Washington, Sept. 13, 2000---Some 80 percent of parents do not want physical education classes in their childrenís schools reduced for academic classes, and less than half of parents think the schools are doing a ìgoodî or ìexcellentî job of teaching lifestyle patterns to prevent obesity, according to a new survey released here today at a national conference on obesity.

The survey of more than 1000 parents nationwide finds that almost 30 percent of them are ìsomewhatî or ìveryî concerned about their childrenís weight. Studies show that about 25 percent of children and adolescents in the U.S. are overweight, a figure which has doubled in 30 years.

ìWith the length of PE classes going down and their childrenís weight going up, parents want their schools to teach more than reading, writing and arithmetic,î says Judith S. Stern, Sc.D., R.D., vice president of American Obesity Association (AOA) and director of a clinical nutrition laboratory funded by National Institutes of Health. ìParents expect schools to teach children healthy patterns of eating and exercise, lifestyle choices they will carry into adulthood.î

A recent Centers for Disease Control study found the percentage of high school students enrolled in daily physical education classes declined more than 30 percent between 1991 and 1999.

The survey finds about 40 percent of parents cite ìtoo little physical activityî and TV, computers and video gamesî as the most important causes of childhood obesity. Some 27 percent of parents say their children eat less nutritiously than they did at the same age; 24 percent say their kids get less physical activity.

Parents ranked ìbeing overweight or obeseî as about equal to ìalcoholî (5.6 vs. 6.1, respectively) when asked to list the greatest risks to their childrenís long-term health.

ìConsidering the strong public education campaigns on alcohol weíve seen in the last 20 years, itís significant that obesity is such a strong presence on parentsí radar screens,î says Dr. Stern

ìPresidential candidates are putting all the emphasis on academic achievement, but this survey shows parents want schools to do more to curb the obesity epidemic in this country,î says Morgan Downey, AOAís executive director. ìItís time for politicians to broaden their focus on education to include teaching children skills they can use to lead healthy lives.î

The survey, sponsored by American Obesity Association, was released on the opening day of Obesity: The Public Health Conference, a national conference for public health officials, policy leaders and physicians to explore the causes and latest treatment and prevention strategies for obesity, the second leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. The costs, new research, employment discrimination and public policy issues are also being discussed. The conference is Sept. 13-14 at Georgetown University Conference Center in Washington, D.C.

Survey results are based on telephone interviews using random digit dialing conducted Aug. 11-27, 2000 by Bruskin Research of Edison, N.J. A total of 1122 parents of children ages 6-17 were interviewed. The survey has a 95 percent confidence level and a sample error of 3.0 percent plus or minus.

Founded in 1995, the American Obesity Association (AOA) is a non-profit organization whose fundamental mission is to have obesity regarded as a disease of epidemic proportions.