New York schools will monitor students' weight

You know, I keep commenting on this subject, and I continue to have the same reservations about this issue...

1. Is the data to be used fairly across the board? In other words, will the data on *underweight* students be used in the same fashion? IF (and it wasn't mentioned in the article) the parents of overweight parents are contacted with the "your kid is fat" letter, will the parents of the underweight kids be contacted with a "your kid is dangerously underweight" letter? Presumably, this information is being collected to help those who are overweight, but heading into middle school, anorexia and bulimia can be just as big a problem as obesity, and it kills sooner.

2. Will the schools/government be required to own up to their part in this "obesity epidemic"? When I look at reports from around the country about what is being served in schools as "healthy, balanced" lunches, I shudder. It's fast food ALL the time. Hot dogs, chicken nuggets, cheeseburgers and pizza are weekly fare. I get that fruit and veggies are offered, but against those kid favorites, who are we kidding when we say that the students will choose the healthy stuff over the crap?

3. Will this data *finally* convince the Powers that Be that P.E. and Recess are a necessary part of every single school day? I defy any one of those bureaucrats to spend all day, every day at their desks, and stay sharp and ready to absorb 8 hours worth of information, with no exercise and no caffeine to keep them going.

4. When will those same Powers that Be realize that BMI is an inaccurate picture of health? When people like Arnold Schwarzenegger and professional athletes are classified as "obese" by that meter, what chance do our children have? The data is only as good as the method of collection, and in this case, the method stinks.

Unless and until these issues are addressed satisfactorily, I will be voting "no" on the whole 'testing schoolkids for BMI'.

http://worldturned.blogspot.com

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I would have fallen over dead if they had put me on a scale at school, especially in 5th and 6th grade before my height caught up with my weight.
I checked the NO on the weight box on my then 4th grader's form last year. Yep, she's 10 pounds over the ideal for 5 feet. She's also built like a gymnast (sp?) except for the fact she has breasts.

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I voted no on the poll above, because I don't feel that the BMI is accurate (?). It does not show how much of the weight is muscle, or bone density, or even water weight for that matter. Maybe someone is just a little bloated that day, or someone else skipped breakfast so as not to be labled as "fat". I don't feel it is anyone but my family and my family doctors business how much my kids weigh.

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Schools need to teach AND MODEL healthy eating habits and exercise habits rather than humiliating kids by putting them on the scale. The last thing kids need is another means in which they can compare and ridicule eachother with.

Remove sodas, chips, candy bars, "pizza fridays," from schools and introduce wholesome, locally grown "real" food.

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I don't think they should put children on scales and normally I am against schools interfering in the family. But with some children is obvious that the parents are not doing what they can and I do feel that the school should be able to contact them and talk to them about their child's unhealthy eating habits.

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I was not a big fan of public weigh-ins when I was in the military and I don't think our children should be put through that kind of humiliation.

First I agree with the commenter that said there are just as many problems with children being underweight as there are with children being overweight. There are also health issues related with not having enough body fat (below 3% for males, below 12% for females).

Second, you cannot arrive at an accurate BMI number just using weight, this makes most of your athletes and other with well-developed musculature seem overweight as muscle is heavier than fat, example when I personally was at my fittest I was 20 pounds heavier than my "ideal" weight, but had a very low body fat percentage. Most scales registered me as obese, but I was having the get my body fat percentage checked regularly to keep it from being too low.

Third, the last thing our children need in schools in another type of "standardized" testing, and this would be one. (Insert foul language here) tests have taken us so far away from actually being able to teach our children that many are making it to adulthood without the knowledge of basic life skills such as balancing a checkbook, or knowing basic first aid. Things that were once taught in schools be aren't any longer, or at least not taught in any of the school districts I've lived in. Tracking children weight would just be another distraction from the process of actually educating our children and trying to prepare them to be competent adults which is the whole point of education anyway.

Yes, childhood obesity is a problem but should judgments about obesity be handed down from a system that classifies ketchup as a vegetable (sugar is a main ingredient, look at the label), offer donuts as a "nutritious" breakfast, and eliminated most physical activity? I really think not. Heck, my son will only turn three in November but as my wife and I look into various Headstart programs and preschools we are already seeing many of these issues even with children that young.

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My school district has been doing this for years, whats new? I am no dr but we eat healthy and my kids are active. Both the school and the dr have said that my kids are overweight. I personally think this is just a bunch of bull. Do you know why my kids are overweight? My kids are over weight because their height isn't as high in the percentage chart that the drs use as their weight.

