Thirty-five to 40 percent of American children are considered obese. But in the Southern Tier, those numbers are even higher. Close to half of all children are severely overweight. Our Lara Greenberg tells us how one local school district is fighting those statistics.

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CORNING, N.Y. -- For five months, second graders at Severn, Smith and Carder Elementary Schools in Corning have followed different schedules from the other second graders in the district. They go to phys ed class every day. It's part of C-PP's new PE4Life initiative with Corning Hospital to fight child obesity.

"This is daily phys ed. The kids are taught it as a routine. They're using heart rate monitors, so it's a protocol of best personal fitness. They're not out there just kind of standing, playing, you know, badminton," said Corning Hospital physician Kathleen Hallinan.

Two years ago, the hospital, district and local agencies formed the Fit and Strong Together, or FAST, committee to fight child obesity. That's when they decided to start using PE4Life, a national, non-profit organization that emphasizes the importance of daily physical activity for elementary students.

"We decided that we would do it with just a small group of kids and get some sense of is this really what it's all cracked up to be? And so far it is," said C-PP athletic director Tim Decker.

PE teachers say their students look forward to class. And students are doing better in their academic classes after phys ed as well. But committee members hope what kids learn about activity and nutrition in school is something they use elsewhere.

"That's our hope is that we teach the kids. And then they're gonna be the ones that go home and tell their parents, you know, we got to have our vegetables," said Hallinan.

Her hope is to see a five percent reduction in obesity among children in the three schools by the end of the year. If they meet that goal, the program will likely expand in the district and instill a new lifestyle for the next generation.

PE4Life is fully funded by outside grants, so it is operating at no extra cost to taxpayers.