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Parents and Guardians Forum>Your Childs Weight/BMI on their Report Cards?
Cat Herder 08:09 AM 04-29-2011
I got this from:

The Huffington Post: More Schools Including Weight, BMI On Report Cards 04/19/11

Forget the familiar A, B and C on your child's report card -- the new letters to look out for could be B, M and I.

Sending students home with a "weight grade" has been a growing trend over the past few years, with several U.S. states adopting policies to list a BMI calculation on children's school report cards, often with exercise or nutrition tips to help parents keep kids on track. And now Malaysia has just passed a countrywide policy to include a BMI score at school alongside the typical academic marks.

These weight report cards at school are the latest weapon in the fight against the growing obesity epidemic in children -- rates of high BMIs have tripled over the past three decades and close to one in three American children are now overweight or obese, sparking First Lady Michelle Obama to launch her Let's Move campaign.

The health effects of childhood obesity and high BMI are well-known: excess pounds can lead to heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, asthma and sleep apnea, among other serious health problems in adulthood.

And now this school- sponsored message may give parents a needed reality check -- a 2010 survey from Trust for America's Health found that 84 percent of parents believe their children are at a healthy weight, even though almost one third of kids are actually overweight or obese.

"When students and their parents 'know their numbers' and the consequences of those numbers, they are more likely to do something about them," Huffington Post blogger Lloyd I Sederer, M.D., medical director of the New York State Office of Mental Health wrote in a recent post.

On the other side of the issue, critics question the government's place in getting involved in something as personal as weight. Where do you stand on the debate?
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Blackcat31 08:36 AM 04-29-2011
I think schools should have some sort of education services in place as part of the daily academic curriculm becuase it seems that when budget cuts happen in schools the first things to go are physical activities such as less recess time, sports and physical education class. I also think that health class should be covering the food pyramid and healthy eating habits.

I think with kids being in school for 8 hours per day and not having any type of physical activity being part of that day, the school should be involved and part of the solution of the problem with the obesity epidemic in our country.

The school lunch program is laughable when it comes to healthy meals and snacks and not only should that get a complete overhaul but focusing on health and weight issues BEFORE they get out of control is part of learning and growing and in my personal opinion should be part of the public education system.


I have a 6 yr old in care who weighs almost 100 lbs. He USED to eat a very healthy diet when in my care...veggies and all....now he says the best part of going to school is not having to eat veggies anymore! How sad. He says they have pizza available everyday and for breakfast they get frosted cinnamon rolls...yeah, exactly what he needs!! His mom said he has gained 20 lbs since he started Kindergarten in Sept of last year!!! Sad.
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Unregistered 10:02 AM 04-29-2011
I wish schools and doctors would intervene more with weight of children. While all kids in my child's daycare class appear to be at a healthy weight, previous classrooms weren't this way. I remember one child who was obviously very over weight and was only 4! Ugh! The mother was also very over weight and seemingly passing along her food and (lack of) exercising on to the child. But it's difficult because young children seem to grow in weight first and then in height - this has always been the way for my child - bulks up first then sleeps a lot then grows an inch seemingly overnight which is what will be hard and sometimes inaccurate if the school does this. I hope schools take this initiative because I think schools and doctors are trying to be too nice. Even when I went to the doc recently, they didn't share my BMI with me but I saw it on the computer screen. It was a big wake up call for me, because I'm just about overweight for my short height and had some physical probs and am just starting to get back into exercising again. You wouldn't know it to look at me, but I hide it well. But higher BMI leads to so many health probs in children and adults. It's terrible that parents can be in such denial about themselves and their own kids. School food choices don't help either. Juice can have just as much if not more sugar and calories than soda. Chocolate milk has way more calories than white milk. Cheese is high in salt, calories and cholesterol. The amount of fried food and previously fried and then baked is ridiculous! It really is a package deal and everything in moderation. It seems the food choices in general are 2/3 bad in schools - pizza, fried food, etc. I wish there were better restrictions on food offerings inside of schools because parents can't control what their kids eat at school - especially if their kids are already overweight and are making bad choices. I'm lucky - I've taught mine about healthy food choices and chocolate milk being sometimes drink and I check up on their choices daily and try to monitor from a distance what they eat and it works - if they don't like the main meat, they always eat their veggies and fruit and milk. And I always teach that the best dessert is fruit. I follow up with their teachers during conferences to be sure that the kids are telling me the truth. Some parents preach that's controlling - NO, it's called parenting - imagine that in 2011!
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youretooloud 10:54 AM 04-29-2011
Wow.. I see parents getting all offended when the doctor points out that little punkin is getting too high on the weight charts. I can't imagine what they will do when they see that on a report card.

