MUMBAI: Almost one out of three school-going children in the country does not have a healthy body mass index (BMI) and almost half of them lack enough lower body strength , according to a survey. Mumbai students fared similarly on the fitness parameters. Conducted by EduSports, a school sports enterprise, the survey covered 1.70 lakh students from across 86 cities and 26 states. They tested students on sprint capacity , flexibility, upper and lower body strength, abdominal strength and BMI.In its 7th edition, the survey found that the percentage of children with an unhealthy BMI increased from 20% last year to 33% this year. In Mumbai, out of the 843 children surveyed, only about 67% recorded a healthy BMI. Among other parameters, adequate lower body strength saw the lowest number of children meeting requirements. One in four children did not have the desired flexibility for their age.“This trend needs to be reversed to have a healthy generation of children. Lack of physical activity increases the risk of obesity and health-related problems in adolescence, and adulthood. Schools provide the ideal environment to promote physical activity at the right age and improve fitness standards among children," said EduSports CEO Saumil Majmudar.The survey also compared data of schools with that and a structured sports programme with three or more physical education periods per week versus schools with less than three physical education periods. It found that those with three physical education periods were healthier with students faring about 3-5% better across parameters.But school principals said they were making enough efforts to ensure students had enough physical activities. “We offer students about eight sports options to pick from and a physical activity like yoga is included in the school timetable almost every day," said Chandrakanta Pathak, principal, HVB Global Academy , Marine Drive. Similarly, at St Mary's School (ICSE), Mazgaon apart from the physical education classes, primary students have a structured session in aerobics regularly .