Childhood Obesity

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by Maggie Young

Story Created: Feb 24, 2012 at 12:55 PM AKDT

Story Updated: Feb 24, 2012 at 1:01 PM AKDT

While schools across Alaska focus on getting students fit, doctors say that obesity is especially a problem in rural communities.

This Spring, over 125 Alaska schools will take on the Healthy Futures Challenge.

For the challenge, students have to exercise for 30 minutes a day for at least 3 days a week. They log their activities and can win prizes.

But some doctors say that although they support the program, running it just a few months out of the year is not enough.

Officials say that children should get about 60 minutes of exercise every day all year and that the issue is even worse in rural areas because kids have less places to be active.

Some doctors say that an obese child has about an 80% chance of becoming an obese adult.

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