Indicative of a growing health hazard for kids nationwide, only about one in three students earned a "healthy" score on California's physical-fitness test, according to annual data released Thursday, the Los Angeles Times reports.
About 1.32 million students in grades five, seven and nine were evaluated in areas including running, push-ups and curl-ups.
The state of California says kids' health is a priority and has a plan to do something about the failing marks, however, KPBS reports.
"Nothing is more important than the health of our children, and today's results show that many of them need a helping hand to get fit and stay in shape," state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said.
Torlakson said a new program called Team California for Healthy Kids would link schools with community leaders and athletes to get students to exercise more both in school and at home.
The American Heart Association recommends kids get at least 60 minutes of moderate physical activity every day.
But it's no easy task with a child obesity rate that's tripled in the past 30 years. The World Health Organization found last year that kids everywhere are too sedentary, with only 25 percent of boys and 15 percent of girls getting enough exercise, Reuters reports.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.