I do think it's silly that a parent needs to be told. I have a friend who was called in to school to discuss her son's weight with the school nurse. Then she asked ME "Do you think he's overweight?"......(in my mind I said) "Um he's freaking OBESE... how did you not notice???" "It's not baby fat, he won't outgrow it.. he won't make a change later in life" Take away his many, many video game sets and send his chunky little self outside to play!!!

She even drives him to the bus stop. ON THE NEXT CORNER.
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morgan24 12:15 PM 04-29-2011
Our school does that. Our district is one of the most obese in the State. They also serve a different take out pizza every day. They got a grant last year for a veggie or fruit snack the elementary and hardly any of the kids would eat it. I wish that they would clean up their menu. It's sad.
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Kaddidle Care 01:46 PM 04-29-2011
Sorry, I had to look up what BMI was.

I am not worried about it - I have the opposite problem - my 9 1/2 year old is 60 lbs.

A 6 year old that's 100 lbs! That's insane! What on earth are they feeding that child?
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Candyland 11:34 PM 04-29-2011
Originally Posted by Catherder:
I got this from:

The Huffington Post: More Schools Including Weight, BMI On Report Cards 04/19/11

Forget the familiar A, B and C on your child's report card -- the new letters to look out for could be B, M and I.

Sending students home with a "weight grade" has been a growing trend over the past few years, with several U.S. states adopting policies to list a BMI calculation on children's school report cards, often with exercise or nutrition tips to help parents keep kids on track. And now Malaysia has just passed a countrywide policy to include a BMI score at school alongside the typical academic marks.

These weight report cards at school are the latest weapon in the fight against the growing obesity epidemic in children -- rates of high BMIs have tripled over the past three decades and close to one in three American children are now overweight or obese, sparking First Lady Michelle Obama to launch her Let's Move campaign.

The health effects of childhood obesity and high BMI are well-known: excess pounds can lead to heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, asthma and sleep apnea, among other serious health problems in adulthood.

And now this school- sponsored message may give parents a needed reality check -- a 2010 survey from Trust for America's Health found that 84 percent of parents believe their children are at a healthy weight, even though almost one third of kids are actually overweight or obese.

"When students and their parents 'know their numbers' and the consequences of those numbers, they are more likely to do something about them," Huffington Post blogger Lloyd I Sederer, M.D., medical director of the New York State Office of Mental Health wrote in a recent post.

On the other side of the issue, critics question the government's place in getting involved in something as personal as weight. Where do you stand on the debate?
While I know & agree that there are many overweight children in our country due to overeating, unhealthy selections, etc...I'm more concerned with government control. What next?
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melskids 04:30 AM 04-30-2011
our kids are in school for 6 or 7 hours a day.

they serve crap in their lunch rooms and take away their recess.

and believe me, i realize that as parents, we are ultimately responsible for our own kids, but where does the schools accountability come in?

i mean, my daycare kids are with me for 9 hours a day. i cant serve mcdonalds every day and sit them in front of a TV all day, and then complain to the parents about their bad habits.

JMO, of course
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Maddy'sMommy 01:10 PM 05-01-2011
It's tough because it seems like some people say that schools should be partly accountable, but when someone suggest that they remove junk food from schools, other people get upset about the government controlling things. It's liked damned if you do, and damned if you don't.

No one wants higher taxes, but everyone wants schools to offer more programming that costs money...same thing
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QualiTcare 12:18 PM 05-02-2011
parents have the option of packing lunch for their children. so, the whole "the schools serve crap" doesn't really fly. i don't care what anyone says - if a child is eating right and has healthy habits at HOME then there's no way a kid is going to get fat just by eating a slice of pizza at school for lunch EVEN if it's every day. it's usually kids who eat crap food at home who will choose crap food at school. yeah, all kids are going to want pizza or cookies some of the time - but kids who have health habits from the start don't always choose the junk from my experience.

i don't know about the whole BMI report card. while it wouldn't bother me - i don't think the parents who need it the most don't care which is why they need to know in the first place.
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youretooloud 12:43 PM 05-02-2011
Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
parents have the option of packing lunch for their children. so, the whole "the schools serve crap" doesn't really fly. i don't care what anyone says - if a child is eating right and has healthy habits at HOME then there's no way a kid is going to get fat just by eating a slice of pizza at school for lunch EVEN if it's every day. it's usually kids who eat crap food at home who will choose crap food at school. yeah, all kids are going to want pizza or cookies some of the time - but kids who have health habits from the start don't always choose the junk from my experience.

i don't know about the whole BMI report card. while it wouldn't bother me - i don't think the parents who need it the most don't care which is why they need to know in the first place.

I agree with this. I grew up in the 70s. We ate junk every day in school and at home. But, we walked to and from school (twice a day) we played outside after school for hours, then after dinner, we'd play outside again. At dinner, parents made one meal. If you didn't like it, too bad so sad.. you could get some butter bread, but nobody was going to make you a plate of chicken nuggets or Kraft mac and cheese.

