Pupils Grin and Bear Pain of Cholesterol Tests

An estimated 150 children, mostly fourth- and sixth-graders, were given blood-cholesterol tests Tuesday at Juarez Elementary School in Cerritos. The students are participating in a three-year state project designed to change their life style and help them grow to be healthier adults.

Cholesterol testing is not a requirement of the state-funded pilot project, which started in 1986, but officials of the ABC Unified School District’s health and fitness center decided to make it part of their program.

Results of the tests, which are strictly voluntary and given with parental permission, will be known next week, said Pam Graham, fitness center coordinator.

The American Heart Assn. recommends that cholesterol levels for adults be below 200 milligrams per deciliter, the unit of measurement for blood fats. There is no guideline for children, but Graham and others recommend the count be below 180.

Those students found to have high cholesterol will be retested and their parents will also be tested. They will be urged to see their family doctor. The pilot project also teaches students proper diet and exercise.

The students who participated in Tuesday’s tests received a certificate of bravery. The sixth-grade class of Kathy Erbacker will be treated to a free lunch because 27 members of the 28-student classroom took part.