New York kids step up to the scale
It was back-to-school for New York students this week, but there was a new policy in place. This year, a new policy went into effect, and students are being weighed as part of their health certificate. The data will enable health officials to map childhood overweight and obesity trends based on location. There are 12 other states -- Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia -- with some form of student BMI reporting.
As a parent, I'm not overtly opposed to it. In fact, I remember getting weighed in gym class and during all of my physicals in order to play school sports. I do have a couple of concerns, though. I would hope that student privacy is maintained and their weight isn't being taken in a line where all the kids could see the number on the scale. I would also hope that health and a positive body image is being promoted -- the self esteem of children can be a fragile thing and I hope it's being protected.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-07-2008 @ 7:32AM
Cat Advice said...
this policy should be implemented all over United States. Kids are really getting fat because of the junk food they eat every time.
I hope to see more steps from government regarding this in near future.
http://cat-advice.com/
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9-08-2008 @ 11:47AM
Malibu said...
This is such a slippery slope where girls are concerned- yes, we want them to be at a healthy weight, but we don't want to send them spiralling into body issues! I really hope it is done with tact and genuine concern for these kids.
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