Our parents didn't pack a snack and sippy cup of milk or juice just to be in the car for 20 minutes. Our biggest worry was "I told you to go to the bathroom before we left". Not "I'm sorry.. Mommy forgot to pack you a snack". They didn't sell little reusable snack cups, or sippy cups.

Snack pack Pudding came in a metal can, and you got ONE in your lunch every few days. Otherwise, it was a bologna sandwich and a ziplock full of bugle chips. You bought a milk, or if you were lucky, you got a can of Hawaiian punch. Many kids walked home for lunch, and then they walked back. (actually, we ran)

If you went to a friend's house, you walked. Now, Mom calls the mother, plans a playdate, drives the child over, and the kids play playstation and eat junk food for four hours, and mom drives back to pick the child up.

Kids are sometimes seven years old before learning to ride a two wheeler! Then, when they do ride a two wheeler, it's only because Dad packed it in the car and drove them to the park.

Kids are fat because they are inactive. Kids are fat because the grocery stores are huge now. Kids are fat because snacks come in prepackaged containers, and they can't drive six blocks without a cup of goldfish crackers. They are fat because there's too much homework, not enough playtime. They are fat because they have too many planned sports or activities, and they don't have time to eat a dinner, so they go through drive thru three times a week. Kids are fat because the unhealthy food is a LOT cheaper than the healthy food. A bag of cookies costs less than a bunch of bananas. HFCS is relatively new. In the 70s, we made Koolaide with sugar. Now, everything is sweetened or flavored with HFCS.
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melskids 01:43 PM 05-02-2011
Originally Posted by QualiTcare:
parents have the option of packing lunch for their children. so, the whole "the schools serve crap" doesn't really fly. i don't care what anyone says - if a child is eating right and has healthy habits at HOME then there's no way a kid is going to get fat just by eating a slice of pizza at school for lunch EVEN if it's every day. it's usually kids who eat crap food at home who will choose crap food at school. yeah, all kids are going to want pizza or cookies some of the time - but kids who have health habits from the start don't always choose the junk from my experience.

i don't know about the whole BMI report card. while it wouldn't bother me - i don't think the parents who need it the most don't care which is why they need to know in the first place.
oh, no. i totally agree with you.

i just feel that if the school is going to go so far as sending home our kids BMI or weight (as if i didnt know how much my kids weigh) the least they should do is set a good example.

my son came home just the other day, and said "mom, yourer never gonna believe what they served for lunch today. bologna and cheese on white bread, potato chips, fruit snacks, a cookie, and fruit cocktail."

there were no other choices. no, they may not get fat from eating pizza everyday, but they still should offer other options.

(my kids bring their own lunch, btw)

the food program is on my ass about serving healthy options. why dont they do that with the schools?

licensing expects my kiddos to go out everyday. who monitors the fact that my kids no longer have a recess?
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melskids 01:44 PM 05-02-2011
Originally Posted by youretooloud:
I agree with this. I grew up in the 70s. We ate junk every day in school and at home. But, we walked to and from school (twice a day) we played outside after school for hours, then after dinner, we'd play outside again. At dinner, parents made one meal. If you didn't like it, too bad so sad.. you could get some butter bread, but nobody was going to make you a plate of chicken nuggets or Kraft mac and cheese.

Our parents didn't pack a snack and sippy cup of milk or juice just to be in the car for 20 minutes. Our biggest worry was "I told you to go to the bathroom before we left". Not "I'm sorry.. Mommy forgot to pack you a snack". They didn't sell little reusable snack cups, or sippy cups.

Snack pack Pudding came in a metal can, and you got ONE in your lunch every few days. Otherwise, it was a bologna sandwich and a ziplock full of bugle chips. You bought a milk, or if you were lucky, you got a can of Hawaiian punch. Many kids walked home for lunch, and then they walked back. (actually, we ran)

If you went to a friend's house, you walked. Now, Mom calls the mother, plans a playdate, drives the child over, and the kids play playstation and eat junk food for four hours, and mom drives back to pick the child up.

Kids are sometimes seven years old before learning to ride a two wheeler! Then, when they do ride a two wheeler, it's only because Dad packed it in the car and drove them to the park.

Kids are fat because they are inactive. Kids are fat because the grocery stores are huge now. Kids are fat because snacks come in prepackaged containers, and they can't drive six blocks without a cup of goldfish crackers. They are fat because there's too much homework, not enough playtime. They are fat because they have too many planned sports or activities, and they don't have time to eat a dinner, so they go through drive thru three times a week. Kids are fat because the unhealthy food is a LOT cheaper than the healthy food. A bag of cookies costs less than a bunch of bananas. HFCS is relatively new. In the 70s, we made Koolaide with sugar. Now, everything is sweetened or flavored with HFCS.
and i totally agree with this too
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Kaddidle Care 01:58 PM 05-02-2011
Originally Posted by youretooloud:
I agree with this. I grew up in the 70s. We ate junk every day in school and at home. But, we walked to and from school (twice a day) we played outside after school for hours, then after dinner, we'd play outside again. At dinner, parents made one meal. If you didn't like it, too bad so sad.. you could get some butter bread, but nobody was going to make you a plate of chicken nuggets or Kraft mac and cheese.

