| Between 1980 and 2000, obesity rates in the United States have doubled for adults and tripled for children (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2015). In addition, Texas, the second largest state, ranks 10th for the highest percentage of obesity among youth age 10--17 (CDC, 2015). Nationally, the United States falls behind other countries in high school and college completion rates (Greenstone, Harris, Li, Looney, & Patashnik, 2012), and since 2001 when the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) began, school administrators have reduced physical education, art, music, and recess by 44% to increase the time students spent in reading and math courses preparing for standardize tests (Kohl & Cook, 2013). While standardized testing helps measure student learning, it may be that it also contributes to the growing obesity epidemic among youth in America. This study examined the school-level relationship between body mass index (BMI), fitness, socioeconomics, and academic accountability school rating in Texas for 3 separate school years (2010--2011, 2012--2013, and 2013--2014). A significant relationship between BMI, fitness, and academic achievement was found. However, the relationship was inconsistent. This study adds to existing research and uses the most recent data to date. |
