Child's Weight to be included on Report Card

[GoingNova]

There is a bill in NY that is being introduced that will require schools to include a child's weight as well as where the child stands relative to others on the body-mass index.

Read About It Here (http://1010wins.com/topstories/local_story_027143128.html)

Thoughts?

[MrsD]

Geez- I'm not sure I like that idea. Isn't it kind of invasive? Those kind of records can follow a kid all through their school years and kind of single them out from the others, prompting bullying, separatism and ridicule from their peers. It's bad enough these kids may not be chosen for dodge ball teams on the playgrounds. It can also open the door to incorrect and damaging reports to agencies such as DCF (Dept. of Children and Families).

I think where the schools need to start is to offer more healthy and weight-smart selections of lunches for the kids, or expand on phys ed classes and intramural sports. With the age of the dissapearing budget in most of our towns and municipalities, these programs have either been cut drastically or eliminated totally.

Again - this report-card weigh-in thing sounds like a cop-out on the part of the schools. Sure, there are parents out there who need to take better care of their kids and pay more attention to their diets. I certainly wouldn't leave that up to the schools! They are shirking their duties, duties that I believe they are well rewarded for, in my view and trying to shove more on the parents.

[jaws]

First off, the way the current BMI scale is set up--the numbers and ranges are inaccurate, so that would need retooled.

But I don't think it's the school's job to tell parents how much their kids weigh. Can't the parents just do that--or the doctor will do that for 'em when they get a checkup.

I don't know how common it is for kids to buy lunches at school (in the lower grades) [I was at a private religious school--where we had lunch served to us], but there should be more healthy options on the menu--definitely. I noticed that was often deficient when I was in HS (not to long ago).

And I think PE should remain part of the curriculum for students. I took it from K-11th grade...and it didn't hurt at all to have it in the curriculum.

[highlandronin26]

Any news on this New Yorker's?

[Venus]

woohooo for confidentiality!!!!

[Nightwolf04]

Even though I'm not in america I think the idea is pointless.

You don't need it plus it seems like an invasion of privacy...I mena I don't want everyone knowing I've been fat or stick thin for the rest of my life... :S

I can understand what their doing though...but I still think it wouldn't be such a good idea.

[ANGLOIRISH]

I personally think this would be asinine. Even if you did counsel the parents or kids on what to eat or not eat and attempt to have children more physically fit, there are many children who have parents who can not afford to feed their children healthy food. Eating properly is expensive! Some kids are lucky to just get enough to eat. Some parents are uneducated as to what to feed their children and some just don't care what the kids are consuming.

[Nightwolf04]

That's actually a very good point...but at least (I'm not sure how it is in canada and america) but in england schools are trying to make it healthy...make schools pretty bad at the moment...but their hoping to change...maybe if that happens then weight won't be such a problem...