Remember Act 1220, the state act that declared war on childhood obesity through Body Mass Index (BMI) reports to parents and healthier eating at school? Signed into law by Gov. Mike Huckabee in 2003, Act 1220 was hailed as one of the most ambitious child health initiatives in the nation, and was a big part of the health- and weightloss-focused platform that helped propel Huckabee into the national spotlight.

While the program has helped banish sugar-laced sodas and vending machine treats from many of Arkansas’s public schools and got kids at least thinking about being more active according to a survey of parents, when it comes to the down and dirty numbers, as outlined in this pull-no-punches interpretation of the latest data, the program doesn’t seem to have done much good in fighting childhood obesity in the state, with virtually no change in the number of students whose BMI classifies them as “Obese” or “In danger of obesity.”

Advertisement

Read a UAMS report on the fourth-year data here.

50 years of fearless reporting and still going strong

Be a part of something bigger and join the fight for truth by subscribing or donating to the Arkansas Times. For 50 years, our progressive, alternative newspaper in Little Rock has been tackling powerful forces through our tough, determined, and feisty journalism. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 email subscribers, it's clear that our readers value our commitment to great journalism. But we need your help to do even more. By subscribing or donating – as little as $1 –, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be supporting our efforts to hire more writers and expand our coverage. Take a stand with the Arkansas Times and make a difference with your subscription or donation today.

Previous article UALR crime report Next article Anybody home?