A new report from the National Summer Learning Association, in Baltimore, says that children’s body mass index rises two to three times as fast during the summer compared with the school year.
Because of that increase, the report found that students’ risk of becoming obese was highest during the summer when an adolescent did not participate regularly in organized activities.
Among its recommendations, the group says that children and youths should have accessible, affordable summer options that support and promote continued learning, and that those options should include a focus on health.