GUEST COMMENTARY

DENVER – Colorado has a reputation as an active, fit state. We boast the lowest adult obesity rates in the country. Yet the data tell a different story for our children. More than one in 10 Colorado high school students is overweight. Poor diet is one of the leading causes of obesity; inadequate physical activity is the other. Obese children are at higher risk for medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes and depression. Lack of energy and poor self-image make it a lot harder to concentrate in school.

When students risk their health, it can negatively impact their school attendance, grades, and test scores.

Schools are ideal settings for developing healthy habits that last well into adulthood – especially since kids spend almost half of their waking hours in school. Healthy schools provide nutritious meals, snacks and beverages, and require that students are physically active every day. They teach students what it means to be healthy, offer access to health care services and have effective workplace wellness programs.

Some may argue that’s not the job of today’s schools. We respectfully disagree. Consider school health services, for example. Whether led by a nurse or approached as an in-school health clinic, these services help students manage chronic illness, administer medication and provide health counseling. The payoff can be huge. Better management of chronic illness increases attendance. And improved attendance increases the chances of academic success.

To their credit, Colorado’s educators are among the most innovative in the country. Despite limited help and funding, some districts are taking noteworthy steps to create healthier schools. This week, the Colorado Department of Education and Colorado Legacy Foundation recognized 11 Colorado school districts and two schools for getting results.

Thanks to a school-based health clinic Montrose County School District built two years ago, Montrose County Schools is one of the 11 award winners. Students are making fewer expensive, last-minute trips to the emergency room and getting more affordable care when they need it. A second clinic is already in the works.

The clinics are part of a broader outreach plan to support the community’s growing population that doesn’t have adequate access to health care. The goal is to keep kids in school so they can graduate and lead healthy, successful lives.

Congratulations, Montrose County School District!