QOTW: BMI Checks

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-26-2003
QOTW: BMI Checks
10
Mon, 04-16-2007 - 8:25am



QOTW:


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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 04-16-2007 - 9:43am

Well I know last fall when my kids had sports physicals they were told their BMI's and my daughter about had a meltdown because hers was higher than her brothers...and they were BOTH considered quite underweight! LOL! I think it does cause stress in even normal kids because it's another way of comparing them against each other.

On the other hand, will the parents have their eyes opened if they receive this report and it shows their child to be obese? Probably not. They'll be embarassed and get defensive. In a perfect world the parent would take the numbers seriously but I think the child is USUALLY the result of the whole family's lifestyle...and many parents would take it as an insult to not only the child, but to their family as a whole!

To answer the question, unless the school is going to take an active role in reducing obesity by enrolling these kids in extra PE classes and moniter their food intakes at school, I think they're wasting their time. The only parents (I feel) that would take the BMI to heart would be those who are already taking a sincere interest in their child's health to begin with. Those who aren't are probably not going to take the results and make lifestyle changes.

Just my opinion...

Denise

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-29-2003
Mon, 04-16-2007 - 10:27am

It really ticked me off when they did it at our school last year. We go to a private school and they require yearly physicals with your physician. They get weighed and measured every year at the dr's office.

I don't think some gym teacher should be lining these kids up and weighing them in front of each other like they did. I think it's embarrassing for all of them whether too skinny, too fat, not as tall as other kids or whatever. This happened at the middle school, the age where kids are more self conscious than any other time of their lives.

I called the middle school head and talked to him about it. He seemed clueless at first over why parents would be so upset, but when I mentioned the embarrassment factor, eating disorders and the fact that the kids were all weighed by their own physicians he seemed to get why I was upset. I believe they have stopped doing it now.

I'm all for health classes and physical education, but I don't think the gym teachers have any expertise in this matter to be monitoring this. Let's see all the teachers line up in front of each other for a weigh in and see how they like it.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-03-2006
Mon, 04-16-2007 - 12:31pm
I think it's time for public schools to quit acting like every child is a ward of the state. And it's time for parents and families to start sticking up for themselves. If we all keep taking these intrusions into our families in stride, just because it doesn't "directly affect" us, then it's going to keep going on and on until it DOES directly affect every single family in this country. Maybe your child isn't overweight so you don't have to answer to the body fat police. And maybe your child isn't 12 years old and supposed to be in a car seat according to current height/weight standards. And maybe your child doesn't participate in school athletics so you don't have to weigh their right to privacy against the requirement to be randomly drug tested. And maybe you think breathing into a machine at the prom door or peeing in a cup is somehow a "good" experience for them. But I guarantee that if we don't nip this c**p in the bud real soon, we're going to find ourselves wondering where our civil rights went.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 04-16-2007 - 2:28pm

I think it's a waste of time. My kids had their BMI measured at school last year. They measured my daughter's height wrong (putting her down 2 inches shorter than she actually was), and as a result she was about .50 over the normal range (which isn't a lot, considering the inaccuracy of height measurement). The next time they measure her, if they measure her height correctly, she'll be in the normal range.

You know if your child is overweight and don't need the school measuring BMI. However, this is the only way the school can get figures of how many students BMI is out of the normal range. Unfortunately, the results will only be accurage if they measure students correctly :)! And there is no reason for the school to need this information.

Lynn

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-26-2003
Tue, 04-17-2007 - 8:07am

Honestly I am not sure!


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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Tue, 04-17-2007 - 11:34am
AMEN!!!!
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-26-2003
Wed, 04-18-2007 - 11:33pm
bump!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2003
Thu, 04-19-2007 - 9:57pm
I believe it is the school's job to educate not to provide medical information. I would be furious if DDs school did this. Young girls tend to have enough body image issues without throwing this into the mix. The last thing they need is a number to compare with their friends. Why not focus on promoting exercise and healthy eating instead of a numbers game?
Kelly
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2003
Thu, 04-19-2007 - 10:03pm
My DDs have PE three times a week plus they have a 20 min QDPA everyday which stands for quality daily physical activity. Sometimes they play basketball, run, walk, play capture the flag or soccer. QDPA was mandated by the provinical government in all schools this year.
Kelly
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-01-2006
Fri, 04-20-2007 - 10:16pm
I asked Hannah about this and she told me that they didn't do it at her school. I'm not concerned about it but then she's not obese. :)