Flagstaff weighs in on student health

Schools will notify parents of potential obesity problems Friday, April 9th 2010 FLAGSTAFF (AP) - The Flagstaff school district will be sending letters to parents whose elementary school children are overweight or headed in that direction."These are serious, serious problems going on inside of these children now, and we have to do drastic things to make them better," pediatrician Nina Souders told the Flagstaff Unified School District board.Flagstaff physicians and nurses are reporting obesity-related diabetes in children as young as age 4.The school district's top nurse estimates about 50 percent of the district's elementary school students will be classified as overweight or bordering on overweight.Elementary school students will be weighed and measured this fall with help from Flagstaff Medical Center's Fit Kids staff and North Country HealthCare. The nonprofits will target education efforts, particularly to schools with more students with severe weight problems. Read more...