In an effort to combat the growing epidemic of childhood
obesity, a number of school districts across the United States have resorted to
unconventional efforts in order to get their students on a healthy track of
diet and exercise. Eliminating soda and cupcakes at classroom parties is one of
the more simplistic ideas that, at the very least, is a high profile attempt to
do something. However, the Chula Vista California School District is taking a
more aggressive initiative by measuring and recording every student’s weight
and height every two years. The district uses the data to identify students who
are at risk for becoming obese or developing juvenile diabetes and creating
strategies to address these issues. However the parents are not notified with the
results.
When the city’s 25,000 plus students were measured four
years ago almost 40% of the school children were identified at obese or overweight.
The program in Chula Vista measures students in grades K-6.
The state of California has a mandate that all fifth,
seventh, and ninth graders be screened and their parents notified of the results.
The students are screened for their Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is a score that measures a person’s fat
mass in proportion to height and weight. Arkansas also has a program in place.
The school district in North Andover, Massachusetts sent home “fat letters” to
parents of students whose BMI is in the obese range. At the present time, 19
states have similar programs in operation.
This policy has met with resistance from parents and eating
disorder groups, especially from schools that send home the so called “fat
letters.” Schools have been accused of traumatizing students and making them
targets from their peers. Since such programs are in their infancy, there is
little quantitative data to indicate the success of such initiatives.Your comments and suggestions are welcome.
C.2014 J. Margolis
No comments:
Post a Comment