22 replies to this topic

[Steve Heard]

A Florida mom was surprised when her 11-year-old daughter came home from school carrying a letter from the county health department. The notice alerted Kristen Grasso that her sporty daughter is overweight.

Grasso’s daughter, Lily, plays on the volleyball team at her elementary school in Naples, Fl. Lily is strong and muscular at 63 inches tall and 124 pounds. But her body mass index (BMI) is 22, which places her slightly above the 89th percentile and classifies her as overweight.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control considers any measurement between the 5th and 85th percentile as “healthy.” Over 85th is “overweight.” The 95th percentile and above is “obese.”

As part of a state BMI surveillance program, the Florida Department of Health is required to notify parents when a student is overweight or obese.

Over the past week, Grasso has been sharing her frustration over the notice with media.  “My concern is, kids that see results like this test may be classified as overweight and they aren’t, and the self-esteem issues they may get,” the mom told local Fox affiliate WFTX-TV.

Grasso also feels that her daughter was wrongly targeted. BMI is a mathematical formula based on height and weight to measure fatness. It is widely used by health professionals because it’s relatively easy to measure and it correlates with body fat. But many argue that it’s inaccurate because it doesn’t take into account muscle and the way fat is distributed in a person’s body. People with a muscular build who aren’t fat can be identified as overweight.

The Florida Department of Health stands behind its BMI monitoring program. “School health screening programs provide valuable information to parents and help ensure that Florida’s students are healthy and ready to learn,” Florida Department of Health spokesperson Sheri Hutchinson told the Huffington Post.

The Grasso family is among many across America that are receiving what many call “fat letters.” Public elementary schools in 19 states, including Arkansas, California, Massachusetts and Illinois, monitor their students BMI and send home letters to the parents of children who are overweight or obese, according to Time.com. In California, the screenings happen.

Kids are getting fatter and fatter  in America and it’s all happening at an alarming rate. The number of overweight children has tripled since 1980, and today one in three American kids (ages 2 to 19) are overweight or obese, according to the CDC.

But should schools get involved? The American Academy of Pediatrics supports the surveillance programs and feels schools are a logical measurement site because they reach large groups of youth. But even though test results are completely confidential, some worry that these programs might stigmatize some students and lead to low self-confidence and harmful behaviors.

What do you think?

http://blog.sfgate.c...me-fat-letters/

 

[4thgenFolsomite]

I think schools should educate children, not be their parents.

[Deb aka Resume Lady]

I think schools should educate children, not be their parents.

 

Agreed.

[Steve Heard]

I think schools should educate children, not be their parents.

 

I agree, but I also think it might provide a wake-up call to parents. 

 

I've known too many who feed their kids junk food.  

[cw68]

While I generally agree about having school teach kids, I found the scoliosis screening to be helpful. My daughter is slightly effected so it engaged us to take her to the doctor and get follow-up care. I also remember getting hearing and vision tests, which is how we discovered I needed glasses at age 13.

I can imagine this is a much more cost-effective way to reach the masses than making every parent go to the doctor. Knowing if students can hear the teacher and/or see the boards is crucial
for teaching. BMI, not so much.

[WolfMom]

A few years back my husband and I worked on a blog article about BMI when he was told he was dangerously close to obese.

http://grovetribe.bl...er-29-2010.html

 

Even the person who developed the formula said it didn't work.

[supermom]

Well, its mandatory to put your family healthcare and insurance numbers on the school registration. It is mandatory to have health care. It is a crime to to refuse to do either. 

 

Next logical conclusion is that the schools and the government healthcare system will arbitrarily decide if kids get scholarships to college if they are fat or obese. Afterall, why risk the investment if the person's life expectancy is only 50 or 60 years of age?

[Judge Smails]

Next logical conclusion?

[The Average Joe]

One of the reasons I think schools are failing is that they have gotten WAY too involved in social issues and have gotten away from basic subjects like reading, math, science, history and critical thinking. Telling a parent, who knows their child far better than anyone else, that their child is fat is ridiculous.

