Over the past three decades, the percentage of overweight school-age children has nearly quadrupled, jumping to 15 percent, according to a National Health and Nutrition Examination survey. Is child obesity a problem in your school. If so, what can you do about it?

The U.S. Surgeon General declared obesity a “public health issue that is among the most burdensome faced by the Nation.” While urban and suburban areas have dealt with child obesity for a number of years, rural areas are just starting to feel the effects.

“We’ve seen it sneaking up on us,” said Anne Loudenslager, who leads the Tioga County Partnership for Community Health. “We’ve known it’s a problem, and now it’s reaching epidemic proportions.”

There are a lot of possible reasons for the staggering number of obese children. The reasons range from unhealthy eating habits and lack of physical activity to the presence of tremendous stress and turmoil at home. Whatever the cause, high school counselors and administrators have a role to play in addressing the growing child obesity epidemic.

The National Association of School Psychologists has compiled a list of recommendations that high school counselors and administrators can implement to help address the child obesity problem in their local schools. Below are a few suggestions to get you started.