Counselor's Corner: Childhood obesity by Nancy Blanchard - posted Thursday, August 2nd, 2012 @ 10:46 am  E-mail Story |  Print Story  Students, teachers, and parents are all thinking about going back to school for a new year. I have seen many teachers working at schools getting their classrooms ready for new students. Parents are buying school supplies and new school clothes. A lot of families are changing the meal patterns to prepare for the school schedule. One statistic about the eating habits of families, and children in particular, is the trend in our country toward childhood and adolescent obesity. According to the USDA, approximately 17 percent of children aged two to nineteen are considered obese. This number has tripled since 1980! Another alarming statistic is that only 2 percent of American children eat enough fruits and vegetables. If you are wondering, as I was, about how obesity in children is calculated, I will tell you that it uses a scale of body mass index (BMI) similar to adults. There are specific standards for height, weight, age and sex. To be considered "overweight," a child's BMI would be above the 85th percentile, but lower than the 95th percentile. ..... For the full story, subscribe to the The Ouachita Citizen's NEW E-Edition!