Our parents didn't pack a snack and sippy cup of milk or juice just to be in the car for 20 minutes. Our biggest worry was "I told you to go to the bathroom before we left". Not "I'm sorry.. Mommy forgot to pack you a snack". They didn't sell little reusable snack cups, or sippy cups.

Snack pack Pudding came in a metal can, and you got ONE in your lunch every few days. Otherwise, it was a bologna sandwich and a ziplock full of bugle chips. You bought a milk, or if you were lucky, you got a can of Hawaiian punch. Many kids walked home for lunch, and then they walked back. (actually, we ran)

If you went to a friend's house, you walked. Now, Mom calls the mother, plans a playdate, drives the child over, and the kids play playstation and eat junk food for four hours, and mom drives back to pick the child up.

Kids are sometimes seven years old before learning to ride a two wheeler! Then, when they do ride a two wheeler, it's only because Dad packed it in the car and drove them to the park.

Kids are fat because they are inactive. Kids are fat because the grocery stores are huge now. Kids are fat because snacks come in prepackaged containers, and they can't drive six blocks without a cup of goldfish crackers. They are fat because there's too much homework, not enough playtime. They are fat because they have too many planned sports or activities, and they don't have time to eat a dinner, so they go through drive thru three times a week. Kids are fat because the unhealthy food is a LOT cheaper than the healthy food. A bag of cookies costs less than a bunch of bananas. HFCS is relatively new. In the 70s, we made Koolaide with sugar. Now, everything is sweetened or flavored with HFCS.
Amen Sista!
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QualiTcare 07:00 AM 05-03-2011
Originally Posted by youretooloud:
I agree with this. I grew up in the 70s. We ate junk every day in school and at home. But, we walked to and from school (twice a day) we played outside after school for hours, then after dinner, we'd play outside again. At dinner, parents made one meal. If you didn't like it, too bad so sad.. you could get some butter bread, but nobody was going to make you a plate of chicken nuggets or Kraft mac and cheese.

Our parents didn't pack a snack and sippy cup of milk or juice just to be in the car for 20 minutes. Our biggest worry was "I told you to go to the bathroom before we left". Not "I'm sorry.. Mommy forgot to pack you a snack". They didn't sell little reusable snack cups, or sippy cups.

Snack pack Pudding came in a metal can, and you got ONE in your lunch every few days. Otherwise, it was a bologna sandwich and a ziplock full of bugle chips. You bought a milk, or if you were lucky, you got a can of Hawaiian punch. Many kids walked home for lunch, and then they walked back. (actually, we ran)

If you went to a friend's house, you walked. Now, Mom calls the mother, plans a playdate, drives the child over, and the kids play playstation and eat junk food for four hours, and mom drives back to pick the child up.

Kids are sometimes seven years old before learning to ride a two wheeler! Then, when they do ride a two wheeler, it's only because Dad packed it in the car and drove them to the park.

Kids are fat because they are inactive. Kids are fat because the grocery stores are huge now. Kids are fat because snacks come in prepackaged containers, and they can't drive six blocks without a cup of goldfish crackers. They are fat because there's too much homework, not enough playtime. They are fat because they have too many planned sports or activities, and they don't have time to eat a dinner, so they go through drive thru three times a week. Kids are fat because the unhealthy food is a LOT cheaper than the healthy food. A bag of cookies costs less than a bunch of bananas. HFCS is relatively new. In the 70s, we made Koolaide with sugar. Now, everything is sweetened or flavored with HFCS.
this is true. speaking of unhealthy food being a lot cheaper than healthy food - that's definitely one that adds to the problem! i lost a lot of weight after i had my second (and last) child. one morning a co-worker asked how i lost so much weight and it was so funny bc i had a hardees bag AND a frosty from wendy's in my hand at the time. i said, "from eating this!" but seriously i had one of the kid sized frosty's that was 99 cents and i told her i stopped thinking about how much MORE i could get for my money. i could've gotten a frosty that was double the size for 30 cents more, but i didn't NEED one that was double the size. you can get a cheeseburger at mcdonald's for 99 cents or you can get a DOUBLE cheeseburger for 1.00 so people naturally want to get "more for the money" but when you start thinking about the toll it takes on your body - the "extra money" is soo worth it.
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Tags:bad diet, chubby kids, fat, weight
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