Obesity Testing in Schools

I think this is absolutely terrible. Granted, there is a problem with obesity in the US, and in other countries too, but testing the BMI of children and sending results out is horrible. This will be so detrimental to the body image of young girls.

"Down the hall from the cafeteria and away from the gym, schools are deploying one of the latest weapons in the fight against childhood obesity - mandated measurements of body mass index.
On a recent afternoon, seventh graders at Robert K. Shafer Middle School in Bensalem waited as school nurse Kathleen McLaughlin recorded their heights and weights, the first step in tabulating BMIs. Each child's score, an indicator of body fat, will be mailed home in letters some have dubbed "obesity report cards."


"Michelle DeCarlo's 8-year-old daughter, Julianne, a soccer and lacrosse player, had a BMI score at the upper end of the normal range. DeCarlo was reluctant to share it with her."

Link to article

BMI doesn't even work properly until you are 18 anyway so thats a bit weird them wanting to do it. I know my DH has big hang ups about this. He was a big boy right through primary and high school (Janine will know she went to high school with my DH) and he wants to make sure that our boys don't follow his path. His problem was an endless supply of bad food and being able to get it when he wanted as his mum would just buy it for them. I wouldn't allow them to do it at school and then print it no way. 

Why on earth are they using BMI? It is so not relevant for kids. What they should be concentrating on is a base level of fitness and physical enjoyment that can be measured purely by observed by kids involvement in fitness and PE activities.

I have had a couple of obese kids in my class, I simply worked with the parents on adjusting diets and involving the kids in extra curricular activities - slowly but surely their height caught up with their weight and they are now much closer to the 'normal' range. They feel a lot happier too.