It is not the job of the state to raise a child.

[Judge Smails]

Should schools provide vision and hearing screenings, free lunches, before and after school care with parents paying based on income, busing, sports, and family life education?

[The Average Joe]

No "free" daycare, no "free" lunches (One of the most abused programs out there). Have the parents volunteer time in exchange for services.  Busing, yes. Sports, yes. Family life education? Define that.  Vision and hearing screenings...I suppose an argument could be made that undiagnosed vision or hearing issues could be related to learning. however, you could also make the argument that only in cases where there seems to be an issue with either should they be required.

Inoculations verification, yes.

Any other questions?

 

It is the parents job to feed and care for their child. It is their job to teach values and develop character. It is their job to guide, encourage and discipline. The schools job is to teach facts, not indoctrinate whatever social policy happens to be popular at the time. I find it indefensible that a school can ban pictures of guns, running on the playground, American flags, and all drugs (even aspirin) and then help your child get an abortion without your knowledge.  That is all about social agenda.

[supermom]

When I was four I entered kindergarten. I was not doing well. The school suggested my mother take me to get my eyes checked. Later that year I was advancing very well in school. 

 

Yes, sometimes I think there are things that can help students get an equal education. Sometimes, it is right in fromt of you and yet you can't see it until someone else offers advice. 

 

Im ok with nurses checking out kids spines (neural development as well), their eyes, their innoculations, etc. Im not ok with the schools telling parents they cannot go to a public school which is mandatory by law, if kids dont do as the school says. Parents have the right to refuse shots, and other medical advances for their child if they have certain beliefs. As far as Im concerned, they dont even have to be religious. 

 

Sometimes you just have to take a stand against too much intrusion in your life.

[nomad]

When I was four I entered kindergarten. I was not doing well. The school suggested my mother take me to get my eyes checked. Later that year I was advancing very well in school. 

 

Yes, sometimes I think there are things that can help students get an equal education. Sometimes, it is right in fromt of you and yet you can't see it until someone else offers advice. 

 

Im ok with nurses checking out kids spines (neural development as well), their eyes, their innoculations, etc. Im not ok with the schools telling parents they cannot go to a public school which is mandatory by law, if kids dont do as the school says. Parents have the right to refuse shots, and other medical advances for their child if they have certain beliefs. As far as Im concerned, they dont even have to be religious. 

 

Sometimes you just have to take a stand against too much intrusion in your life.

 

You're more than welcome to have your kid sit next to the kid that hasn't had a Hepatitis or measles vaccine!

[Judge Smails]

When I was four I entered kindergarten. I was not doing well. The school suggested my mother take me to get my eyes checked. Later that year I was advancing very well in school. 
 
Yes, sometimes I think there are things that can help students get an equal education. Sometimes, it is right in fromt of you and yet you can't see it until someone else offers advice. 
 
Im ok with nurses checking out kids spines (neural development as well), their eyes, their innoculations, etc. Im not ok with the schools telling parents they cannot go to a public school which is mandatory by law, if kids dont do as the school says. Parents have the right to refuse shots, and other medical advances for their child if they have certain beliefs. As far as Im concerned, they dont even have to be religious. 
 
Sometimes you just have to take a stand against too much intrusion in your life.

You do realize shots and inoculations are synonymous in this situation.

[aztransplant]

Maybe more programs like these would be more productive:

 

http://www.rewritebe...school-programs

 

 

Of course that one costs a $900 assembly fee -- our cash-strapped schools might see that as cost-prohibitive, not seeing that money well-spent on prevention might save money (and suffering) in the long run.

 

 

And, there is Dr. Ann Gerhardt, who is closer to home (Sacramento):

 

http://www.healthych...and_Mission.asp

 

http://www.healthych...g_Disorders.asp

 

http://www.healthych...ory_of_HCMB.asp