The state of Arkansas has decided that childhood and teenage obesity is a problem. Their solution? To "test" each child in the public school system and send home a letter that lists each student's body mass index (or BMI) in a "health report card" that also includes educational materials about heath risks from obesity.
So, it seems the school districts are assuming that fat kids don't know they're fat, that the parents of fat kids haven't noticed that their kids are fat, and that both parent and child have somehow managed to miss the wave of information about weight-related health risks. The school districts are assuming that it's their business to put this right, and that this sort of measurement is the way to do it. Not everyone agrees.
As one senior put it:
To Mary Katherine Smith, a senior at Central High, "It's not the school's business. You go to school to get an education, not to learn whether you're fat or not. I know I'm probably overweight, and I don't need a report card to tell me."
Democratic Arkansas House Speaker Herschel Cleveland is behind this, because "we have to start somewhere and try to protect children." Apparently anything is acceptable if it's For The Children. And while it may be true that some parents are in denial about their kid's health, the statement that, "Parents also will be advised to seek medical attention for their children, if warranted," suggests to me that schools intend to back up health report cards with force. If a parent decided not to get medical intervention, does the school place a call to Social Services?
The jury is still out on whether this method of informing parents can actually help teenagers with their weight problems. And while I rarely give credence to the argument that nothing should be done in school to hamper "self-esteem," I can also see where these public BMI measurements on healthy-yet-large female students could have a negative impact, as far as body image goes. Parents also point out that if the schools really want to combat this, they could bring back PE and make sure healthy food is available in the cafeterias.
Posted by kswygert at September 16, 2003 12:58 PM