Weekly **HOT TOPIC** Discusion! JOIN!

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-26-2003
Weekly **HOT TOPIC** Discusion! JOIN!
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Wed, 01-10-2007 - 10:31pm

On the news today I caught a story that is causing major debate!


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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2003
Wed, 01-10-2007 - 10:45pm
I would want to know why the school was tracking my student's health and why they were measuring their BMI in the first place. I feel that

Linda
mom to
Alex (16), Rachel (14), Matthew (12)


iVillage Member
Registered: 09-01-2006
Thu, 01-11-2007 - 12:18am
Hannah's elem. school sent a letter like that to all the kids in the school last year. They even had a meeting about it. :)
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Avatar for nodinero
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-01-2005
Thu, 01-11-2007 - 2:16am
I really don't like the idea of the school sending out that kind of info because it's singling out kids and hurting their self esteem. I'm pretty sure if your kid has a weight issue, you already know about it. I think weight issues and health issues should be handled by a doctor and parents. The only exception would be if the child had a medical emergency that needed immediate attention.

 

 

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Avatar for bradleyteach
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-29-2001
Thu, 01-11-2007 - 8:02am

What an interesting topic.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 01-11-2007 - 8:32am

Well, the letters were mailed to the parents, not handed out at school so that's a positive. Its not like anyone would know at school unless the kids talked about it. And mine likely could care less if I didn't talk about it with her. All of us here are very aware of our kids health, physical and mental. That's why we hang out on parenting boards. We care, we ask questions, we are involved. What's sad is that many parents don't care and aren't involved in their kids lives. They have no idea what their kids eat for lunch and maybe don't care. Some of them may need a wake-up and all the letter said was "talk to a Dr." it didn't tell them how to raise their child and its a free country, you can toss the letter in the trash if you like.


Also alot of kids don't have medical insurance in the US or even supplemental insurance here in Canada. Our school does free dental screenings of each kid and I think eye exams. Would parents be offended if you got a letter home saying your child has 2 cavities please see a dentist or your child has trouble seeing please see an opthamologist? Not likely. Weight is such a sensitive issue. I am overweight and I am sensitive about it, I would hate it to be pointed out as well, but I suppose if that letter stimulates a change in even one or two of the kids who got it, it will have been worthwhile.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-11-2004
Thu, 01-11-2007 - 9:10am

Hmm, well I read through the news link and I have to say that I don't necessarily disagree.


Our school is one of 10 schools in our province that is in a trial type situation through BC's new healthy kids initiative. Last fall our admin.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-29-2003
Thu, 01-11-2007 - 9:24am

My kids school does something like this and I've freaked out over it. We go to a school where there are no low income kids. The pe teacher gives a fitness test, weighs and measures them and calculates their bmi. They send home a sheet that informs you how they did. I freaked because they line the kids up in the gym and weigh them in.

They believe I'm wrong, I believe they're wrong. My point was first of all, eating disorders are a very real thing. We have no way of knowing what lasting impact this can have on kids, especially middle school girls. My sil has battled anorexia her entire life and she says it all started back in jr high when she, at 6 inches taller than her friends, weighed over 100 lbs and they didn't.

Secondly, yearly physicals are required for our school. You can't come back to school in the fall without your yearly physical. This is a medical condition, not for some gym teacher, imo. What if we were working on a weight loss program and the child was humiliated? What if a child is just small for their age?

My kids school has them take health in 6th grade that discusses good nutrition and they even watched that mcdonalds documentary. It ticks me off again just thinking about it.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 01-11-2007 - 10:02am
I agree, making them weight in in front of everyone is not good. Although I remember having "fat tests" in highschool. They used those caliper things to squeeze your upper arm, stomach, etc. I don't remember what we did with the results and I'm sure for larger kids it was a nightmare. It was all done in front of everyone. You'd think schools would be more aware of that. And in your school, since a Dr. conducted physical is mandatory, there doesn't seem to be a need for it, especially not a system so public. One thing if they were all called into an office one by one and it was confidential, but I feel for the large kids in those situations.

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Avatar for cathiann
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Thu, 01-11-2007 - 10:58am

Umm, I guess I don't see it as a problem.

Surviving Middle & High School
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-26-2003
Thu, 01-11-2007 - 2:10pm
SO how would you feel, as a parent, if Hannah would have gotten one of those letters?

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