7% of adults have diabetes
• 19.8% of the adult population are smokers
• 10.5% of adults have asthma
• 62.8% of adults are overweight or obese
• 47.8% of adults participate in physical activity
• No regulated physical education program or school nutrition program
• No mandating of BMI screening (BMI stands for body mass index, a standard way of determining if individuals are overweight based on age, gender, height and weight)

Just by looking at these few percentages, it is easy to conclude that the state of South Dakota as a whole does put health as their first priority. With 62.8 percent of the adult population overweight or obese, it may be assumed that the parents of children are not setting a good example when it comes to healthy habits.

The government is not helping either. There are no regulations when it comes to physical education and nutrition programs in schools. Where are children supposed to learn about their own health if they aren’t learning it at home, and the government does not require it in school? BMI screenings are also not required, so children are not being told by a professional if they are overweight. If they look to their parents to compare their own weight to, chances are they are looking up at an overweight adult, roughly half of which do not participate in any physical activity.

Implementing a healthier school lunch menu would be a great first step to making South Dakota a healthier state. By being educated in an environment that promotes healthy living, children would be exposed to new, beneficial ideas. After school they could go home and teach their family members about the new lifestyle habits they learned in school, thus creating a clear flow of communication.