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Fitness Testing
In 2010, the North Carolina Legislature signed a House Bill requiring the state school board to create guidelines for fitness testing in grades K-8. Elementary and middle school students in our district have their fitness levels assessed through health-related fitness testing. Five assessments are given to students. One of those assessments is for Body Mass Index, a relative indicator of overweight, healthy weight, and underweight. BMI is one of the health/wellness components. Students are also assessed on cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, muscular strength, and flexibility using the pacer test (or mile run in high school), push up and curl up tests, and sit and reach test. These assessments take place every year to see if changes and improvements have been made to a student's health-related fitness level. View the NC Essential Standards in Physical Education for Health-Related Fitness.
Body Mass Index (BMI) Screening as a part of Fitness Testing
BMI is part of fitness testing. Body Mass Index is used to indicate whether your body weight is appropriate for your height. With children, age and gender are added into the equation. Adults merely compute their height and weight. If a person is overweight, the risk of developing a serious illness is higher than that of a person at a healthy weight. Being underweight may inhibit proper bone development, cause vitamin and mineral deficiencies, lower the immune system, and lead to reproductive complications. BMI is not a perfect measure, but it is the most widely accepted measure in field settings, such as health and physical education classes, where other more sophisticated tools for measuring muscle and fat ratios are not available. To help your child have a healthy BMI, establish good health habits early in life. Eat healthy foods rather than putting your child on a diet of "restrictions," and exercise as a family when possible.
Go to the Center for Disease Control to find your Body Mass Index