What happened to teaching your kids to be comfortable with themselves? Or what about "it's ok to be different". At least some parents have a head on their shoulders and KNOW that you don't learn how to rear children out of a book. That includes medical books too! Unless i missed someting, I never got any pamplets.

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I think this is a good idea as long as it is done in a manner that is gentle and the heavier kids are not made fun of. I was a fat kid and my heart still pounds thinking of all the mean things that were said to me.

I lost weight as an adult and want to do all I can to keep my kids HEALLTHY!

I am a huge fan of eating breakfast. I feel it helps me to make
smarter decisions all day. I also think that flax seeds are huge in
helping with weight loss. I find that cereal is not as filling as
flax and yogurt.

I have the same breakfast every day. I recently lost 30 pounds
following the weight watchers program http://www.weightwatchers.com
and I now just am more watchful every day of what I eat. I have a
banana low fat yogurt with golden roasted flax for breakfast every
day. It is filling, keeps me regular and tastes fabulous. My trainer
recommended fitflax to me and it definitely helped the last 10 pounds
to melt off. It is a flax and chia blend and I think I read about it
in O mag. There is a code to get 15% off. The site is
http://www.fitflax.com and the code for 15% off is FIT15

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I am a pediatric nurse practitioner. Your BMI is calculated by measuring BOTH height and weight. Doctors routinely use it in the hsopital to order fluids and medicines. To those you say their doctor should talk to them about obesity: doctors are afraid to say anything because parents get upset and find another doctor. It also has to do with socioeconmic status - if you are fat you must be rich, because food is expensive. History tells us that the rich ate well while the poor often died of starvation. As a taxpayer, I am concerned about obesity because it affects my pocketbook in higher health costs and higher taxes. I agree being underweight is also a problem but not to the extent that being overweight is.

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Rather than comment on how to deal with the kids, I would like to suggest that their role models, ie. teachers, administrators, etc be required to meet BMI and fitness standards. Teaching healthy living is great, and one of the best ways is by example.

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People don't like this idea because it brings into question a students self-control, discipline, and ability to make good decisions. All of these things come back to the parents being accountable for their own and their children's actions. Most people would rather dodge responsibility than be held accountable for their actions. Most people would not like to have their own failures as parents flaunted in their faces by receiving a letter from the school about their fat little kids.

I do agree that some people are the exception to the BMI rule, but it is pretty obvious when someone has a lower body fat percentage and more muscle than most people. Being "bloated, big boned, or dense boned" is an excuse fat people give to dodge their inability to control their diet and exercise.

Fat people are disgusting, not because their body shape, but because their body shape is indicative of their lack of self-control, lack of motivation, lack of effort, lack of discipline, and lack of ability to own up to their own actions, and say "I am ultimately responsible for looking like a slob"

Oh yeah, and its unhealthy.

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I can't believe you fat slobs don't think obesity is a problem!!!! Talk about ignorance. Not only is it visually/physically displeasing to be around, it leads to NUMEROUS health complications. I've been overweight most of my life so i know how much it sucks and how people treat you. I wish i would've gotten in shape long ago. You can't be a pus*sy and hope things work out for the best. If you have to lay down the boom to get someone in shape then so be it

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Two years ago my daughter had 2 hip surgeries at the age of 12 and 13 She was on bed rest for 21 weeks all together Yes she gained alot of weight and when she went back to school she was not allowed to participate in any athletics for the remaining school year. So here we are 2 years later fighting with her weight she is active and does marching band also. But the schools do not take in to account anything that has happened to our children sometimes it is not what they eat. It can be from medical things. They have put my daughter on defense and she refuses to be weighed in school. I have told them over and over again. She has attended the same school all her life and the school knows of her medical issues and the still tell her she is overweight. But the hardest part is the do this in front of other students as well. They should only be allowed to do this in private and with a parent present.

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I don't think weighing the kids is a good idea. I grew up as one of the "fat" kids and was picked on by the other kids without adding fuel to their teasing by having my weight broadcast.
Other things they don't take into consideration is genetics (my whole family fought with being overweight.), medical conditions that cause weight gain and some medications. My son fell into that last category. The Dr. prescribed some meds for depression and my son became huge in 5th/ 6th grade. The Dr. changed meds and my son's weight began to drop and really dropped when he started riding bike everywhere.
I think something needs to be done for the extra heavy and the extra skinny, but weighing them in school is not it.

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