Last Updated: October 2022

Author: Physical Activity & Nutrition Program, Vermont Department of Health

According to the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 13% of adolescents in grades 9-12 are obese. This rate has stayed relatively flat since 2013.

There have been national programs to reduce the obesity rate in youth during this time:

• The National School Breakfast and Lunch program has implemented new standards for food served at schools. These standards include increased amounts of fruits and vegetables served, removing sugary beverages and less fat and sodium in the meals.

• First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign for children has gotten a lot of attention since its launch in 2010. The campaign focuses on creating a healthy start for children, empowering parents and caregivers, providing healthy food in schools, improving access to healthy, affordable foods, and increasing physical activity. The results of this campaign are yet to be seen and may have a positive impact on nutrition and participation in physical activity and, eventually, the prevalence of obesity.

In Vermont, schools are expected to provide thirty minutes of physical activity before, during or after school each day for students. This includes traditional recess for younger students and teaching activities that include physical activity that can be done in the classroom.

This indicator is part of Healthy Vermonters 2020 (the State Health Assessment) that documents the health status of Vermonters at the start of the decade and the population health indicators and goals that will guide the work of public health through 2020. Click here for more information.

• Office of Local Health District Offices, Vermont Department of Health: The Offices of Local Health school liaisons work with schools on local wellness policies and environmental changes.
• Division of Maternal & Child Health, Vermont Department of Health: This division provides technical assistance to schools on local wellness policy planning and implementation.
• Vermont Agency of Education: The Agency of Education administers the School Lunch and Breakfast programs and provides technical assistance to schools regarding physical activity during the school day.
• Vermont Agency of Agriculture (Farm to School): The Agency of Agriculture administers the Farm to School program which promotes local fruit and vegetable consumption.
• Vermont Child Health Improvement Program at the University of Vermont (VCHIP): VCHIP provides learning communities and other technical assistance to pediatricians and family practice physicians regarding weight management for children and youth.
• School Nutrition Association of Vermont (SNA-VT): SNA-VT provides training to school food service personnel particularly in use of local foods and meeting the new school nutrition standards.
• SHAPE-VT: Provides training to physical education teachers and technical assistance on adding physical activity into the school day.

There are several evidence-based strategies that can be used to improve the prevalence of obesity in adolescents; these include:

• Farm to School programs that work to increase fruit and vegetable consumption
• Parenting education programs to support parents putting limits on screen time
• Increasing physical activity during the school day to at least 30 minutes a day
• Increasing the quality of physical education in schools
• Supporting food service staff in implementing USDA school breakfast, lunch and competitive foods standards
• Installing water bottle refilling stations in schools.

For national examples and success stories, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website on Nutrition, Physical Activity & Obesity

The Vermont Department of Health is focused on promoting physical activity in communities for all Vermonters, including our youth, along with partnering with Vermotn organizations to ensure all children and families are nutritionally secure.

The Physical Activity and Nutrition program are also seeking funding from the Centers for Disease Control to support other nutrition and physical activity initiatives in Vermont.

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is a paper survey administered in Vermont middle and high schools every two years since 1993. The survey is sponsored by the Department of Health's Division of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs, and the Department of Education's Coordinated School Health Programs and the CDC. The YRBS measures the prevalence of behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death, disease, and injury among youth. Vermont surveys over 30,000 students at each administration. Weighted data is compiled to generate a representative state sample, and local data is used by schools, supervisory unions, health programs and other local organizations. The YRBS is completed in over 40 other states and there is a national weighted sample for comparison. Data are updated as it becomes available and timing is based on when results from the survey are released.

Prevalence and percentages are calculated by using descriptive statistical procedures using software such as SPSS, SAS, and/or SUDAAN. These statistics describe the proportion of individuals with a given trait in the population during a specified period of time.

Note that prior to 2013, statewide estimates were generated by weighting processes from a representative sample of schools. In 2013, the methodology was changed and all student responses were used in creating statewide estimates, allowing for more accurate reporting. 2011 data were recalculated in the same way as 2013 data in order to improve comparisons.